Pond Hoppin’ w/ Gators around

[Pumpkinhead]

 

Hey gang - new to the forum but glad to be here. I’m in South Florida west of west palm beach…tons of canals and lakes etc. I’m new to FL having been here a couple years (moved from GA) and just started bass fishing last year.  I have to remind myself that all bodies of water can and might have a gator or two in it but I find myself standing close to waters edge from time to time. I’m a big guy but sure that matters if the gator is decent sized right?

 

I found a secluded pond on an old golf course that’s a good sized that likely doesn’t get fished much - been there twice and pulled a few bass and a snakehead out of it. It has a ton of cover and structure on one side that is really hard to get to the edge to cast because of the growth and bushes near the edge…..the other side is wide open with not much structure. 
 

The other thing I noticed is a decent sized gator - probably 7-8’ always cruising around. I’ve never seen it near the edge but some times I don’t see it all but I’m sure it’s there. How cognizant do I need to be when at the edge of the water knowing this big reptile is in there?

 

The other question is, should I keep working to find a decent casting spot on the other side with all the growth at the waters edge? Here’s a couple pics looking over from the clear side, to the side with all the structure and cover.

 

PH

[scbassin]

Remember this a gator is always looking for lunch & is very fast.  When you don't see it could laying on the bank somewhere. BE CAREFUL.

[The Bassman]

I think I'll stick with my central IN ponds where all I have to deal with are muskrats that tunnel under the bank and create a walking hazard. I've got a friend in central FL that lives on ponds adjacent to the St. Johns river. I always was a little hesitant to walk around them because of all the eyeballs and nostrils sticking up out of the water.

[GRiver]

Certain times of the year, gathers can get a little weird, in the spring give them plenty of room.

Your pics show thick grass around the edge, I’d worry more about a cotton mouth than the gators, they can be nasty. A lot smaller and hardier to see. Territorial, and have an attitude most of the time. I’ve had them come off the shore and out to the boat and strike the sides.

[Zcoker]

I live in the same area and know just about every nook and cranny here in West Palm -- might even know where the area posted is lol  Anyhow, as it relates to bank fishing, it's not only about gators but also about other critters, especially snakes. To be honest, I'd be a bit more cognizant about snakes than I would gators. Gators tend to spook off easily, yet if they are fed often in these areas, they tend to cruise over, not so much to attack but to eat hand-outs. They can become conditioned, so to speak. They can also get aggressive during their mating season. As long as you look before you leap, check thoroughly the ground you are about to step onto or into, then all should be good to go. Developing a good, keen sense of your surroundings is vital when bank fishing the brush. 

[GRiver]

5 hours ago, Zcoker said:

Developing a good, keen sense of your surroundings is vital when bank fishing the brush.

X2

[crypt]

been here in Fl. my whole life and snakes worry me more than a gator. leave em alone and they will leave you alone. they spook easier than a snake. you will not see a snake before it bites..........unless it rattles. just sayin......

[Pumpkinhead]

Thanks everyone! Went back last night… Only landed a couple small largemouth lost  a couple on decent bites… I’m actually a snake guy having owned snakes my whole life and having handled many steaks before I actually own a snake hook. I have been bitten probably close to 50 or 60 times but never buy something venomous so I try to be very cognizant of snakes… I’ve ran across two big rattlesnakes at Okeeheelee Park near West Palm and I just let them be on their way

[BayouSlide]

A smaller gator in a canal recently kept chasing my buzzbait...was making a wake much bigger than the buzzbait's ?

[throttleplate]

I fished a lake close to Gainsville FL back in 1980 while i was stationed in jacksonville.

Out in my friends boat this was unusual and new to me to be fishing amongst gators and i was excited to see them.

Since then i always wondered if people water ski in lakes that may contain gators?

Anyway i will stay in minnesota to do my fishing where beavers, muskrats, otters, snapping turtle and the occassional gardner snake are my only threats while wading.

[N Florida Mike]

On 6/17/2022 at 6:20 AM, GRiver said:

I’d worry more about a cotton mouth than the gators, they can be nasty.

^^^^ This

[fin]

I've fished around gators a little, so I understand why everyone is saying to worry more about the snakes, but there have been a few people killed down there, right? Like a guy at a Disney lake, wasn't there? Maybe people trying to take a selfie with the gator, or riding the gator? ?

[Koz]

I've posted more than once here about being chased and stalked by alligators. But it never deterred me from fishing those waters. You just learn to keep your head on a swivel.

 

That being said, I NEVER approached high grass along the bank without first walking around the bank to see if a gator was sitting along the water's edge in front of the grass.

[roadwarrior]

You guys are  crazy!

 

 

 

                                           

[MAN]

I went around our community lake yesterday with my son to pick up trash.  We were so focused on not jumping up on a gator that we had seen sunning himself the previous evening....that I stepped on a snake.  Luckily it was just a banded water snake, but if it would have been a cottonmouth I would be in a heap of trouble right now. We did see the gator ahead of time and he just walked into the water and went away.   Next time we will put more emphasis on the snakes instead of the gators.  

[Aaron_H]

I fish around gators virtually 100% of my trips. Pay attention, and don't lose sight of any larger gators you see. We're nearing the end of their mating season, this is the time of year big males are hopped up on hormones and females will start guarding nests. While the vast majority of gators will give you a wide berth regardless of their size, they are still unpredictable wild animals. If one is being aggressive towards you, leave.

 

Just don't be a dingus, and you'll be fine.

 

(The snake advice is great, too, I'd be much more worried about moccasins in that grass than gators).

[cheezyridr]

are you allowed to kill the venomous snakes?  if you are, they make pistol rounds with bird shot in them

[Pumpkinhead]

3 hours ago, Aaron_H said:

I fish around gators virtually 100% of my trips. Pay attention, and don't lose sight of any larger gators you see. We're nearing the end of their mating season, this is the time of year big males are hopped up on hormones and females will start guarding nests. While the vast majority of gators will give you a wide berth regardless of their size, they are still unpredictable wild animals. If one is being aggressive towards you, leave.

 

Just don't be a dingus, and you'll be fine.

 

(The snake advice is great, too, I'd be much more worried about moccasins in that grass than gators).

Thanks Aaron! I can assure you I will never ever be a dingus around a gator. I won’t mess with one, aggravate one or do anything to close our distance… My biggest fear comes from rolling up on one that I didn’t see or one coming up near me underneath my kayak just being in the wrong place at the wrong time so to speak…

[geo g]

Most of my adult life I have lived in south Florida.  I bank fish 5 days a week and fish the Alley in my boat on weekends.  I have been in the Everglade canals with hundreds of gators during low water, and the vast majority are aware and respectful of your presence.  But there is always one lunatic in the group at times.  I have had one slam the trolling motor one day, and one big male slap the side of the boat with its tail, ticked off during breeding season.  It was hard enough that it shook the entire boat.  

 

When walking the banks I am much more concerned with snakes then gators.  Gators are much easier to see.  Always move slow when walking.  Never move without scanning your path first.  Always look for bubbles close to the bank, this is an indication of a submerged Gator, or it could be just a turtle.  Now in our areas, we have pythons, in sufficient numbers that snake hunters out every weekend looking for them, for money.  The most important thing I'll tell you is always wear boots when walking isolated banks. I have seen at least a hundred poisonous snakes over the last 40 years.  Everything from Pigmy Rattlesnakes, water moccasins, and one python.  Never wear sandals or bare feet, snake protection always.  The most dangerous one is the one you don't see.  Always move slow!

 

Good luck and good hunting!

[fin]

19 minutes ago, geo g said:

one big male slap the side of the boat with its tail, ticked off during breeding season.  It was hard enough that it shook the entire boat.

 

Shook the boater up too, I imagine ?

 

 

22 minutes ago, geo g said:

Never move without scanning your path first. 

 

I try to look exactly at the spot where I am going to step. If there's a snake off to the side of the trail, it doesn't matter as much, because it's not likely to bother you (unless it's a crazy moccasin). It's hard to stay focused on that spot and not look around, but to avoid stepping on a snake, that's really what you need to do. You can be looking right at a copperhead in leaves and not even see it.

[dsw1204]

I live in Southwest Ohio and I don’t have to worry about gators and venomous snakes, for the most part.  Once a year, I visit my mom in Florida. And practically every morning, early in the day, I go bank fishing.  I see alligators all the time. They have never bothered me. I am more concerned about the snakes. So, I bought a pair of snake boots.  This keeps me worry-free from the snakes (at least from the venomous ones)…unless I run across a big python.  And, I’m not too worried about that.

 

So, I say, buy some snake boots and just keep your head on a swivel for the gators.  You should be good to go.