Close encounters of the scary kind

[Catt]

I make a quick trip to Lacassine Wildlife Refuse this morning and had a very interesting trip. First let's set the back ground, when bank fishing this marsh one must often walk down small foot paths just wide enough for one person if you hold your rod straight up. You are walking through chest to head high weeds and brush to the waters edge, since this is an alligator/water moccasin infested marsh it is wise to pay special attention to ones surrounding. Any how I make it the 15 yards down this path to the waters edge, after a couple casts with a Texas Rigged worm I hear a big splash about 20 or so yards away where the canal makes a hard right so naturally I turn to see what's making the commotion and there is an old man (older than me) throwing what appears to be fish heads and guts into the canal. I'm thinking Dude your crazy this place is full of gators cause I've already eyed one about 25 yards across the from where he is.

Normally I continually scan the immediate area where I'm standing but this crazy guy has got my attention. Any how I make another long cast and just about the time I engage my reel for some unknown reason I glance over my right shoulder. You guessed it there about 5 or 6 yards away is a gator of about 7 or 8' in length, needless to say I bolted straight up through the chest high grass on to the road. Once safe on the open road, confident the gator wasn't following I realized I hadn't engaged my reel resulting in a monster back lash. I quickly walked to my truck glancing at the old man who was looking at me like I was crazy, I just tipped my hat thinking idiot you and that gator can have this spot.

[roadwarrior]

I had the pleasure of fishing with flechero on our trip to Lake Fork in March. We encountered the gator he is now posting in his avatar. The reptile never paid any attention to us and we were safe in Keith's boat the entire time. I guess this wasn't what you would consider a "close encounter of the scary kind," but that's as close as I would want to be to a gator in the wild.

[New 2 Bass]

I hear you man.  I got out to the Everglades w/ my 3yr old kid to something like this.  You get a sudden double lump in the throat when you see those little eyes swimming by    I'm happy to hear you got out w/ both your legs!  ;D

Al

[jaskoh]

Thats one way to keep your honey hole all to yourself.  Reminds me of a time when I visited Orlando and rented some fishing equipment to fish one of the small lakes on the property we were staying at.  I was minding my own business and I look to my left an there is a gator no more than 20 feet swimming in my general direction.  I was so scared (I was like 12) I just dropped the pole and ran.  Had to have my father return the gear.  

[Guest the_muddy_man]

You should have hung out I bet he went swiming once you left ;D

[Guest avid]

I'm guessing the old geezer got mad at you because you startled his pet during feeding time.

[Gotta Love It]

I thought it was against the law to throw fish heads and guts back into a body of freshwater inhabited by gators?  I bet he does it often and that gator no longer fears humans!  I've been within 2 feet of some small gators but the big ones always disappear.  I fish a very shallow lake (very muddy water) and worry about the bigger gators nailing my bass boat side while I lip them.  

[Deb]

"SQUIRRELS"...They're everywhere! >

[The Unabasser]

I'm guessing the old geezer got mad at you because you startled his pet during feeding time.

LOL...reminds me of the scene from the movie Lake Placid  ;D

Close call Catt...glad you hauled butt and got outta there...

[RecMar8541]

The lake here that I live on is infested with gators.  Most of the ones you see are in the 3-4 foot range, but during mating season 10+ arent uncommon.  Now common sence tells you they are there all the time, you just see them more during the "happy time".  I swim in the lake regularly, and have never had an issue, but never at night.  I maybe crazy, but they own that lake at night, Im not stupid.

[Catt]

RecMar8541, you're right gators are not a threat except during mating season; however I wouldn't get closer than say 15 yards. I've walked thousands of miles of marshes/swamps in Southwest Louisiana without ever having an incident but I wouldn't suddenly walk up on a gator catching it by surprise.

Gotta Love, It  it's not against the law in Louisiana to throw fish head/guts back into the water, the problem they have in Florida is people feeding gators is they feed them food they would never find in the wild and then doing it on daily basis.

[Gotta Love It]

Catt...  if that guys dumps fish guts there 2 or more times a week, the gator will eventually associate that man and feeding time...  therefore, I would think this has the same effect as someone feeding gators food that is not natural to them?

[Catt]

Gotta Love It, absolutely but is aint against the law, this is a Federal Reserve so I would like to believe Wildlife & Fisheries would say something to him. I know what his truck looks like and plan on avoiding him at all cost, but will inform an wildlife agent when I see one.  

[Gotta Love It]

Gotta Love It, absolutely but is aint against the law, this is a Federal Reserve so I would like to believe Wildlife & Fisheries would say something to him. I know what his truck looks like and plan on avoiding him at all cost, but will inform an wildlife agent when I see one.

I understand it is not against the law.  The friendly gators (6' and larger) here in Florida are removed from lakes.  These gators are usually fed by people.  I was more concerned with this man not realizing he could potentially harm other human beings by dumping his fish waste back into the lake (near this gator).  Thanks for the clarification.  

[Guest avid]

The friendly gators (6' and larger) here in Florida are removed from lakes.

Yep,

It's those "friendly" ones you gotta whatch out for.

[Deb]

Yep,

It's those "friendly" ones you gotta whatch out for.

[CyBasser]

Hmmm,

Last evening on departing from fishing I had this HUGE experience of a close encounter of the "scary" kind.....

[CyBasser]

Hmmm,

Last evening on departing from fishing I had this HUGE experience of a close encounter of the "scary" kind.....

...And in case you haven't realized the size of this beauty of a catsnake, check its size in comparison with me in the photo below. I guess, since I really like these beautiful creatures, I will get some and scatter them all around my secret honey holes so that no-one can go there   ;D  ;D

[Redlinerobert]

The only gator I care to be that close to better be a size 11.  

[Catt]

Gotta Love It, here in Louisiana we don't remove the gators, the law states Don't feed the gators, so if you're dumb enough to feed em you're dumb enough to get bit.  About 3 weeks ago there was a 13 footer found in a drain canal inside the city limits, it had been killed by a larger gator.    

Redlinerobert, Tony Lama mean any thing to you?

[Blue Eyed Fisher Chick]

I am sure I would have ran like crazy too!!  Hope the backlash wasn't to bad.  Nice Story!!

[Gotta Love It]

Gotta Love It, here in Louisiana we don't remove the gators, the law states Don't feed the gators, so if you're dumb enough to feed em you're dumb enough to get bit. About 3 weeks ago there was a 13 footer found in a drain canal inside the city limits, it had been killed by a larger gator.

Sounds like common sense to me!!! ;D

I would like to see the "larger" gator that killed a 13 footer!!! In the zoo... not on my lake  

[Jimzee]

Man,  I can't imagine fishing around a place with gators.  I guess it's all what your used to.  I see an occasional copperhead or timber rattler every once in a while but I would have serious issues dealing with gators. ;D

[Catt]

The record size for an alligator in Louisiana was 19 feet 2 inches

This exceptional gator head measures: 25-5/8" front to back; 8" across the nose; 16-5/8" from mid-eye to tip of nose & 12-3/8" across the widest part of head

[llPa1nll]

I'll take my snow and ice and NO Gators any time of the week. I was fishing in SC in Feb and a 6-8ft gator jumped off the bank. Scared the SH!T outa me, I was in a borrowed flat bottom jon boat. You just dont see those things up in NH.