Gators

[RHenn]

Went to my local lake on Sat. and the state gator trapper was out trapping gators due to complaints about residents missing their dogs. I had just launched my boat when the trapper was coming in. I asked how he did and he told me to look in the back of his truck. He 2 gators in the back, one was 10ft and the other was 12ft. The 12 footer was so big around the middle that I couldn't reach all the way around it's mid section, and I have about a 6ft reach! The trapper was a young man about 20 yrs old and he was in a 16 ft aluminum jon boat. He told me he had been pulled around the area for 3 hrs and had to hook up a snatch strap to the gator in order to pull it up the ramp and out of the water. I estimate the 12ft'er weighed between 800 and 900lbs! Sort of cured me wanting to buy that kayak!! Of all the times not to have my camera!! Rob

[Jim Hatch]

Hey RHenn,

I routinely kayak with the gators. No
problem. They usually let me know if I'm
encroaching too closely. Most of the time
it's difficult to get close enough for a
good picture. They don't like us much
either.*G* Just try not to look like a dog.
Warm regards, Jim

[dixieangler]

RHenn,

Has some moron been feeding those gators in that lake and making them a problem?

Its illegal to feed gators in the State of Florida for that very reason. Heaven forbid that someone will next have some little kids missing because someone is feeding those gators in that lake.

Like Jim said, most gators will leave you alone if you leave them alone. They're as scared of you as you are of them and they usually run from boats and people.


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Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL

"Flip a fly"

[rrhyne56]

I would expect that wild gators are very much preferable to gators that have become accustomed to humans. Kinda like park ducks only I don't mind ducks approaching me for a handout and with gators, I doconsidering the dietary differences of the two.

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RRhyne56
[url=http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com:2e7da]http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com[/url:2e7da]
IM = robinrhyne@hotmail.com

[No-tye-much]

I was fishing a panhandle FL farm pond about 1986. Cast my popper to a log, the log moved. I should have put 2 an 2 together, but, the third time the "log" took my fly. The gator came right in to my position. When it finally saw me, it rolled and broke off, basicly at my feet.

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The thrill is not in the kill. It's in the deception.

[RHenn]

I think the reason for the trapping of the gators is that it is mating season for them down here and they are moving around alot and they become territorial. I was also told by the trapper that he had harvested 25 of them last weekend, all within sight of the local fish camp that is only a couple miles away. The St. Johns river is full of gators, but as was stated above, they always seem to get out of the way when you approach. Except for the one 8 ft'er that bumped into my boat 2 weeks ago while I was flyfishing the river. But he seemed to be blind in one eye and didn't see my outboard.
One thing I do question is that the trapper was targeting the large gators instead of the smaller ones that inhabit the canals that have homes on them.
By the way, there is one gator in the river that is as big or bigger than the 12ft'er that the trapper can't seem to catch. And I hope he never does! Magnificent animal!! Rob

[brhokla]

Guy's, I tube fish in pits and streams and so forth in Oklahoma and the worst close case I ever had was a huge Beaver coming out of the water about 10 yards from me and staring me down. He looked like a large Grizzly Bear only meaner That was downright scary considering he had knifes for teeth. He then dived under water and left me hoping and praying that I would still had my personal over the next few minutes. I couldn't imagine Gators all around and me being in the water, staring me down just waiting for me to make a mistake.

[RHenn]

Don't get me wrong!, I fish out of a Stratos bass boat, so the gators don't bother me much. But years ago I was fishing the same lake in a small boat with my Lab and had a gator follow me for at least 30min, all the while the lab was whining to go swimming. Needless to say, I moved to another spot as it was getting hard to keep her in the boat. And when I tried to run the gator off, it would always stay within 10 ft of the boat. I guess the dinner bell was ringing!! LOL

[Jtaylor]

Well Darn,

I guess my bright idea of barking like a dog at big gators to scare them away might possibly fall in the "things not to do around gators" list. I suppose slapping at them with dead chickens wouldn't work either.