My First Gator Encounter

[I.rar]

ive always heard of them being in this lake but ive never seen one in person. untill today.

this is one of my newish spots ive been going to. you kinda got to dodge and duck under some low branches and walk right along the water where theres the drop off of at least 20 ft less than a foot from the waters edge.

fishing there has been OK at best. there are plenty of peas and smaller LM swimming around in there but they are verrryyy lethargic. ive been having decent luck early morning with my tiny pop'r but im trying to figure em out.

so as im popping along near the grass , i see this giant explosion. my first thought was 'holy crap , thats a big fish'. untill i see the head. he starts to swim away but im not sure how big he is and if i should try to get my topwater back so i try to keep him where hes at. then he starts swimming towards me! im already planning my escape and see the quickest way out of there but luckily he turned towards the grass and just hunkered down and wouldnt budge. i popped my line and got out of there. i tried to get a pic but it didnt come out too great. hes maybe 3 - 4 ft long.

as i get through the brush , i see that the fire department is there taking scuba gear out of the truck. im thinking maybe theyre just cleaning or something else...nope. theyre doing training drills...in the water. i walked up to one of the guys and told him that there was a gator around the bend and asked if they knew that they were in there. he kinda gave me the 'duh.' look and kept on doing his thing. pff. i know i would NOT be in that water.

the guy ended up being a fisherman also , so we talked a bit about the local lakes and how you could actually fish them before all the new housing developments starting going up.

that was my first and im sure it wont be my last encounter. i know ill start to be more observant of my surroundings now!

[BassinLou]

Cool looking place you are fishing at. What part of town is that? Yeah, you have to keep your eyes open in those quiet secluded areas, if your estimate was right and he was 3ft long you were lucky it was just a baby. Be careful for snakes along the water edge also.

[I.rar]

funny you mention that. i saw a baby moccasin in the water the last time i was out in that area.

sent you a PM.

[AK-Jax86]

I haven't come across a gator yet or a moccasin while fishing I live in Jax so there aren't as many gators as you guys got in Miami but we do got em here.

I am surprised I haven't come across a moccasin though

[SirSnookalot]

I've come across may many gators and caught some too, I pay very close attention to them. I fear snakes much more and I do not fish freshwater too much anymore, snakes being the reason. Even working around the house I'm careful, coral snakes love to hang out in the landscaping.

[Sam]

We have to be watchful of copperheads and eastern water moccasins in the greater Richmond area and south and west of the city. We do not have any gators up here, thankfully.

Rattlesnakes inhabit the western part of the state but not by us.

No other venomous snakes should be in our geographical areas.

I have seen both copperheads and eastrn cottonmouths while fishing. Both species have left me alone.

All I can remember about snakes and fishing is what my uncle told me when growing up in south Louisiana: "Snakes and leaky condoms have one thing in common: you don't ________ with either."

I have lived by that advice and so far, so good.

A word to the wise is sufficient!

[gar-tracker]

I hooked about a 9 footer on the tail yesterday for about 2 seconds I thought i had a hawg then it just turns into a led weight moving away and pulling the boat.

[I.rar]

All I can remember about snakes and fishing is what my uncle told me when growing up in south Louisiana: "Snakes and leaky condoms have one thing in common: you don't ________ with either."

I have lived by that advice and so far, so good.

A word to the wise is sufficient!

LOL. im going to tell my daughter that when she gets older.

I hooked about a 9 footer on the tail yesterday for about 2 seconds I thought i had a hawg then it just turns into a led weight moving away and pulling the boat.

i would poo bricks if i hooked into a gator that large. i dont mind small lizards (my bearded dragon is about 2ft) and other creatures but i wont mess with gators or anything known to be poisonous.

[Bassn Blvd]

I worry more about getting rearended or sideswped while driving to the lake than I do about gators. I guess you get used to'em growing up in Florida and wading the St. Johns.

I look out for snakes more than gators.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

I worry more about getting rearended or sideswped while driving to the lake than I do about gators. I guess you get used to'em growing up in Florida and wading the St. Johns.

I look out for snakes more than gators.

X2

d**n moccasins are irritating as hell.

[Bassn Blvd]

X2

d**n moccasins are irritating as hell.

You ain't kidd'n Skippy. Those dang moccasins are mean mothers.

[I.rar]

i remember when i was 13 or so, i was staying at a friends house who was on the c-100 canal. well , his mother went into the kitchen and came out screaming. we go in there to find a 3-4ft moccasin on the kitchen floor and he was not ready to go back outside. mean mofos indeed.

[gar-tracker]

I scream like a 10 year old girl around snakes, gators don't bother me.

[retiredbosn]

Hate water moccassins they scare the life out of me, gators don't bother me, but then again I don't go looking for em either.