Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

All right, you can't swim and you're worried about snakes. But you've got it fixed in your head that you're gonna wander into water moccasin territory in your work boots and a pair of shorts. I didn't notice anywhere in your post where you asked any of us for any advice at all or if we thought this was a good idea. Well, my .02 - I say go for it! Darwin in action.

Smokypig Loc: Cheyenne, wyoming

Cotton mouths eat fish. Fish are under water. Cotton mouths cover distance under water. Don't know much about Copperheads but the advice about rattle snakes is right on. I've had Cotton mouths drop out of a tree into my canoe. Good way to ruin a paddle.

That said, if you can't swim, don't wade.

kpt Loc: texas

Best advise I can give you is to learn how to swim. Its really not that difficult to learn and it could save your life and not just when your fishing. As for the wildlife you just have to be carefull, as plumbob said you are no longer the apex predator in the wild. Unless you have a gun of course.

Garry Loc: Wellborn, Florida

When I was a little pup, there was an old feller called Cripple Will. Now Cripple was a scary feller, who walked on all fours. He wore blue and white pin striped railroad bib overalls with the inseam taken out and sewed up like a dress, and a hat to match. He and my mother's daddy were great friends and when he came to visit, with that great big pistol hanging on the lanyard around his neck I would run out the back of the house and hide in the woods until he left.

I thought I was the only one like that but when my cousin and I talked about him recently I found it to be a common thing among most of the young'uns around at the time.

I fished with my Dad's Daddy all the time, but I could count on one hand all the times my Mom's Daddy and I ever fished together. So it was a special day when he and I went and borrowed Cripple Will's boat and went to Little River to fish. The boat was an old home made cypress board boat like most people had at that time and place. You kept the boats full of water until you were ready to use it, so it wouldn't leak to fast to keep it bailed out with an old tin can.

Well we were easing a long the creek (Little River) under a thick cover of tree over hanging us when all of a sudden a great big old cotton mouth dropped from a tree into the boat.

Granddaddy crabbed Grand mama's old rabbit eared 12 Ga shot gun and blew that snake out the bottom of Cripple Will's boat. We waded out and left the boat, the last time I fished there the boat was still there.

Granddaddy had to take me home before he could go tell Cripple will about boat.

EasternOZ Loc: Kansas City Metro

A hole in 1.

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

Fantastic reading there Garry. Made me feel like I was right there with you. That is until the snake drop. I could even picture some Norman Rockwell paintings of those events. Thanks for sharing.

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

Probably not the first nor the last snake to be responsible for sinking a boat. Thanks Garry. Good one.

Garry Loc: Wellborn, Florida

Thanks Plumbob That is part of one of my collection of true stories based around my coon hunting and fishing, and some of the old country folks I grew up around, I am trying to get together to publish for my grand young'uns so that they may know what made that crazy old man tick.

EasternOZ Loc: Kansas City Metro

Takem and show them first hand, some anyway.

bigbarneycars Loc: Wilmington,NC

I'm with the don't do it crowd. You'll add 10 POUNDS PER GALLON FOR EVERY GALLON TO EACH BOOT LEG IF YOU FALL SO DO THE MATH. BASICALLY YOU'VE DOUBLED YOUR BODY WEIGHT AND YOU DO NOT SWIM? I had a guy that was shopping for a helmet in a motor cycle shop one day while I was in there buying new sprockets and tires for my dirt bike ask me how much he should spend on a helmet. With out hesitation, I ask him how much he thought his head was worth when he airmailed himself into the marbles and stumps 'n snags the next time. He was too stupid to respond the way he should have. I just laughed and left him standing there. My wisdom and advise for the day, Jer

EasternOZ Loc: Kansas City Metro

Wonder if he ever got IT.

Big A Loc: Mesa, Arizona

Forget the snakes, although they are definitely a real concern; don' t you have BIGGER worries, like maybe 'gators ? As much as I love fishing and wading is a good method to access more/better water, you won't ever see me doing so where there's either one in the water ! how badly do you REALLY want to wade ?

Rayz Loc: North West N.J. and South Hero Vt.

I would wear a life jacket. Also once I was wading and had fish on a stringer dragging behind me when I felt a strong pulling. I turned and looked and a BIG Snapping Turtle was having a fish lunch!

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

Not only one on here do I wonder if THEY got it.

bigbarneycars Loc: Wilmington,NC

I doubt it. I got that: don't bother me I'm in a coma look when I said what I said. If he chose to not heed my warning he's probably fish food by now. Remember guys WE CAN'T FIX STUPID, Jer