Fishing Around Gators

[soflabasser]

There are places I fish that remind me of Jurassic Park since I see so many +10 foot alligators. The fishing is amazing from the shore so I have no need to fish in a kayak in these places but people still fish in kayaks in these places. A big alligator can easily flip a kayak if it wanted to, so it would be best to fish from the shore or on a boat in freshwater bodies of water in Florida.

[Bird]

My wife's mom and Dad had a place in Mobile Alabama for many years and we visited them often.

I fished every visit, some guided and encountered many gators and came to the conclusion that they are non confrontational creatures.

Their appearance perhaps gives them a bad reputation but actually a placid creature.

 

Salt water Crocs?? No way !

[TnRiver46]

23 hours ago, thediscochef said:

?

you know what, I think I'm doing just fine without fishing near gators. I'll settle for the snakes and smaller fish. Snakes are a thing but I can handle that; I'm rarely ever far enough from medical attention that they could really put me in danger. They also make solid cut bait and can be filled with shads that make good cut bait. 

A gator could pull a man underwater and keep him there. May also make solid cut bait, but I don't know that I want to find out about that.

Screw cut bait, I’ll eat the gator. They are delicious 

[thediscochef]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Screw cut bait, I’ll eat the gator. They are delicious 

Water moccasins are slightly less delicious 

[TnRiver46]

41 minutes ago, thediscochef said:

Water moccasins are slightly less delicious 

Ok I misread haha. I’ve heard people eat rattle snake, I’d rather eat my shoes 

[Basser2021]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Ok I misread haha. I’ve heard people eat rattle snake, I’d rather eat my shoes 

I've ate a rattlesnake before

My dad accidentally hit one driving down a gravel road that was 6 ft so we just put it out of its misery

The meat wasn't bad but I wouldn't prefer it over fish or snapping turtle

[thediscochef]

I don't mind snake meat but it's not a lot of fun to prepare for eating. Much easier to prepare for catfish, they're less concerned with coliforms n flagellates n grits and whatnot. Snakes are easy though, you just pin em with your locked telescoping net and then have your buddy take care of the head ?

 

[Koz]

On 3/8/2022 at 4:15 AM, Don51 said:

As previously stated mating season is starting. The males are staking out their territory now. Give them a wide birth as you will be considered an intruder and driven out. Alligator mating is a wild scene! 

And in a little while, if you see a new mound of dirt, leaves, and brush in the woods near your fishing spot steer clear. That's the nest.

[CrashVector]

On 2/21/2022 at 6:13 PM, BayouSlide said:

 

Typically encounter gators sunning or swimming while fishing here in Louisiana. All of them, like this big guy today, dead ahead, will submerge and disappear when you get too close. Never seem to find any bass in their vicinity, go figure ?

 

Lake Martin has lots of em

[GRiver]

I had a big bull come up to my Jon boat and do the vibrating dancing water thing, and bellow.

I exited stage left pretty quick.

I’ve got a couple places that I go to, and shortly after arrival one pops up.

They must be pretty confident that I’m going to catch something,haha 

[hunterPRO1]

they only really become a problem when people feed them.

 

For whatever reason parents just refuse to say "no honey you cannot train that modern day dinosaur to see humans as a food source"

 

 

[Crazyju]

We have caught 5 or 6 over the years on the Big O and Kissimmee. The everglades gators are the mean ones.  Had a big one come off a bank and go over the trolling motor and this one was ticked.

 

[Aaron_H]

Had a big boy get a little squirrely with me earlier, ran me out of one of my favorite spots. We're starting to get into the early part of their mating season, and there's a river not too far away that they'll often move out of into these little ponds to mate and then move on. I came around the bank and saw it probably 80 feet away, eaaaasy 8-9 footer but doubt it was 10. Saw me and spooked off, figured I was good but I stayed well up away from the bank while casting just in case.

 

Keeping my head on a swivel but it's been a bit and I still haven't seen this gator come back up. Pick up my rods to move further away and as soon as I turn back, he had popped up not 15 yards away from me with his nose on the bank eyes locked on me in the two seconds I turned my head. Massive head, biggest gator I've seen up close in a long time. Noped out of there immediately, on the walk back I could hear it bellow twice loud and clear, and I was 1,300 feet away at that point.

 

This will be the first gator I contact FWC to have trapped, a lot of people walk their dogs around these ponds and there are a lot of kids in the neighborhood that like to run around there. They were already closed when I called earlier but I'll ring them again first thing tomorrow.

[TnRiver46]

On 3/16/2022 at 1:49 AM, hunterPRO1 said:

they only really become a problem when people feed them.

 

For whatever reason parents just refuse to say "no honey you cannot train that modern day dinosaur to see humans as a food source"

 

 

My buddy takes his kids camping in swamps all the time, kids are of course fascinated with gators. He sent me a

video of one swimming along , and one of his sons threw something in the water. You could hear a “teaching moment” begin and the video stopped haha

[Stratocat_Joe]

On 2/21/2022 at 6:56 PM, Mobasser said:

Being from Missouri, the only alligators I've ever seen were in a zoo. I've always wondered what it's like fishing down south where gators live?                 Will gators attack large surface baits? How close have you ever been to gators while fishing?                    Have you ever had an alligator come at you, or attack you? For those that fish in gator country, tell me about your experiences, fishing around alligators.

I'm originally from SW Missouri but I moved to SW Georgia a couple of years ago.  It's certainly been an adjustment learning to fish around alligators!  My first "close encounter" was on Lake Seminole.  Back home in MO, I mainly fished from a kayak and, when switching between rods, I would frequently lay one down with the lure hanging out over the side.  Well, this was my first time on Lake Seminole in my boat and I was fishing a pocket in about 10 ft. of water.  I had a soft plastic toad on one rod that I laid down with the lure hanging over the side, as I usually did in MO.  A few minutes later, I noticed movement in the water under the toad.  Initially, I thought it was a fish swimming up...until I saw the teeth and snout! I let out some words that can't be repeated here due to forum rules which caused the gator to freeze right under the toad.  It had come up vertically in the water, so I never saw the body.  The water had 3-5 feet of visibility and all I could see was the snout down to the eyes.  We were both frozen and staring at each other for several seconds until I decided to reach for my phone to get a picture.  As soon as I moved, it quickly slid back down in the water, swam under the boat, and then I heard a bunch of commotion in the vegetation off to the side of me.  I don't leave lures hanging over the side of the boat anymore.  Since then, I've had other encounters and sightings, including one bellowing at me that sounded like something right out of Jurassic Park.  With that being said, although I'm still cautious when I'm out, I'm actually more in awe as opposed to being afraid when I see them.  Honestly, more people probably die from tick bites than alligator bites!

[zell_pop1]

I'm from Indiana and have a good friend move to SW Florida 8 years ago. I go visit and we mostly fish inshore but sometimes we fish for bass in Webb Lake. There are big bass and big gators there. For anyone else that is not from the deep south and you are bank fishing like my friend and I, just be careful where you walk otherwise the gators leave you alone.

Another plus is you can get good pics. 

[nso123]

While this was not something that happened bass fishing, I was kayak fishing in Little Lagoon in Gulf Shores and ran into an uncomfortable situation. It was during the late spring time of year, so mating season was getting rolling. I had fished into an area that was about 20 feet wide with grass banks on each side. I started noticing the slide marks where gators would enter the water from the bank, so I kept my eyes open. The further I got in, the higher the banks got until I noticed a gator perched on the bank looking at me from about 20 feet away. I have no idea if it would have come after me or not, but with the height of the bank it would have come right in the kayak with me if it wanted to. I decided it was time to head out of there after this. 

[geo g]

When fishing the Everglades gators are like cockroaches.  Tuesday I fished the Miami river deep in the Everglades 7 miles from the closest road.  We saw over 100 gators and most are willing to leave you alone.  But there is always one  rouge in the group.   My partner caught a huge mud fish and was trying to release it when a 7 footer rushed the boat trying to steal the fish.  It got as close as a foot from the boat.  I’m sure it has done it before.

During breeding  season I had a big male charge the boat.  Turn at the last minute and slap the side of the boat with its big tail.  This 10 footer was the territorial bully for sure.  You just don’t want to be in a small boat or Kayak.  That’s for sure!!!!

 

Breeding season with big males, and females guarding nests can be a problem if your not careful.  They will usually send a few signs before making a run at the boat.

[BassNJake]

Saw this and it reminded me of this discussion

 

[GaryH]

1 hour ago, BassNJake said:

Saw this and it reminded me of this discussion

 

Looks like he ran into crocodile Dundee..

[Don51]

Photoshop!