Had a gator scare

[geo g]

During low water times in April and may we can see as many as 50 gators of all size in the waters we are fishing.  Only had trouble twice where a mother attacked my trolling motor, and once a giant male slapped his tale along the side of the boat.  The whole boat shook from this violent hit.  99% are respectful and keep their distance.  Would not want to be in a kayak with either of the nasty ones.

[GRiver]

 

13 hours ago, geo g said:

Would not want to be in a kayak with either of the nasty ones

Certain times of the year they can be nasty.  I had one that didn’t want me in an area, it would rush at the boat and thrash the water. Probably a female, and I was too close to her mound. 
A huge male bellowed beside me once, I was in a 12 ft Jon boat…… I found another place to fish that day.

[FryDog62]

So I just arrived in FLA a week or so ago from frigid Minnesota and am recovering from some stuff and have a lifting restriction of 10 pounds for a week... of course it's 79 and sunny every day. Four days in, I'm like screw it, gotta at least go across the street to a large pond with lots of bass, mostly small 12-14 inchers, but hey I need to do something. Second cast of a frog down the shoreline, and the shoreline all of a sudden moves. Next thing you know I'm playing tug 'o war with an 8 foot gator... Oops, don't tell my doc !

[gim]

7 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

Next thing you know I'm playing tug 'o war with an 8 foot gator

[casts_by_fly]

2 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

So I just arrived in FLA a week or so ago from frigid Minnesota and am recovering from some stuff and have a lifting restriction of 10 pounds for a week... of course it's 79 and sunny every day. Four days in, I'm like screw it, gotta at least go across the street to a large pond with lots of bass, mostly small 12-14 inchers, but hey I need to do something. Second cast of a frog down the shoreline, and the shoreline all of a sudden moves. Next thing you know I'm playing tug 'o war with an 8 foot gator... Oops, don't tell my doc !

 

Yeah, they make more frogs.  He could keep it if it were me.

[N Florida Mike]

Gators is just part of living here. I had the same experience one time fishing in a lake south of Gainesville. I was coming into a large patch of pads with an opening near the bank. I was paddling in looking down, and when I looked up the big bull (10-12 foot) was right there on the bank. Our eyes met. He tensed up, me I was back paddling!

He dove into the water , went right under my boat, and went through the pad field taking pads under with him. He went out just past the pads , came up , and sat there watching us…

That wasn’t the scariest time though…?

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, N Florida Mike said:

Gators is just part of living here. I had the same experience one time fishing in a lake south of Gainesville. I was coming into a large patch of pads with an opening near the bank. I was paddling in looking down, and when I looked up the big bull (10-12 foot) was right there on the bank. Our eyes met. He tensed up, me I was back paddling!

He dove into the water , went right under my boat, and went through the pad field taking pads under with him. He went out just past the pads , came up , and sat there watching us…

That wasn’t the scariest time though…?

Yikes!!! Years ago My buddy said he had to go #2 and told me to drive the TM into a shallow pocket so he could find some relief. I’m on the bow heading that direction and saw an alligator so I kneel down and start operating the foot pedal with my hand. I didn’t really know if it was big, then water splashed everywhere and it swam right alongside the boat going the opposite direction but barely underwater, it was very similar in length to the 14 foot boat we were in!!!! That bathroom break nearly ended us