When I was a kid, I would go fishgrabbing for redeye bass in the small, shallow clear water creek behind the farm. I was pretty good at it, too, for a little kid.

One day I up and grabbed a full grown cottonmouth water moccasin. The split second I realized I had a poisonous snake all tied up around my little fist, I chunked it as far down the creek that a little kid can and I took off in the other direction screaming like Daddy's bull was chasing me out of the pasture again.

I don't fishgrab no more.

Then there was the time...

Back in 1995, I use to fish off the rocky banks below the Ross Barnett Spillway a lot on both the Madison and Rankin county sides. I was up there two or three times a week catching cats and perch. I loved fishing up there so much it wasn't funny.

When I was bored with fishing, I would explore the banks and sandbar for whatever I could find. Fishing tackle, bobbins, and curious skeletons of catfish with long spoon like noses didn't escape my eye.

A family of 'coons wanted to adopt me because I would give them small fish I had caught, but I couldn't fit in the hollow tree they lived in, so that blew that deal.

One warm July night around two in the morning I was fishing on the Rankin county side and was totally absorbed in what I was doing. Then I feel three quick pops to the back of my right leg. I was wearing very baggy jeans that night, so whatever it was that did that missed flesh. Curious, I picked up the Coleman lantern and went looking around the big rock I was sitting next to.

A small copperhead about two feet long was sliding away from the light and towards the water. This was too much of a coincidence. Yikes! I had just been struck in the leg by one dangerous snake. I gathered up my gear and went home with the few fish I had caught that night.

For the next month I'm looking in the newspaper, Dynamic Dime, and Thrifty Nickle for an old used boat I could afford. Found one about a month later for $250. It was an aluminum 12 foot Delhi made in 1977. Bought it and discovered the fun and safety of boating at night below the spillway. I gave that boat away last year and bought a brand new one. If you could see me now, you would see this nice sunburn I got from spending 8:AM to 3:30PM today below the spillway catching cats and crappie. Man, I had a great day! It was a five-smiley day for me.