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The following clearly illustrates why a gun is customarily used in the sport, and thereby the carrier is exempt from both federal and state laws restricting such carry:

<<<On February 9 at 6 p.m., Runnels County received a 911 call from a person who stated he could see a capsized boat with a subject on top of it on Winters Lake. Warden Pinckney responded with a boat and within 30 minutes of receiving the call, he and a Winters Volunteer Fireman rescued the subject and transported him to a waiting ambulance where he was rushed to North Runnels Hospital and treated. The subject turned the 10-foot johnboat over while attempting to land a flathead catfish that he estimated was 50 to 60 pounds , with another one just as large on the next hook . Air temperature was about 40 degrees>>>
http://blogs.chron.com/shannontompkins/ ... slo_1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't have a stable flatbottomed jon boat like he did, I'm in a little plastic kayak, and even a 5 lb bass can take you on a sleigh ride, even moreso a 30 lb Striper or 40 lb catfish. So, I'm fishing and just waiting for rattlesnakes to slither up 3" over the side and sit at my feet, or IN the water with them in a float tube. I carry a round of 9mm snakeshot as my first round while kayaking to stop surprizes before they come up through a scupper hole . SEE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMyjR2_7LnM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I know other kayakers that whack water moccasins, and even alligators with their rod or paddle too ... If they'll leave me alone, I leave them alone. I just have no desire to be their food.

I avoid COE lakes anyway though and go to LCRA lakes or City/County/State parks on lakes.

Can you cite an exemption in USACOE rules/regs ? I'd like to print if if you found one ... I just haven't gone to any anyway, so I stopped looking.... kayaking in icewater isn't what I do best

RPB, I've never seen anything like that. Pretty neat video.

I didn't know they could swim.

Drewthetexan wrote:

I didn't know they could swim.

LOL they can swim and when they get tired or cold they'll want in your kayak/boat to sun themselves and warm up. They'll also be in overhanging branches and drop in for a visit in or near a boat too.

Wouldn't pulling a 50-60 lb catfish into a 10' johnboat be about the same as going bear hunting with a .22? And he had another one to go. I accidently caught a 25 lber that I didn't want in my 18' bassboat. But as the OP was pointing out, a shot to the head would have helped.

cowboymd wrote:Wouldn't pulling a 50-60 lb catfish into a 10' johnboat be about the same as going bear hunting with a .22? And he had another one to go. I accidently caught a 25 lber that I didn't want in my 18' bassboat. But as the OP was pointing out, a shot to the head would have helped.

LOL, nah, I think he'd expect it. Probably just lost his balance. Flat bottom Jon boat is lots more stable than a 5-6' shark in a plastic toy boat (kayak), but you don't get as much of a fun sleigh ride.
Not long ago a BIG shark knocked a fellow out of his kayak, 3 other kayakers got together so they looked bigger, the shark eventually left, but a gun is handy/needed on a boat/kayak sometimes.

The Annoyed Man wrote:RPB, I've never seen anything like that. Pretty neat video.

I wasn't going to post anything today - but what the hey?

Did y'all notice that snake swimming ON TOP of the water? That could have been a rattler we saw on lake Athens a couple of years ago.

I've been told that poisonous snakes swim on top of the water while the non-poisonous snakes swim in the water. Czech it out the next time you see one coming to your boat, etc.

Good luck.

I bought a flare gun just to carry in my boat on COE lakes.
I figure if I need to defend myself it might work for most things.
I don't know that i'd shoot a snake with it though