Epic catch in Rochester!

[Deaf Fisherman]

One of my friend just sent me photo from my freshmen year of college.

I was searching for any kind of fish in any kind of rivers. I was fishing for anything that bite, I used crankbaits, spinners, spoon, texas-rigged tube/grubs. Nothing bites until big monster fish smacked it! I knew it was really huge fish because it was peeled off my line in short distance(probably 50 feet away). I kept it under controlled and make fish to think he can run it again in opposite direction. few minutes give in, the fish give up and I felt like it was stuck big log's branch. that just submerge under surface. I used my rod to untangle the line out of branch... Fish was popped surface! (swearing was flying out of my mouth meanwhile I was totally almost "pop out of my pant.") It was huge snake! I was shocked that I caught it and I don't have phone nor camera on me. So I wait for couple of minute to thinking what I should do. Somehow, snake managed to wrapped with 10-15 feet of line and couldn't escape from it. I decided to cut my line and left more line to tied up on tree. Then went back to school, told everyone about it. they think that I was kidding them. I took one of my friend and bring my phone to that site where I caught it. My friend was totally terrify to see that snake! He wont be close than 15 feet away from the snake. I decide to check it again, that snake was totally killed. (I guess it was from line that snake couldn't break free from it.) I let my friend to snapped some of photos for me meanwhile I am checking on the snake and attempt to get my lure back! After several minutes later, I decide to leave it. Because I don't want to get my hand close to that snake's mouth! You probably can see that I used my rod to hold up the line that attached to snake. But it was my most odd-epic catch for lifetime.

But curiously took best of me, I wonder how possible that snake survive during fall season? Or even grow that big? I thought it might be someone who kept it for pet until it was growing too big to be caged. So, someone might throw it out in river. I am curious, "what you think of this snake and what is the possible chance that snake was wild or not?"

Does anyone have similar stories like mine? I would love to hear your story!

[muskybob]

DANG!!! That is some catch. One of the most unusual I've seen from freshwater. Good job on ridding the shoreline of that thing.

[Paul Czarnecki]

You killed someone's pet boa constrictor or python! (Good job )

[Mortigan]

Definitely an exotic, so it used to be someone's pet. Was that in the Genesee, near RIT? Fall wouldn't be a problem surviving but it wouldn't make it outdoors through a winter.

[frm03064]

GOod that its dead.. last thing we need is another invasive species because some idiot decided to throw his pet away.

[rolmops]

Eh, do they have a biology department at RIT?

[Deaf Fisherman]

Yeah, you guys would know the feeling when you thought you managed to get big fish and gotten work it up. End up, the snake was on your hook!

I might suspicious that snake was aware of climate change because when it was getting closer to land it. I played snake until it was getting tired to battle anymore. However, snake refused surface like another fish normally does. It was submerge right under surface until line got wrapped. Then that moment, I was realize how is the big snake was. (Little terrify moment along with some shocks and disbelief) But everything in end, I assumed that snake was trying not to surface at all because that day was really cold/no winds.

Also, snake could have lived right under someone's home's front porch or under the house to being keep warm because there was many houses behind me at where I was fishing. So, anything could be possible. Even through, it was highly doubt about that snake could lived through the winter.

[fish or swim]

Cool story. How many fillets did you get from it?

[Big Dave]

Still would have got my record snake bait back!!!!

[carpedium]

In the D&C Today

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/app ... ck_check=1

[Deaf Fisherman]

Yeah, I know!

Pretty awesome!

Irony is that, I met Fisherman21 at several days ago and become friends. Starting to have fishing buddy and next thing that we know, we are on the D&C newspaper. We didn't know that until Fisherman21 texted me that we are on D&C newspaper.

Either way, it was pretty awesome fish that I caught Snake while Fisherman21 caught that crazy-size Bowfin!

[jimski2]

Reptiles live here under the water in the winter. Remember under the ice the water is 39 degrees and turtles and frogs, etc. survive here for centuries. Muskrats and beavers den up with underwater entrances that do not freeze over. Wastewater from homes and industrial sources could provide safe havens. These snakes might adapt to our environment, so let us end the thoughts that they will not live here. I have a friend who had hundreds of "king?" snakes living under his porches for years. They started to invade his basement and he ended up tearing out his porches. Now his neighbors are unhappy as they have the visiting snakes at their homes.

[Mortigan]

You're famous, Mark!