Gators 2024
Bass Meister reply :
OK here goes: I mostly fish the New River here in J'ville,NC. Very productive. Several days ago while returning back to the ramp from a great day of Bassin' 
, I rounded a bend when I saw an alligator approx. 10' from me lying on top of the water. Now I'm in a Pelican Bass Raider 10E motoring pretty good with a 40 trolling motor. He just sat there,but I was still looking back to make sure he wasnt in a Pelican eating desireous mood. Unfortunately in doing so, I rounded another bend not paying attn to where I was going & CRAP!!! 
a gator leaped off the bank parallell,not directly @ me and put up a huge splash & wake. He was every bit of 12feet.
After color came back to my face, as well as color added to my underwear ,I realized just how close I came to losing 3 cans of downed Buds and 2 pastrami sandwiches 
.
My question is: how many of you have had any close encounters and is there a need to be concerned?
The Guy reply :
I have fished around them all my life and have had no problem. They usually only become aggressive if they have a nest or someone is/was feeding them. Leave them alone and they will leave you alone.
Bass Meister reply :
On 6/30/2011 at 7:59 AM, The Guy said:I have fished around them all my life and have had no problem. They usually only become aggressive if they have a nest or someone is/was feeding them. Leave them alone and they will leave you alone.
There is a nest as you go along the river. I hear the little ones making their croaking like sounds. But I tend to think as you, leave em alone= leave me alone 
boydn1 reply :
Used to fish/ski with them all the time in S.C. You leave them and they'll leave you.
Sam reply :
We fished around them in south Louisiana and they will leave you alone unless, as said above, you feed them.
They love large white marshmallows.
If you get close you can hear them hiss.
WARNING: IF THEY HAVE YOUNG STAY AWAY. THE FEMALES GET AGRESSIVE AND WILL DEFEND THEIR YOUNG.
I also suggest you don't try to catch them. You will lose your bait and lots of line!!!!
endless reply :
On 6/30/2011 at 6:05 PM, Sam said:We fished around them in south Louisiana and they will leave you alone unless, as said above, you feed them.
They love large white marshmallows.
If you get close you can hear them hiss.
WARNING: IF THEY HAVE YOUNG STAY AWAY. THE FEMALES GET AGRESSIVE AND WILL DEFEND THEIR YOUNG.
I also suggest you don't try to catch them. You will lose your bait and lots of line!!!!
Come on Sam that's suppose to be the fun part.
Luckily we don't have to deal with them here but I'm hoping one day to fish in Louisiana when I go visit my sister. I know my brother was on edge I think he told me when he went and fish from the bank.
Catt reply :
55 years of hunting/fishing the swamps/marshes of Southwest Louisiana I can’t recall anyone ever being bitten by an alligator.
Dog yes, person nope 
Brute reply :
Just throw a top water frog on 65 lb braid and play him for about 5-10 minutes.
The near death experience will make him stay away from boats.
Oh by the way , you will lose your frog.
Brute
SirSnookalot reply :
I have seen gators dozens of times while playing golf and fishing, all my freshwater fishing is done from shore. AS said leave them alone and they will do the same, however on very rare occasion gators have attacked. A couple of years ago a female jogger near Ft Laud was attacked and killed by a gator, the possibilty is there so I do my best to keep my distance. A few months back we had a gator taking up residence in one of our ponds that just happened to be quite near to the kids school bus stop.
I posted it's picture as it was being caught a few months past.
Past good fortune means nothing to a ticked off gator, be smart and don't press your luck.
Bass Meister reply :
I have taken heed to all of the advice offered here, granted I havent tried the marshmellow thingy yet, and as far as getting close to them to hear them hiss, the one that bounded off along the shoreline was close enuf to see me pi_ _,er,wee wee my pants.If he would have lunged toward my massive 10' Bass Raider, I would have been the topwater Redneck hangin onto a 10foot bobber wishin I had some marshmellows.
Anyway,I will be going back to the same loacle Friday (1st). If you dont hear from me, then consider the marshmellows didnt work. Thank you guys. This has been a lotta fun. BassMeister
RoLo reply :
I believe that alligators should be appreciated and admired, certainly not feared.
The little yard-long gators are the most aggressive, when they're still young and impetuous.
But as an alligator grows older and larger its fear of man grows too, and it becomes craftier at avoiding man.
We live in Florida, so my wife and I look forward to seeing gators on our fishing trips, and when we don't we feel a little cheated.
If there's a particularly big guy sunning on the bank, I'll usually try to approach it slowly
using the electric motor with camera in hand. More than once, I've gotten so close that the gator's entry splash wet my boat.
I have a couple photographs where the alligator's splash alone fills the photo. 
.
Roger
BASSclary reply :
I wouldn't suggest it, but maybe you could call up Troy from swamp people and catch you some Gae-tuhs.
Bass Meister reply :
On 7/1/2011 at 3:32 AM, RoLo said:I believe that alligators should be appreciated and admired, certainly not feared.
The little yard-long gators are the most aggressive, when they're still young and impetuous.
But as an alligator grows older and larger its fear of man grows too, and it becomes craftier at avoiding man.
We live in Florida, so my wife and I look forward to seeing gators on our fishing trips, and when we don't we feel a little cheated.
If there's a particularly big guy sunning on the bank, I'll usually try to approach it slowly
using the electric motor with camera in hand. More than once, I've gotten so close that the gator's entry splash wet my boat.
I have a couple photographs where the alligator's splash alone fills the photo.
.
Roger
Roger, I am seriously taking my camera 2moro so I can post em here. I lived 10 yrs in Port Richey/Hudson Fla. I had my own grouper boat as well as a fishing guide. 
Bass Meister reply :
On 7/1/2011 at 5:42 AM, BASSclary said:I wouldn't suggest it, but maybe you could call up Troy from swamp people and catch you some Gae-tuhs.
I have given that some thought,but clearance to get on Camp Lejeune requires red tape,but then again maybe not. Will check into it.
j.bruno reply :
Carry a gun and if one gets to close let them have it. Thats what i would do anyways. Those people on Swamp people kill them with .22lr and .17s i think. Ik alot of people mite not like this comment but hey you aint gotta go on a gator rampage, just to protect yourself.
John G reply :
I fish from shore and a while back, I had a 6-7' female gator (I think it was a female) come out of the water right where I was fishing because she wanted the bass that I almost landed. This gator has no fear at all of me and if I thought that I could get away with it, I wouldn't hesitate to put an arrow in her head.
Bass Meister reply :
On 7/1/2011 at 7:33 AM, j.bruno said:Carry a gun and if one gets to close let them have it. Thats what i would do anyways. Those people on Swamp people kill them with .22lr and .17s i think. Ik alot of people mite not like this comment but hey you aint gotta go on a gator rampage, just to protect yourself.
I always carry a 20 gauge and I probably would shoot if I feel threatened,but at this point,it was my fault on the second gator. The first one was on bank minding its own biz. I scared the 2nd one when I rounded the bend.
salmicropterus reply :
On 7/1/2011 at 5:42 AM, BASSclary said:I wouldn't suggest it, but maybe you could call up Troy from swamp people and catch you some Gae-tuhs.
Haha Shoot'em Liz, shoot'em
Agree with all the posts here. Except for mating season, they are pretty docile and more wary than aggressive but it amazing to me how freaked out some people get around them
salmicropterus reply :
On 7/1/2011 at 5:42 AM, BASSclary said:I wouldn't suggest it, but maybe you could call up Troy from swamp people and catch you some Gae-tuhs.
Haha Shoot'em Liz, shoot'em
Agree with all the posts here. Except for mating season, they are pretty docile and more wary than aggressive but it amazing to me how freaked out some people get around them
Bass Meister reply :
On 7/2/2011 at 7:22 AM, salmicropterus said:Haha Shoot'em Liz, shoot'em
Agree with all the posts here. Except for mating season, they are pretty docile and more wary than aggressive but it amazing to me how freaked out some people get around them
Cant say I was freaked out...more startled due to the fact that I didnt see him until I got almost on top of him. I honestly fish with the gators on the river quite often. I didnt see any of them today. Will be back out 2moro
AndyPlaysDrums reply :
Don't have gators up in our neck of the woods, but I could see myself having to get used to that.
However, the other morning, while at my current favorite hole with my four year old, I was talking to a guy just off shore in a canoe who informed me that the afternoon before there was a black bear cub and mama standing right about where we currently were. He said the mama bear didn't much like him being on the water in the canoe!
I've gotta' get a boat...
Bass Meister reply :
On 7/3/2011 at 4:03 AM, AndyPlaysDrums said:Don't have gators up in our neck of the woods, but I could see myself having to get used to that.
However, the other morning, while at my current favorite hole with my four year old, I was talking to a guy just off shore in a canoe who informed me that the afternoon before there was a black bear cub and mama standing right about where we currently were. He said the mama bear didn't much like him being on the water in the canoe!
I've gotta' get a boat...
Yep,you gotta get a boat. Better yet, lets capture one o' these gators here in NC & ship it to CT. Feed it flavored bear meat & when the Big mama makes an appearance, start recording. Post it on youtube.
piscicidal reply :
On 6/30/2011 at 9:07 PM, Brute said:Just throw a top water frog on 65 lb braid and play him for about 5-10 minutes.
The near death experience will make him stay away from boats.
Oh by the way , you will lose your frog.
Brute
I hooked one of the largest Gators I have ever seen at Holiday Park a few days ago. I was throwing a rage toad into the lily pads early morning when I had a HUGE blowup on my frog. Next thing...this huge gator (~10ft) comes swimming out into the canal chomping down on my frog. Surprisingly, I had very little trouble getting him to the boat. Granted my frog rig is pretty stout and has 65lb test. I horsed him right to the boat and promptly cut the line.
Bass Meister reply :
On 7/4/2011 at 12:23 AM, piscicidal said:I hooked one of the largest Gators I have ever seen at Holiday Park a few days ago. I was throwing a rage toad into the lily pads early morning when I had a HUGE blowup on my frog. Next thing...this huge gator (~10ft) comes swimming out into the canal chomping down on my frog. Surprisingly, I had very little trouble getting him to the boat. Granted my frog rig is pretty stout and has 65lb test. I horsed him right to the boat and promptly cut the line.
Cut the line?? Stand up for your rage toad man. To enrage,then engage with the RAGE is a worthy feat to deafeat the gator meat 
CAdeltaLipRipper reply :
I aint scared of alligators.Alligators are scared of me.
HU!
LWD reply :
Just google it. There have been zero fatalities by gators to people in boats or kayaks. Having seen a 12' gator in nature close by doing it's own thing going it's own way. Nothing to be afraid of at all. Just a bunch of fear exaggeration to me.
Bass Meister reply :
On 7/4/2011 at 4:26 AM, Lester Wayne Dobos said:Just google it. There have been zero fatalities by gators to people in boats or kayaks. Having seen a 12' gator in nature close by doing it's own thing going it's own way. Nothing to be afraid of at all. Just a bunch of fear exaggeration to me.
I'm over it now. I really dont think it was fear, more startled than anything....and seeing one that close was amazing but unexpected just the same.
South FLA reply :
I had my share of of conflicts with gators such as charge my jon boat, try to come up on the back of my Ranger after I landed a fish, charged and bite my trolling motor, attack my Spro frog out of nowhere, hit a T-rigged worm (ask Dwight), attack a mud fish while reeling it to the boat, and snag a spinner-bait all were most likely fed by people or were being territorially aggressive. The largest one was easily over 10' on the Stick Marsh. At the Loxahatchee Refuge some are aggressive and some have been known to follow my boat around and charge the boat especially if I am the process of landing a struggling fish! I challenge the most MACHO man on the forum to go in a kayak or a low free board boat such as the Pelican Raider to fish some areas I fish without having a major life threatening experience. So to answer your question you need to be concerned especially if gators are not hunted or pursued as game and have either been fed by humans or looked at humans as a feeding opportunity and there is know way of knowing until you actually encounter it.
Bass Meister reply :
On 7/4/2011 at 10:48 AM, South FLA said:I had my share of of conflicts with gators such as charge my jon boat, try to come up on the back of my Ranger after I landed a fish, charged and bite my trolling motor, attack my Spro frog out of nowhere, hit a T-rigged worm (ask Dwight), attack a mud fish while reeling it to the boat, and snag a spinner-bait all were most likely fed by people or were being territorially aggressive. The largest one was easily over 10' on the Stick Marsh. At the Loxahatchee Refuge some are aggressive and some have been known to follow my boat around and charge the boat especially if I am the process of landing a struggling fish! I challenge the most MACHO man on the forum to go in a kayak or a low free board boat such as the Pelican Raider to fish some areas I fish without having a major life threatening experience. So to answer your question you need to be concerned especially if gators are not hunted or pursued as game and have either been fed by humans or looked at humans as a feeding opportunity and there is know way of knowing until you actually encounter it.
Love the gallery. I lived in Fla for 10 yrs & was a guide out of Tampa. Okeechobee is known for its "Pigs". I'm sorry to see, though, that you caught a few puny ones inder 9lbs. Hope you gain knowledge that will lead to the truth: bragging rights begin @ 10 lbs and end @ 25. 
South FLA reply :
On 7/4/2011 at 11:42 AM, Bass Meister said:Love the gallery. I lived in Fla for 10 yrs & was a guide out of Tampa. Okeechobee is known for its "Pigs". I'm sorry to see, though, that you caught a few puny ones inder 9lbs. Hope you gain knowledge that will lead to the truth: bragging rights begin @ 10 lbs and end @ 25.
At least I have two over 10lbs .....if I only lived in Texas or would use LIVE BAIT! Did you guide out of Lake Port? I use to hire Steve Daniels back in the late 80s/early90s when family came down.
Bass Meister reply :
On 7/4/2011 at 7:28 PM, South FLA said:At least I have two over 10lbs
I used to guide out of Lake Thonotosassa in Hillsborough County for freshwater & Hudson marina for Salt water fishing. I also had my own 57' commercial grouper boat. All of this was over a span of 10 yrs.
I'm truly happy about your 10 lbers. I hope someday I can get back into catching small ones like that. My arms and back are beginning to show signs of fatigue catchin' the big bass. hahahahahahahahaha
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