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Went to a farm pond to bluegill fish for funzies. I was doing pretty good and landed 15 or so really nice ones on my ultralight using my “Ol Faithfull” Sexee Shads. Moved close to a spillway to try a few more casts. Caught 2 nice redear quickly. Made another cast and the rod bent double, I had really big one on. It swam right and left and started to take drag. I am thinking a 5 or a 4 pound bass is on or maybe a 3 and half pound crappie. I couldn’t hardly budge the fish. I thought maybe it’s stuck in some brush on the bottom. It finally started moving again and I finally got some line in and I could see it was a big bluegill after all. Big but not world class like I thought. Got it close to the bank and I seen why the fight was epic. There was a 4 foot banded water snake attached to the bluegill. That was a first for me. It did not let go until the fish was over 15 inches above the water. I felt sorry for that hen bluegill and I quickly threw it back in. It’s tail was bloody but it seemed okay when it swam away. I managed a quick pic or two. Only one was okay. Check it out.

Wow! That's really wild. Good job on getting some gills.

That’s nuts!  When I was fishing West Boggs and the Greene - Sullivan area a few weeks ago we saw a lot of snakes. Who knew they ate Bluegill.

Wow, awesome picture, the circle of life, I wouldn't have thought a snake would go after a gill that size. Thanks for sharing!

Fish wrote:

Wow, awesome picture, the circle of life, I wouldn't have thought a snake would go after a gill that size. Thanks for sharing!

I think the snake must have thought the gill was struggling and would be an easy catch. There is no way in the world that snake was going to swallow that big bluegill. Evidently snakes have no sense of proportion. Then again it may have been really hungry. 
These water snakes are really aggressive down here. Very territorial it seems. Are they like that around the big lake?

Pretty cool Don and thanks for sharing.
My first encounter with the banded water snakes,,, I think I must of been around 12 years old. I had been catching garter snakes for a few years already when we lived in Gary. Brown snakes Blue racers etc, There was a newer elementary school built next to a big swamp and man there were alot of snakes to catch.
We moved to Portage as Portage was going from a township to city. New house, new spots to check out. Wow a nice little stream which ended up being willow creek that runs all the way thru Portage. Gotta be some snakes around here. And so the hunt started. There is one, never seen one like this. As I went for it the snake went quickly in to the creek and gone.  I waited for the water to clear,,,,,, were that snake go? There it is under that cement block that is under the water. I took a long stick and started to prod that snake from out of the cement block. And here comes the snake,, only this snake was coming for me! I mean it was really coming after me. I ran up the hill from the creek and thought wow, turned and that snake is still coming after me! Now I am not liking this at all and got to my bike going down the path I came in on and that damn snake is still after me. When i got home I thought that I may not like Portage as much as I thought. Pretty funny now but it sure wasn't back then. My first encounter with the banded water snakes. That snake kinda cured me from going after snakes any more.

Years later I helped a land owner who had a private fish pond clean up around his property. We caught one going across his lake and could see that it had ate something pretty big. The land owner dropped off the snake to Purdue to have them check it after he hit it across the head. Purdue called him a few days later guess what it had in it? Thats right a 9 inch Gill.

That’s how it is around here. The banded snakes would just as soon chase you down and try to eat you rather than get away from you. Some of them are large snakes also. We have another water snake, copper bellied, that lives in my area. They are protected but are an aggressive breed also. They are scary because at first glance they look like a moccasin in color and body shape. They are hard to see and seem to be under foot before you know it.

I hate snakes. ALL snakes large or small. No thanks!