Alton Jones snakebit.......almost
by: Bassfan.com January 8, 2008
Alton Jones spent the past 2 days at South Carolina's Lake Hartwell, which will be the site of the 2008 Bassmaster Classic in February. The Texan didn't catch a single fish – he didn't even try.
"I have not touched a rod since I've been here," he said Thursday afternoon. "I've just been riding and looking and trying to find stuff. I've taken video of a lot of objects on the bank in case the water comes back up by then and I've looked at places like the backs of ditches and isolated pieces of wood or rock.
"I want to get a feel for where I should spend my time during the official practice days (during the week that the Classic gets under way). I've marked 111 waypoints that I think might have some potential."
He also related a recent incident that happened to him and his son, Alton Jr., at Falcon Lake near their home.
"We were out in the middle of the lake and it was dead calm, and I saw something on the water coming toward us. It turned out it was a 6-foot rattlesnake that was as big around as both of my biceps."
He had to kill the snake to keep it from coming on board.
"There's no doubt it was coming to the boat because it was tired – we were about a mile and a half from the nearest point of land. But it was coming right to the driver's seat, and I couldn't just start up the motor and drive away.
"If there was ever a good emergency use for a Kistler swimbait rod, that was it. That thing was as big around as a softball."
