The Cottonmouth
This one took place at what we called Rainbow Lake in Kannapolis N.C... It was on a Friday night that we did this and I mean caught one of the biggest Cottonmouths that you could fine. This took place in 1968 I was 13 years old.
Wallace, butch, Joe and I were carp fishing and we were catching carp. I see a big snake swimming down the bank and show it to Wallace. He said Paul we are going to catch that snake. I told him that if he pull that snake on the bank around me that I would kill it. He said no don’t kill the snake it will be all right. I said if it comes on the bank it a dead snake. Joe and Butch said yes to that.
So we all went back to catching carp for now and what a job we were doing of that. There was a dead beam lying on the bank in the water and that was what the snake wanted. So I got it up with the net and Wallace put the hook and line that I gave him in the beam. It was 20lb test so he was not going to break that you know. So we put it back in the water at the bank so the snake could get it. At this time we did not know what kind it was you know. So back to carp fishing we went.
Well we are catching carp as we usely do at Rainbow Lake most of the time you can’t keep 3 reels in the water. We have won a few hours and got some of our money back and that is what it is about. Looking to break even and then we will be happy you know. It is about 3 in the morning now and we hear a lot of noises down the bank. Were we were having that line with the beam on it. We look down it and man what a sight it is the snake is standing up on its tail swinging back and forth hissing like noting that I have ever heard before. Wallace got the line with his hands and begins to pull it in to us. I told him that if the snake came on the bank that it was a dead snake. He said Paul don’t kill my snake I said I wouldn’t as long as it stand in the water. Then that snake came out of the water and onto the bank and that was the last thing that it did for right there it met its maker. Wallace got a little mad but I’m sorry but I told him as long as it stays in the water it would be fine. It did not choose to stay in the water it came out and on the bank bad for him. Wallace put it in a big jar with alcohol and kelp it for a long time. The pic of the cottonmouth is not the snake I got it off the web.
Paul Daniel Collins
JustCarp’N
Thursday, July 04, 2013
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