warning to all fishing floyds fork

[QUOTE=usmc_0311_hunter;457971]it deffinatly wasnt the northern water snake now i hate to say this but it looked very similar to the diamondback water snake in that link on page 28 but it says those stay in western ky also so the only way im gonna find out for sure is to go catch one ill try to get out there wensday hopefully there in the same area they were laying out in the sun on that hillside right next to the bridge im sure they live right in that area shouldnt be hard to find[/QUOTE]

Hope you can find a long stick to keep them back with! If you manage to kill/capture one, take pics of it so we can really determined what it is.

[QUOTE=bplgocards;458007]Hope you can find a long stick to keep them back with! If you manage to kill/capture one, take pics of it so we can really determined what it is.[/QUOTE]

...or better yet, have a friend take a lot of photos of you as you try to catch one. Could be an interesting spectacle...:D

Be careful! And I hope you don't kill it...I'm no fan of cottonmouths, but even when it comes to snakes I prefer catch-and-release unless I plan to eat one.

Pics would probably be enough if you have a camera that can zoom.

[QUOTE=KentuckyBristle;458010]...or better yet, have a friend take a lot of photos of you as you try to catch one. Could be an interesting spectacle...:D

Be careful! And I hope you don't kill it...I'm no fan of cottonmouths, but even when it comes to snakes I prefer catch-and-release unless I plan to eat one.[/QUOTE]
unless you eat one LOL!!! i actually considerd this when i killed that rattle snake in eastern ky

i actually had the one that went into the water pined down with my fishing pole but the other half of him was under the rock and i didnt wana try n catch what apperd to be a cotton mouth that was in the water and half way under a rock it didnt seem like a good idea at the time im probaly gona go back friday as long as the weather permits theres some nice smallies in that little creek its alot of fun if you dont mind wading long distances hole to hole

Copperhead I would bet on it. They are quite at home in the water. There are no CM this far east. Call any herpatologist, biologist you want and see if they don't tell you the same thing. Now are Copperheads honery, heck yea and can lay the smack down on you to, and this area has enough to be wary of them.

My parents cat actually drug a snake about a foot long up to their house a couple weeks ago and it was IDENTICAL to a copperhead but it was a nonvenomous snake....Water snakes in KY take a lot of different markings and colorations on due to their surroundings....Young copperheads have a very distinctive yellow tail...They are very easy to spot and if this is what you saw, you would have known it by looking....And yes copperheads do live around water....A couple years ago I was weedeating around a pond I fish and came upon a snake....Thinking it was just a water snake and knowing I would have kids out there fishing I wound the weedeater up and hit the snake....After about three times of hitting it it was dead....Much to my surprise it was an adult copperhead about 2ft long....It was laying right at the waters edge

Just remember guys that when you go fishing, you are closer to these things than you realize, but they are more afraid of us than we are of them. Its a scary thought, but if you are near a river like Floyds, you are always within eyesight of a snake of some sort. Just know that tehse snakes would rather run than bite, so go about your business and they will go about theirs. If a watersnake coils up and shows you the inside of its white mouth, back away... if you hear a rattle stand still, locate teh snake and back away. Always try to go with someone, and have a plan to get out if you get bitten.

Dont let these guys run you out of the area you want to fish.

[QUOTE=walkeraviator;458051]Just remember guys that when you go fishing, you are closer to these things than you realize, but they are more afraid of us than we are of them. Its a scary thought, but if you are near a river like Floyds, you are always within eyesight of a snake of some sort. Just know that tehse snakes would rather run than bite, so go about your business and they will go about theirs. If a watersnake coils up and shows you the inside of its white mouth, back away... if you hear a rattle stand still, locate teh snake and back away. Always try to go with someone, and have a plan to get out if you get bitten.

Dont let these guys run you out of the area you want to fish.[/QUOTE]

+1

This is the same mindset I have to get into when I wade fish the bays in TX. There are stingrays and bull sharks that can ruin your day for sure. But I just perpare myself as best I can and trust that when it is my time for the Good Lord to take me, well its my time whether I am fishing or sittin on the porselain throne.

[QUOTE=walkeraviator;458071]This is the same mindset I have to get into when I wade fish the bays in TX. There are stingrays and bull sharks that can ruin your day for sure. But I just perpare myself as best I can and trust that when it is my time for the Good Lord to take me, well its my time whether I am fishing or sittin on the porselain throne.[/QUOTE]
man talk about a fighting fish when i was stationed in hawaii i used to catch stingrays and sharks almost everytime i went surfing we saw big tiger sharks i know how u felt

I can tell you for certain that the Western Cottonmouth is as far west a Rough River Lake. I have one in my freezer if anyone wants to check it out. I lived in the swamps of Mississippi when I was younger and have caught many cottonmouths on a cane pole. It is 3 feet long. I am in the woods almost everyday with my job so I have encountered many different posion snakes. I also have photos of it if anyone is interested.