# Morning LMR (5/16): Snakes on this plane, er river!



## SamiFish (Apr 24, 2013)

Hi all,

Sorry my phone died on me so no pics. 

After patiently waiting for the river cleared up, I had to try to get in a sesh before those thunderstorms rolled in.

I hit my (previously) favorite sweet spot on the lower LMR from 6-10am and had a pretty ho-hum morning. Hooked into about 10 whites - one about 14" the others were dinks. Hook pulled out on what I'd estimate was at least a 5lb wiper at my feet - he was within arm's reach! Also landed two peanut-sized smallies and an equally small LMB. That would've all been fine but I was maybe a little grumpy after gettin soaked by two pretty heavy rains while out there.

SNAKES! I'm getting a bit spooked by snakes. I saw what was a little snake head poking out of the water with the rest of him stuck under a rock. Then spotted two similar lookin' guys slithering around in the rocks right where I was wading in the water. I'd always figured if I was in faster water and not up in the muck and bushes I'd be fine. Seein' that guy IN the water just chillin' with his head poppin' out - in the midst of riffles - has me a little worried I'm inevitably going to walk into one of these things. 

Anyone seen something similar and can you tell me if these things are gonna bite/kill me?


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## imalt (Apr 17, 2008)

You should be ok. Watch out for the rogue escaped anaconda from the zoo that lives in the LMR, but other than that majority of those snakes are harmless.


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## SamiFish (Apr 24, 2013)

which ones SHOULD i watch out for? I know i've mentioned this is in the past but being a recent OH transplant and only newly-reborn fisherman, I'm not familiar with the OH backwood. Back home, we really only have to worry about rattlesnakes (which are easy to ID and usually come with a built-in warning system).


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## Fishingisfun (Jul 19, 2012)

I'm not aware of any deadly water snakes in Ohio. Bigger snakes can and do bite if bothered. By that if you grab them they can defend themselves. Mostly snakes are just there looking for a meal of minnows or frogs. There are cooper head and rattlers in Ohio on land but in all my years in central Ohio I have only seen one cooper head near Lancaster.


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## MuskieWolverine (May 16, 2012)

Water snakes in Ohio are harmless. (by harmless I mean non venomous) If you try to pick one up, they will tear you up and it isn't pleasant, but nothing dangerous. They are aggressive you if you corner one or try to handle it. Bites from the larger ones are strong enough to break the skin, but it feels no worse than a bee sting and usually scares you more than it hurts (I know this from experience). Leave them alone and they will leave you alone. The larger ones my swim near to check you out, but will typically not bother you. If you are wading with live bait, keep the live bait farther away from you.....I've had them swim right up to shore to check out minnow buckets when I was shore fishing.

I was kayak fishing in the Sandusky Bay and had one drop into my kayak from a low hanging tree....I have never exited a boat so fast in my life.


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## DancinBear (Apr 21, 2009)

. Caught this Saturday down south in Athens. Any idea what it is?


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## midoh39 (May 8, 2005)

Seriously what is up with all of the snakes this year? I saw 6 tonight on the GMR, I saw maybe all of 4 all last year.


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## hotdog (Jun 21, 2009)

Black Rat Snake. I've seen quite a few in Athens area. Cool!


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## Bazzin05 (Feb 2, 2011)

I ran my boat up the LMR on that same day and I had 3 snakes swim straight at my boat and one hitched a ride on the back of my motor until he got to the other side of the river then he took off for shore. 

By the way was that you I passed in the morning fishing the riffle in a tan hat?


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## FishNerd (Apr 22, 2013)

That snake almost looks like a Racer, but can't really tell from the pic. Most of the time, if it's that big it's probably a Rat snake.

As for dangerous snakes in Ohio, you only have the Timber Rattlesnake (Southeast Ohio in the hill country), the Massasauga (also called Swamp Rattlers, they're little guys in the northern part of the state and are pretty rare), and of course Copperheads. I had a friend's wife get bit by one a few years back when moving a wood pile, it put her in the hospital but she recovered.

Some folks will swear that we have Cottonmouths in the very southern part of the state, my cousin swears he's seen them, but I doubt it, it just gets too cold for them.

Hognose snakes can looks like some kind of viper (big arrow-shaped head) and they'll raise up and flatten their necks like a cobra and hiss loudly if threatened, and will strike (with their mouths closed).

Water snakes (both the Northern and the rarer ones found around Lake Erie) are aggressive, especially if cornered. I've been chased by them before. They'll even try to steal panfish off of a stringer - I was fishing Lake Hope one time and finally had to take one of the smaller bluegill off my stringer and give it to the snake so he'd leave me alone. I stopped fishing just to try to watch him swallow it. I also had one drop out of a tree onto my shoulder - I'm not afraid of snakes unless they surprise me, and I nearly soiled my drawers when that happened!

Black racers will chase you for short distances, and they're fast, especially in grass or among rocks. You can always tell them from rat snakes by the way they hold their head off the ground.

Pretty much every other species is perfectly harmless.


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## FlatKat (Jul 20, 2012)

The Eastern Hog nose snake is a cool snake i came across one in a cornfield arrowhead hunting in tuscawarus county. It flattened out then rolled over on its back when i aproached it. very rare cool experience.


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## Carver (Jan 20, 2010)

I have lived in southeastern Ohio in the hill country all of my life and have never heard of rattlesnakes being around. I have been all over these hills and have only seen a few copperhead.


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## WillyB2 (Dec 28, 2008)

Carver, same here. I live about 10 miles from you and have been here my entire life. Never seen or heard of anyone seeing a rattlesnake in the area. I have seen one copperhead and it was years ago. 

Have seen a lot of snakes this year, more than usual. We have a 1 acre pond and I see water snakes every time I am back there fishing. Wife and I saw 3 this past week at Tappan. Had to give one a wack with my rod because he would not leave us alone. Kept coming right at the boat.


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## sporto (Jun 7, 2005)

Chances are you'll never see one, timber rattlers are endangered as well as being very timid and seek to avoid man at all costs.


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## tadluvadd (Feb 19, 2012)

cpl weeks ago i was wadding a river in a deep pool,so i was trying to stay along the edge as there was a fast steep drop.i had to duck under this bush and as i almost put my hand on a branch to stabilize myself i heard something in that bush. about 6 inches from my hand was a nest of snakes.it looked like a freaking squirrel nest! i seen at least 4 of them maybe more balled up in it poking their heads out! im not that afraid of snakes but that freaked me out as im sure my hand would have been just inches below that nest and worse yet i would have had my head just under it as it shook the crap out of them. im sure they would have fell down on me.WORD OF ADVISE----EVEN IN OHIO WATCH WHERE YOU PUT YOUR HANDS!


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