After snagging the reptile in the side with a crankbait, during a fishing outing at a private lake near Coalinga, Stier tried to retrieve his expensive lure without success, then tried to drown the critter by forcing it beneath the water with his rod. During that process, his hand somehow got too close to the rattler, and even though only one fang found its mark, the damage was done.
http://www.bakersfield.com/news/columnist/merlo/x735122679/Steve-Merlo-A-snakebite-story-that-will-rattle-your-nerves