gator bow setup?

No idea what Im doing but got pickd for zone #1. This was probably discussed in the past.

To save money can I jsut buy the muzzy gator getter arrow and gator point? A basic spool to let out the bow fishin line? 200 lb not big enough I take it with spinning. I have some floats I think will work. Am I crazy to think I can get this to work or do I just need to step it up and get gator getter kit? Just stinks knowing I will not get to use it but every 4 years or so?

Any advice is appreciated. Might just go fishing rod route that would be fun as well.

What are you doing? You're going to go harvest a gator & eat him........

If you're looking for a gator over 7' or so, it's a wise idea to have a harpoon in your tool box. A harpooned gator is a controlled gator. Having a few (2-3) rods onboard rigged with braided line & hooks is also a wise idea (might read the "those who fish for gators" thread)
as a rod gives you the greatest distance to attach a line to the gator.

If you're only looking for a gator up to 7' or so, your equipment does not need to be as strong or HD. (7' might go 60-80lbs, 10-11' could go 300-400lbs) The fishing archery equipment works ok.

As for the bow for gators, they are fair tools to use when the gator is in open water & not near any obstructions as a shafted gator will run into, around & under anything he can, making retrieval an ordeal. Make sure your shots are short (30-40' max) and aim for the flank or neck, A head shot will bounce 95% of the time & back shots will also bounce most of the time as the size of the gator increases. (Back armor can be 3/4" thick on 10+ gators)

If you attempt to piece something together, better have back up plans and allow for "trail & error" repairs/adjustments as often the "theory" doesn't quite match the "reality." If you purchase ready made equipment from a manufacturer that makes the product strictly for gator hunting (not modified fishing stuff) you're chances of success improve greatly. What ever you rig, make sure the line is rigged to a float and then directly to the dart. Your shaft is used as a driver for the dart. If you rig your line to the shaft as is often done with fishing arrows, when the gator runs or rolls & breaks the shaft, you'll loose the gator.

BTW, know where the boundary is if you hunt the river as Ga & Al are squabbling over it. Luckily, Ga has the larger share.

I agree........you may not need to buy a bunch of stuff. I have caught (and landed) a 5-6' gator on 17lb trilene xt.......... On a baitcaster at that.........

If you are using a fishing rod, I would recommend a higher strength line though........the one we caught was not happy and the battle lasted tooooo long.

Just bear in mind the difference between a 9-10' gator & 5'-6' one is the difference between a lamb & a PO'ed bull.
Govern accordingly................

In my opinion, a harpoon will bounce off a gator just as easily as a gator arrow. At least with an arrow you can make a longer shot vs. a harpoon that you literally have to get close enough to stab him with. I used a harpoon about 6 yrs. ago and was very dissapointed. I cant say that I'm real impressed with Muzzy's rig either but I do think its better than the harpoon. Take a look at Tracker Jack's rig at trackerjacksinc.com. They look to be built a lot better than the gator getter and the prices just came down this year. I really wanted one last year, but when I talked to him on the phone he quoted me a price of about $430, you can get one now for less than $250 according to his ad in GON. I really like the way the line spools off the front of the bow with Jacks rig compared to line that gets tangled while feeding out of a plastic bottle on the front of the bow with Muzzy's rig. I also think that a rod and reel is an excellent way to snag a gator and then try and get a better line in him. A rod and reel is even more important if you are hunting more skiddish gators in a river that get shot at with high powered rifles all year vs lake gators that are not as scared of humans. Good luck and let me know if I can help in any way.
Brandon

thanks for all the advice. Im actually in zone #2. redneck1 is going with me since he has taken many folks on hunts. We are seminole bound. What a nice guy to do this for a little tip money. We are going fishing rod route. He got a 675 lber the other night a guy with AL tag. They battled him for 4 hours with three rods. Im so excited can hardly contain myself.

Grimes25 said:

thanks for all the advice. Im actually in zone #2. redneck1 is going with me since he has taken many folks on hunts. We are seminole bound. What a nice guy to do this for a little tip money. We are going fishing rod route. He got a 675 lber the other night a guy with AL tag. They battled him for 4 hours with three rods. Im so excited can hardly contain myself.

Click to expand...

I know the feeling

caveman168 said:

In my opinion, a harpoon will bounce off a gator just as easily as a gator arrow. At least with an arrow you can make a longer shot vs. a harpoon that you literally have to get close enough to stab him with. I used a harpoon about 6 yrs. ago and was very dissapointed.
Brandon

Click to expand...

I've seen shafts bounce off many large gators on my trips, that's why I don't use them. As with any tool, they all take time & practice to master & deploy. A harpoon is no different.

As for distance, a bow only gives a slight advantage over an experienced harpoon hunter who can accurately throw the pole.

Over the years, in more than one state, I've harvested gators that someone arrowed and either did not or could not retrieve (line fouled, broke, ect with the "gator cord" flapping in the waves) but I have yet to take one with a harpoon line hanging out of him. (I'm sure one day I will find one)

Successful gator hunters have their techniques. Some are successful time & again because they understand the fundamentals, some are only successful from luck, dumb gators or they have perfected a technique that works well in one type (open water, small ponds, on small gators) of habitat but possibly not so well in another (as brush, timber, weeds & tussets on very large gators).

Either way, every gator I've participated in harvesting has been introduced to a harpoon or three, depending on size. (and no, I don't do nuisance trapping, just fair chase public waters hunting) The harpoon is the definitive control/domination line available. If you wish to see a small sampling of results, visit my album.

Otherwise, I concur with many of your observations.

hunted gators since the first year...not a fan of the spools they have for the gator cord...puts to much twist in the line..2nd or 3rd shot and it birdnest..play the gator cord straight down on the deck of the boat or in a small bucket... no tangles or line twist this way...good luck