Tips for kayaking around gators?

[JDHoss]

Just bought (2) 10 ft Pelicans for the Mrs and myself. Right now, we're sticking to the mangrove areas around Fort Pierce on the Indian River until we get more comfortable operating them. I eventually want to go into places like the McCarty Ranch Preserve or maybe the Loxahatchee Preserve, and I'm just looking for advice when it comes to dealing with gators, aside from being sure to not roll the kayak over. I've never had them bother me while bank fishing or in a boat, but the prospect of being down that low is a little unnerving. Any tips are greatly appreciated.

[GTN-NY]

I was on some ponds in Fl in a 10’ canoe until I realized there were a couple gators longer than the canoe. 
I adopted a new policy that day. No canoeing/kayaking where things are bigger than me

[813basstard]

Do not sneak up on them. If they’re facing away from you and you get close enough where they should notice you but they don’t, make some noise to alert them your there before you get to close. Most aggressive I ever see them is when you spook them. Now if one is sick or injured, bigger dice roll 

[Mike L]

Gators down here mate from early spring to early summer. 
Mama lays her eggs in mid to late summer. 
If you can clearly hear a low grunt type sound or If you see an open area on shore that has depressed vegetation leading into the water, keep your eyes open!

Either turn around or get mid channel and don’t stop paddling. 
 

Don’t mess with them. Give em space. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[Deeare]

Bring a gun.

[Don51]

I kayak freshwater 4-5 times a week. For the most part they will not bother you. They are curious creatures that will usually watch you from a distance. Every now and then one will pop up close by. Closest encounters are when I have startled one when paddling close to the bank. I have come close to being knocked into the water when the gator made a quick escape. Falling into the water though and all bets are off! 

[Captain Phil]

I have fished around gators all my life.  I never felt threatened, but I have been nervous a few times.  Kayaking around large gators is not something I would want to experience, especially during the mating season.  An 8-10 foot Kayak might look like a rival to a big bull gator.  Gators like to lay in the shallows along the canals and sun themselves.  If you come up on one, it may bolt towards the water.  If you are in the way, it may rock your boat or something worse.  I doubt a gator is going to attack you, unless it feels threatened.  It's best to steer clear and give them lots of room.  Never ever take a dog or a small child with you.  That's asking for trouble.

[bigbassin']

You shouldn’t have any problems from gators as long as a little common sense is used. Don’t get too close if you see one, don’t drag a stringer in areas where you know there are gators and you’ll be fine.

 

They’ll keep there distance if you do the same.

 

I’ve only had a single incident where a gator got slightly aggressive. 

I paddled by an obvious slide during mid-summer (mating season) and a fairly large gator surfaced about 15 feet from me, raising it’s whole body out of the water. It stuck it’s tail pretty high up as well, which isn’t something I’ve seen before.

 

I kept moving, at a normal pace and the gator lowered back into a normal posture. Wasn’t really aggressive, just letting me know it lives there.

[TnRiver46]

Wear a life jacket

[Guitarfish]

I'm going to go fishing around gators when I turn 106.

[the reel ess]

12 hours ago, Deeare said:

Bring a gun.

I fished with a FL guide once who said he had to shoot one in his entire career. He said it got bolder with every visit. He was pretty sure it was the same one because it was uncharacteristically bold. Eventually, it tried to get onto the aft deck.

[geo g]

I have fished south Florida all my adult life.  95% will avoid you .  But I have been followed by a few, with aggressive runs at the boat, one tail slapped the side of the boat, and one bumped the trolling motor hard with its nose.  They are like cockroaches Down here..  I would never go in a kayak to Everglades, or Loxahatchee this time of year.  I have felt a little nervous out by myself and a big one threatening in my bass boat, in a kayak I would be dropping a log!  Lol

[TnRiver46]

In all seriousness: I fish one week a year around monster alligators in south Alabama. They killed the world record where we camp, ive posted the pic many times but you can google World record alligator and see it. Normally I would say kayak away and don’t worry about them, the big ones are always just laying there. I’ve got lots of pics of 12+ foot ones right next to the boat. BUT THEN THERE WAS THIS ONE TIME...........

 

I saw one monster gator have some kind of dispute with an egret and started that rumbling sound that splashes water off its back. The egret starts squawking and flapping, they are pretty much face to face.  we freaked out and forgot to film anything but sheeeeesh that sound scared the heck out of me, the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up and I don’t even have hairs on the back of my neck. I might still kayak down there but that sure made me have second thoughts. 
 

I’d be worried about the gator and end up paddling into a hornets nest, it’s always something down there!

 

what you really need to watch out for is “Florida man” 

[JDHoss]

Thanks for the suggestions. I talked to a guy today who also recommended slapping the side of the kayak to "announce" myself if there were visible gators in the immediate area. He also said that while he had never been bothered by any, he'd had a few small ones swim fairly close to check him out. He said the only time he had been really worried was in the Loxahatchee preserve because they were everywhere and he kept running the scenario in his mind of what would happen if he rolled over. Personally, I've never had an issue with them while bank fishing, but this evening at our neighborhood pond there was a little guy, maybe 2 ft long who kept following me around. I was catching a lot of small bass on a fluke. Maybe he was expecting me to save some for him. 

14 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

In all seriousness: I fish one week a year around monster alligators in south Alabama. They killed the world record where we camp, ive posted the pic many times but you can google World record alligator and see it. Normally I would say kayak away and don’t worry about them, the big ones are always just laying there. I’ve got lots of pics of 12+ foot ones right next to the boat. BUT THEN THERE WAS THIS ONE TIME...........

 

I saw one monster gator have some kind of dispute with an egret and started that rumbling sound that splashes water off its back. The egret starts squawking and flapping, they are pretty much face to face.  we freaked out and forgot to film anything but sheeeeesh that sound scared the heck out of me, the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up and I don’t even have hairs on the back of my neck. I might still kayak down there but that sure made me have second thoughts. 
 

I’d be worried about the gator and end up paddling into a hornets nest, it’s always something down there!

 

what you really need to watch out for is “Florida man” 

While they're more plentiful, "Florida man" doesn't have anything on "East Tennessee man". 

[TnRiver46]

9 minutes ago, JDHoss said:

Thanks for the suggestions. I talked to a guy today who also recommended slapping the side of the kayak to "announce" myself if there were visible gators in the immediate area. He also said that while he had never been bothered by any, he'd had a few small ones swim fairly close to check him out. He said the only time he had been really worried was in the Loxahatchee preserve because they were everywhere and he kept running the scenario in his mind of what would happen if he rolled over. Personally, I've never had an issue with them while bank fishing, but this evening at our neighborhood pond there was a little guy, maybe 2 ft long who kept following me around. I was catching a lot of small bass on a fluke. Maybe he was expecting me to save some for him. 

While they're more plentiful, "Florida man" doesn't have anything on "East Tennessee man". 

I will admit there are some crazy folks ‘round here! Haha

[Don51]

When I am out fishing in the yak I try to get the fish to me as fast as possible. The more commotion the fish is making the more likely it will attract a gator. My biggest fear is reaching into the water to grab a fish and have a gator take a swipe at it! I suppose I should carry a net!  

[Sam]

Growing up in south Louisiana and fishing the bayous and canals, my uncle told me something that I will always remember that can apply to this thread.

 

"A leaky condom and a water moccasin have one thing in common. You don't ____________ with either."

 

Good lesson that applies to all wild animals, especially those that are guarding their young, their beds, or their territory and are looking for food.

 

I will never forget seeing a big gator laying on the bank that was looking at us as we floated by in our 16-foot skiff. I think he was considering us as a snack. Needless to say, my cousin and I got out of that situation very rapidly.

 

When you enter a wild animal's world, don't be surprised at their negative reaction towards you. They are not sweet and cuddly bunny rabbits.

[Captain Phil]

The biggest gator I ever saw in my life was in Loxahatchee.  This nearly all white gator was supposed to be 17' long and 100 years old.  I doubt that, but I was in an 18' Ranger and he looked much bigger than the boat.  The water was down and he was laying in the mud about 50 feet from us.   Laying down, his hind quarters were over three feet high.  It scared the heck out of me and my son.  That gator died a few years later.   Loxahatchee is not any place for a kayak.   

[ironbjorn]

12 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

In all seriousness: I fish one week a year around monster alligators in south Alabama. They killed the world record where we camp, ive posted the pic many times but you can google World record alligator and see it. Normally I would say kayak away and don’t worry about them, the big ones are always just laying there. I’ve got lots of pics of 12+ foot ones right next to the boat. BUT THEN THERE WAS THIS ONE TIME...........

 

I saw one monster gator have some kind of dispute with an egret and started that rumbling sound that splashes water off its back. The egret starts squawking and flapping, they are pretty much face to face.  we freaked out and forgot to film anything but sheeeeesh that sound scared the heck out of me, the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up and I don’t even have hairs on the back of my neck. I might still kayak down there but that sure made me have second thoughts. 
 

I’d be worried about the gator and end up paddling into a hornets nest, it’s always something down there!

 

what you really need to watch out for is “Florida man” 

Kayaking around gators can't be that sca-

 

*Looks up record*

 

NOPE NOT EVEN ONCE

 

[Catt]

I live on the Louisiana gulf coast, gators are part of life. 

 

Alligators by nature are not aggressive but you always got that weirdo.

 

As a teenager there was a Fisheries Biologist who lived next door to my grandmother. His area of expertise was alligators, he even had several in a fenced off pond in his backyard. I made 3-4 trips in the marsh watching him measure & weigh babies in the nest. Momma would leave the nest but not by far & just hiss.

According to his many years of experience the only time gators are aggressive is during mating season. The male is the one who gets aggressive & want to prove their dominance.

 

Being a Tigers fan I dislike Florida Gators! 

 

 

[Captain Phil]

My handyman was bitten on the hand by a gator in the Harris Chain a few years ago.  He was clearing out brush next to a boat dock when the gator grabbed him.  He was lucky not to lose his hand.  In the same area about 20 years ago, we had a small boy killed by a gator.  It was very sad.  In our area, game officials remove gators when they become a nuisance.  If you report a large gator they send a trapper to remove the animal.  Gators are protected in Florida.  You must have a permit to hunt them.   

[TnRiver46]

30 minutes ago, ironbjorn said:

Kayaking around gators can't be that sca-

 

*Looks up record*

 

NOPE NOT EVEN ONCE

 

That’s the one! I guarantee I fished all around that dude for years before his demise. Got lots of pictures 

 

the crazy thing? She killed it with a .20 gauge ! Looks to me like that animal would eat a box of 20 gauge shells for breakfast

[Dwight Hottle]

Don't.

[Catt]

Alligator attacks do occur but not that often considering the number of hours hunters & fishermen log each year.

 

So do we avoid fishing where they live?

 

Nope! We use caution! 

 

One thing ya do need to be aware of when kayak fishing, 2-4' gators love topwater lures & will follow em all the way to the boat.

[Koz]

I've bank fished around gators for decades and had both close and very scary encounters. That being said, there is absolutely know way I would be in any watercraft that close to the water. 

 

While it's true that most gators leave you alone, I don't think it's worth the risk coming across even the occasional aggressive gator. Once you end up dumped in the water the chances of injury or death go way up.

 

Let me ask you this - have you ever practiced rolling over in your kayak, righting it, and getting back on board? How long did it take you? Could you do it with an aggressive gator or two somewhere in the water around you? Have you ever seen how fast a decent sized gator moves in the water at full speed?

 

My advice to you is rent a boat, even a decent sized jon boat. And if you do kayak and a gator gets aggressive with you then hit it on the snout as hard as you can with your paddle or the edge of your fishing net. If you get grabbed by a gator bash its snout. It is the most sensitive area on the gator and its the best chance of getting it to retreat.