Pacemaker Fishing Forum

I went out Sunday afternoon during the warmest part of the day. I had to float my boat to do some repair work on the trailer bunks, so I decided to get a line wet while I was there. The water was high, muddy with some debris. I could not get a smallmouth bite, so I anchored next to a nice hole and decided to try for catfish. Just after a got my first line in the water, I notice a 5-6 foot snake swimming across the river towards me. Bam, I get a hook up with a catfish. I am fighting the fish and the snake keeps coming towards the boat. I grasp an oar thinking I will scare it off. No luck the snake just coils and shows his fangs. They look big to me.
So I have the fishing pole in one hand and the oar in the other. I manage to land the fish, and then turned my full attention to the snake. It is trying to get in the boat and striking at the me and the oar. I finally got a chance to turn the paddle on edge and come down on the snake with an axe motion.

I did not catch another fish in that hole and I notice some extra gray in my hair.

Jeff