well that was stupid...

So I can cross one more thing off the " things I never wanna do again" list. Lastnight after work decided to see if any pike were awake so I went after work and started throwing a new rapala husky jerk I had just got a few weeks back when god k.ows how or why it flew off and landed about 15 feet in front of me, now comes the hard choice : stand there and watch 11 bucks float away with the current or take the plunge and get it back... being the cheap broke ass I am I quickly hopped in and after wading threw thigh hi murky pike spawn waters in the pitch black night I got my lure back and promptly s*** myself as I hi stepped back to shore! I know the essox were probably dormant for the night but after an encounter I had a few weeks back in the same area I had reason to be nervous lol. Maybe next time ill just watch it float away... so anyone else ever have any of these scary split second decision moments?

Your story reminds me of a guy I remembered plugging from the jetty at Hampton Harbor for stripers right before a storm. The fishing was really good with a hook up every other cast. The guy fishing next to me was hitting the blues and stripers good until the bluefish chewed up his leader. His next cast the leader snapped and sent his popper 50 yards out into rough waters. He dove in and actually swam out in the choppy bluefish infested water to retrieve it.



I said to him no lure is worth dying for and he replied back with 'that was my favorite lure of all time and they wouldn't hit nothing but that popper I swear to God.'

Crazy son of a gun.

I was fishing this swampy, mucky pond in Andover. Ihad been kiiling them on the moss mouse. As I was pulling it by a branch sticking out of the water Murphy's law kicked in and the mouse hooked it. I had on 20 # braid so I figure I'll just rip it out. The line broke. So I go in about 20 yards. It was only a little past my knees but I was nervous. The next time I fished there I saw a giant black snake in the same area. It was about 3 feet long.

Your story reminds me of a guy I remembered plugging from the jetty at Hampton Harbor for stripers right before a storm. The fishing was really good with a hook up every other cast. The guy fishing next to me was hitting the blues and stripers good until the bluefish chewed up his leader. His next cast the leader snapped and sent his popper 50 yards out into rough waters. He dove in and actually swam out in the choppy bluefish infested water to retrieve it.



I said to him no lure is worth dying for and he replied back with 'that was my favorite lure of all time and they wouldn't hit nothing but that popper I swear to God.'

Crazy son of a gun.

thats just a whole new level of crazy lol. i had my waders on anyways but there is just something about walking slowly in the dark threw almost waist deep water with a muddy bottom like quick sand that you know houses northerns in the 3 foot range lol even though i know the chances of actually being attacked or bitten by one is slim to none it still gives your imagination siomething to go wild over haha plus a few weeks back while probing the same area for pike during the day i was in a little above my knees when i felt a bump on my leg so i looked down and the water was all churned up mud and i see a big black shadowy log swimming away from between my ankles and i almost crapped my pants lol so i turned to runaway back to shore screaming like a girl not realizing my feet had sunk a few inches in the mud so as i took my first step i fell in up to my chest and totally freaked out and almost jumped the 15 feet back to shore in a single bound lol so going in lastnight to get my rapala was like reliving a fear of what lies beneath

I was fishing this swampy, mucky pond in Andover. Ihad been kiiling them on the moss mouse. As I was pulling it by a branch sticking out of the water Murphy's law kicked in and the mouse hooked it. I had on 20 # braid so I figure I'll just rip it out. The line broke. So I go in about 20 yards. It was only a little past my knees but I was nervous. The next time I fished there I saw a giant black snake in the same area. It was about 3 feet long.

i wonder what kind of snake it was? could have been a mocossin then you would have had a bad day lol

Ya I don't know snakes but there was an argument about it on facebook with about half the people saying moccasin and the other half saying something else

Believe it or not there's no such thing as water moccasins in MA. They are native to southeastern United States. It could be a northern water snake that people usually refer it to as water moccassin.

What that being said they are still scary as hell waders or no waders on. I wouldn't want to have an encounter with that.

Believe it or not there's no such thing as water moccasins in MA. They are native to southeastern United States. It could be a northern water snake that people usually refer it to as water moccassin.

What that being said they are still scary as hell waders or no waders on. I wouldn't want to have an encounter with that.

Hmmm... learn something new everyday. Good to know

http://www.masnakes.org/index.html

http://www.masnakes.org/snakes/black_rat/thumbs/fullsize/rat_snake_800_Richmond_fs_fs.jpg

Seen plenty of these at Fosters Pond and Artichoke Reservoir, they do look impressive and can grow fairly large.

Those rat snakes are mean. I had too many run in's with them. They will also eat a bass if they can catch them.

The day I encountered this snake I had hooked a small bass with a moss mouse while shore fishing. As I pulled the fish over the shoreline mud the snake lunged for the fish and scared the crap outta me. It followed me about 10 feet up the bank. When it stopped I busted out the video camera and shot a little footage

The snake shows up around the 3:30 mark
http://youtu.be/BZRQeIJRxNQ

Call me a wuss but I would not go back to fishing if I knew that snake was still lurking around like that. Thing is huge!

Animal Planets got nothing on MAFF, Lol!

If fishing from shore during the day you really have to watch your step They will sunbathe along the bank and will hold their ground, they are not afraid of people