to those who "fish" for gators

ok, I've got the hooks, line, rod and reel, now I need to find a heavy duty leader. I would rather make one, but I have googled until I'm blue in the face. I want to attach the hook directly to the leader so that I don't have a swivel as a weak point. My question is...Should I just go to Home Depot and get some cable to make it with or should I try to get some of the leader material from Cabelas or some place like that? Any help or advice would be appreciated.

I've just got a weighted treble tied on to 80# line.
I'm sure there's others with more experience who can weigh in

#80 lb spyder wire works great with weighted treble hook

so none of you guys are using a leader? I've got the weighted treble hooks and braided line but I figured it wouldn't hurt to have a leader of some sorts????

What is the best place for buying big game fishing line like the 80# spyder wire?

I make all my hooks with a stainless leaders & swivels. The back & tail of a gator have the potential to do some destruction. "Educated gators will spin when hooked, (not so much with dumb ones) so the swivel often relieves some of the twist. (Doesn't help with rolls at boatside)

Different lines act differently under load. Years ago when I used Spiderwire, every hook up I had snapped when I really laid into the gator. Also, every year I harvest a few gators someone shafted & broke off their 600lb gator cord. My guess is these lines when under a heavy load from a 10'+ gator act like a pine limb-rather than frey and slowly give way, they snap when introduced to a rough or sharp object such as a gator's back or a perpendicular strike from a tail. I use both Power Pro & Fireline. Both seem to frey rather than snap when under severe load.

This was not as common in deep water where the line does not rub cross the gator's back. It was very common in shallow water where the line was closer to horizontal to the water & gator, thus more exposed to the back & tail.

Whatever you use, to ensure control & domination of the gator, at the first opportunity to do so, put a HARPOON or three into the scaly beast as hooks often do not puncture the hide & fall off.

Just my opinion............

I am with Gatorstick on this one. We use some of the 600# test line that came with the Muzzy Gator Getter kit as a shock leader....Worked great...Those gators twist and roll, and I had many issues with the Spider Wire breaking under a big rolling gator......Go heavy....Its not that far of a cast in most cases.

We use power pro,think it was 90 #.we tried leaders I had made but kept having issue with the gator coming unbuttoned.Guy from florida explained what was goin on.with the leader as you are pulling the hook across the back the stiff leader was making the hook rise and go away from the gator right before the hookset.this was causing the hooks to make contact with the back of the gator and you just cant get a hook thru those scales/scutes .So we stopped using leaders and the hooks catch the gator on the sides or belly where the hook will penetrate thru past the barb.As already said,get as many lines in him as possible before killing him.

Thanks for all the info guys. I went down to the buckarama today and attended the gator hunting seminar hosted by Wendell Harper. GREAT GUY!!! Very knowledgeable man.. It would take forever for me to type everything I learned but if you guys have an hour tommorow or Sunday he is going to be hosting another one each day. I would highly recommend it!! He has hunted and trapped 1100 alligators in Georgia in his career! He only uses an eagle claw 2/0 4x strength treble hook with a 1/2 to 3/4 ounce egg sinker tied below it. no leader and only 30lb braided line. once i get one rigged up I will take a picture of it for all you guys to see.

i use 50lb braid and as soon as the gator breaks the surface put an arrow in it with 200lb test. has worked great so far but i am only after "eaters" not "monsters"

We use 80 lb spider wire with weighted hook. Had no trouble in the past, get a couple of lines in him worked for us.

I use a 900 series penn and 180 copolymer line so that it will act as A shock leader and have some stretch to it the gator may let you think he is going to give up but for some reason when he sees the boat he will still lunge to get a way and if the line is too stiff, or maybe you are not used to playing one into submission just like a large fish don't try to horse him in. You can easily end up without a gator. It doesn't hurt to use a 3 to 4 ft leader of 1/8 inch stainless steel braided aircraft quality cable, if he is hooked near a leg those claws can do a number on braided or heavy mono line. Use a smaller rig to get the initial hook in him then when the time is right use a heavy saltwater setup for the fight. Keep an extra pole handy just in case of a problem with the hook set. Anyone who got drawn for zone 1 and need a guide with the equipment look me up on here for contact details. I do not charge you buy the gas and all tips are appreciated that is all no trophy fee and all that crap I have pics on my face book and would be glad to share them.

diamondback said:

We use power pro,think it was 90 #.we tried leaders I had made but kept having issue with the gator coming unbuttoned.Guy from florida explained what was goin on.with the leader as you are pulling the hook across the back the stiff leader was making the hook rise and go away from the gator right before the hookset.this was causing the hooks to make contact with the back of the gator and you just cant get a hook thru those scales/scutes .So we stopped using leaders and the hooks catch the gator on the sides or belly where the hook will penetrate thru past the barb.As already said,get as many lines in him as possible before killing him.

Click to expand...

I disagree. The hooks rarely "set" into the hide. They usually grab a seam and if you keep constant pressure on the hook it will stay put. I use 100lb braid on short stout rods and can count on one hand the times the barbs penetrated the hides on gators over 8'. Maybe Georgia gators have thinner hides?

Often the gator wallows into the mud/silt/muck/vegetation on the bottom with only his back available to be felt or offer contact to a hook. An un-weighted hook does not sink down to the gator's flank, so all you are doing is bouncing the hook off his back scutes. (same when you drop a hook straight down onto his back) A weighted hook (if heavy enough) will often sink into the bottom goo and allow you to have the hook connect with the gator's flank, leg or head. Don't try to "set" the hook as this often spooks the gator, just pull the line tight & continue constant pressure on it. Add more lines when opportunity presents itself.

In areas with high hunting pressure, the gators acclimate to dealing with hooks. They will roll, spin, zig zag and run back at the boat in order to toss the hook. These "educated" gators are challenging. In the early days of the public season, gators were ignorant to what we the hunters were going to do to them and did not employ well rehearsed defensive measures to your basic hunting techniques. Not so today after 8 seasons. The gators know the game!

Like public lands deer vs private lands or no hunt areas. In Florida, 10' gators were hatchlings when public hunting started & lived their entire lives being hunted & govern themselves accordingly.


JT Wrote:
Thanks for all the info guys. I went down to the buckarama today and attended the gator hunting seminar hosted by Wendell Harper. GREAT GUY!!! Very knowledgeable man.. It would take forever for me to type everything I learned but if you guys have an hour tommorow or Sunday he is going to be hosting another one each day. I would highly recommend it!! He has hunted and trapped 1100 alligators in Georgia in his career! He only uses an eagle claw 2/0 4x strength treble hook with a 1/2 to 3/4 ounce egg sinker tied below it. no leader and only 30lb braided line. once i get one rigged up I will take a picture of it for all you guys to see.

Point to ponder..........

I have not attended Mr. Harper's seminars. If he is a nuisance trapper, is he speaking as a sport hunter employing "fair chase" methods employed by the public hunters upon wild gators or is the seminar on how nuisance gators that are often acclimated to people are harvested under the rules of nuisance trapping?
While there is much overlap between fair chase public hunting techniques & nuisance trapping, there are differances to consider and note.

Same with the info provided by the state training seminars. They are usually conducted by biologists with an emphasis on how research or nuisance trapping is conducted. While useful, it's often not the same fruit the sportsmen have to deal with. Public waters, harassed, skittish & spooky gators that have a definite fear & respect for the top predictor:US!

After you review the techniques employed, then the "people" factor needs consideration. Are you in the company of experienced seasoned professionals earning their living from wildlife or are you on a boat with inexperienced, often scared buddies with little "close encounter" experience with a live, Po'ed creature that can hurt you & eat your boat? How I conduct hunts with clients onboard vs when I'm solo or with my experienced hunting buddies is two separate worlds. We often harpoon gators at 30-40 mph or under water & not visible as we (from experience) well know where the gator is & how to harpoon him. (We've also boated & harpooned 13'+ gators on 20lb line before) Should rookies attempt these same techniques and if so, what result should they expect?

While the information is useful & insightful, it's needs to be put into real world context and application.

My pal saw the trapper locally use a heavy bass rod. I don't know what what was on it...but he hooked the gator in his mouth w/ a chunk of chicken, then walked the thing...lead it up the bank where he did the jump on the back deal.
I did not realize...most fellas were "foul" hooking!!

cw

seaweaver said:

My pal saw the trapper locally use a heavy bass rod. I don't know what what was on it...but he hooked the gator in his mouth w/ a chunk of chicken, then walked the thing...lead it up the bank where he did the jump on the back deal.
I did not realize...most fellas were "foul" hooking!!

cw

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hunting with bait is not allowed.

Gatorstick.I am certain that I do not have the experience that you do when it comes to gators.I can tell you that the 13 footer we got a couple years ago was hooked thru the hide and the hook had to be cut out.

QUOTE=diamondback;5190350]hunting with bait is not allowed.

Gatorstick.I am certain that I do not have the experience that you do when it comes to gators.I can tell you that the 13 footer we got a couple years ago was hooked thru the hide and the hook had to be cut out.[/QUOTE]

Diamondback,
I believe you. I never say something won't happen. I say it's likely or unlikely to happen. Folks often don't relize when something very rare happens (or a miracle as I've seen some strange things happen only once) as getting a 13' gator or putting two darts into the same hole at 30 mph (see the Diebler Outdoor Video on Facebook) If you're regularly sinking hooks in them, you have a trick I'd like to learn.

The last big gator we sank a hook into had run under a huge matt of floating junk and pulled the line against it HARD. The hook went completely through it's leg. A few times 5-6' gators got penetrated but not often.

As soon as I have one hook on a gator, I attach more as soon as possible. If I had a 12' hooked & pulled it to the surface, I would have 3 lines and/or a harpoon or two or three on it, thus spreading the load (300-800 lbs)out among lines. If you only had one hook on him & really laid into him, I could understand a single hook may sink but your chances of loosing the gator on one hook is high. When opportunity presents itself, I maximize the opp for complete DOMINATION of the gator, not fight it for fun, but that call goes back to experience. I WANT THE GATOR!

The only hook I occasionally use that does penetrate regularly is a large 14/0 on a rope. When you hit the gator with it, he bolts. I loop the line around a cleat or rail (but still free lining) The pressure on the hook is much higher than a fishing rod. (I'll still sink a harpoon or two in "Nancy" just for insurance)

diamondback said:

hunting with bait is not allowed.

Gatorstick.I am certain that I do not have the experience that you do when it comes to gators.I can tell you that the 13 footer we got a couple years ago was hooked thru the hide and the hook had to be cut out.

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I just read the Guide and information in my permit/tag pack and did not see this exclusion.
cw

seaweaver said:

I just read the Guide and information in my permit/tag pack and did not see this exclusion.
cw

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Unless the rules have changed, the public CAN NOT use bait or a hook with bait as a method of harvest in Georgia during the public harvest. You can use hooks that are attached to you (rod & reel) or a boat without bait when used as a locating device.

Call Ga DNR for their opinion.

Baiting gators

gatorstick said:

Unless the rules have changed, the public CAN NOT use bait or a hook with bait as a method of harvest in Georgia during the public harvest. You can use hooks that are attached to you (rod & reel) or a boat without bait when used as a locating device.

Call Ga DNR for their opinion.

Click to expand...

Baiting of any kind is not allowed in Ga. , that includes
gators and everything on public or private land.

Phil , i think you can us a bait in Florida can't you?

But i say again you can not bait gators in georgia.

You can use bait in Florida with a wood peg, not a hook. Line must be attached to either you or your boat. Set (brush) hooks or free floating bait not allowed.

Once the gator eats the bait, you know where the gator is. Ease up to the line, guess where the gator is & either harpoon or attach hooks, then harpoon.

When you have skittish gators, bait works well but is rather boring as it's fishing. With the low harvest rates and the ever increasing wariness of the gators, baiting may be a good suggestion as an additional & effective option of harvest for the sportsmen of Georgia. I would rather citizen-sportsmen harvest & enjoy the gators than having contract nuisance trappers remove them.

Louisiana allows baiting by set hook (only method of harvest in LA that I'm aware of) then harvest from the hook. Fun but it's trapping & not fair chase hunting. Texas allows for both fair chase hunting & set hook baiting.