BigBendFishing.Net

Gators that have not been fed by man typically exhibit the behavior you described when they are protecting their nests. They are at their most dangerous during nesting season. Other than that, I've been around gators that were longer than the boat I was in watching them cruise by. The only one that ever scared me that was not guarding a nest was a monster on Lake Seminole. I was out doing an early season duck scout and I pulled into an area with a little clear water right next to a huge floating vegetation island. When I came off of plane, the entire clear area I was in erupted in a churning froth. A huge gator raised his/her head about 5 feet in front of my boat like it was looking back over its shoulder at me and greyhounded out of the hole. I greyhounded out of the other side of the hole. I was in an 18' gatortrax boat and I still felt like I was not in a large enough boat to be around that big fella!

jsuber wrote:Try paddling between the two boat ramps at Fenholloway and there are some HUGE grey back gators in there.

Yes, I paddled a canoe with my buddy from the Spring Creek Bridge on 98 to Peterson's Landing (the last ramp before you get to the Gulf) on the Febholloway (Spring Creek runs into the Fenholloway just down from there). We saw more gators in that day than I have ever seen in my life, some of them HUGE.

Good Times wrote: I was in our 15 foot john boat and came upon one that was as big or bigger than the boat..

I was at Talquin one day up the little river and a guy came around the corner yellin that there was a 20 ft gator up around the bend on a sand bar. First thing I said was are you sure its not a nile crocodile and sort of chuckled, wondering how much this guy had to drink. He said he was not kidding and to just cruise on up around the next bend and take a look for myself. All I can say is HOLY CRAP that is a monster. I was 20 yards from the gator so I had a long and close look at him. He was most definately longer than my 18 foot boat + motor. The guy was not lying. Just his head was at least 5-6 feet long, and his back was just as wide, I was sure there are no 20 ft gators in Florida but I am not so sure anymore. It made Ol Joe at Wakulla Springs look like a baby.

We are talking about gators OR sharks. How bout both a once. I was up Little Spring Warrior last fall. The tide was rising so the mullet were moving into the creek in waves. I was waiting on them with a cast net and a small skiff pulled up to the reeds with an anchor. I noticed two sizeable gators working thier way DOWN the creek coming towards me at a fairly fast pace. At the same time there was four or five large bull sharks working thier way UP the creek in the other direction, with me slap in the middle. I'm trying to act cool and be the macho Marine in front of my wife. I'll have to say you couldn't have drove a nail up my butt it was so puckered by the time my wife's pleading convinced me to get out of dodge. Last time she ever went back up there with me. Seems the shark and the gators had as big a hankering for some red roe as I did. Maybe it wasn't the roe they wanted to eat but some salty ole Devildog instead.

red_yakker wrote:

lonesouth wrote:and people think i'm silly for taking a pistol with me...

CrispyFishin wrote:I like the pistol idea. I wonder if mine would fire off underwater?

Some won't, a Glock will. But, keep this in mind, The U.S. averages over 200,000 gun-related accidents per year, mostly non-fatal (not including homicides, suicides and law-enforcement related shootings). The U.S. averages around 20 alligator attacks per year, very few of which are fatal.

I'm not saying you shouldn't carry a firearm on your boat, it may actually be a good idea when you're in gator country, but please be careful, and make sure your kids are educated in firearm safety.

Just be sure you have the marine firing pin cups installed. Be SURE you use FMJ rounds...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS057lKUtCs

Dubble

Ok, you guys have scared the crap out of me ! I always think about a Gator when I'm in my Kayak anyway.

Was at banks lake and it was slow this guy start slinging a buzz bait and hooks a nice 14' gator fights him to the boat two swipes of his tail the gator is in he is out and we are laughing. He is begging us for help were in a bass hunter (little plastic boat) we ease over and smack at the side of the boat with a paddle the big girl roles back into the water. He flys out of the water and back into the boat. They is some smart folks in the world he wasn't one.

I have been charged many times while in a twelve foot lancer on a pond in Lake Park Ga. I knew where they bedded and would role around that way when taking folks fishing in the spring just to see them crap themselves when she charged. It would rock the boat pretty good.

What a mess wrote:
I have been charged many times while in a twelve foot lancer on a pond in Lake Park Ga. I knew where they bedded and would role around that way when taking folks fishing in the spring just to see them crap themselves when she charged. It would rock the boat pretty good.

WAM, I am beginning to wonder about you!

What a mess wrote:I have been charged many times while in a twelve foot lancer on a pond in Lake Park Ga. I knew where they bedded and would role around that way when taking folks fishing in the spring just to see them crap themselves when she charged. It would rock the boat pretty good.

Now that's HARDCORE!!!

Damn Jarheads ain't got no sense sometimes.

CSMarine wrote:Damn Jarheads ain't got no sense sometimes.

Would tell the story of me and my neighbor wrestling one in my yard and darn near getting arrested releasing at Wacissa, but it would be redundant in light of your comment above, CS Marine.

St. Vincents: less than 10' away...probably about a 6 footer crusted with salt..
I carry a .45

hope you guys are carrying two mags...one with JHP, one with FMJ

Some of you might recognize this roadside park on the way to the St. Marks lighthouse . . .

Gators are your freind.