FREEDOM22
Member
I havent been posting this year due to the tremendous business opportunity in Aviation that I have been blessed with. I finally got a free day to take several friends on a hunt. Scott, his daughter Leah and friend Mike met me at the lake on Friday afternoon about 5. After some minor things needing to be fixed on the boat we were on the water by 6:30.
We headed to my familiar water and didn't see any gators, only boats and lights. Considering it was a few weeks into the season, and bow season was open we thought the mad rush would be over. So we just used the one thing I have that kills big gators, and that is Patience. We observed one boat sitting about 200 yards away blasting the sounds of baby alligators (I assume he was hoping gators would flock to him) but after a while even he left.
After the water and area calmed down I spotted a good sized set of eyes towards where the boat came from. I eased towards it and once we were within casting distance the gator went down. So we got out our ''patience card'' again and waited. After several minutes the eyes reappeared and this time I asked that all lights be kept off. As I closed the gap, Scott and I readied ourselves on the front and on my word we quickly checked the eyes with a dim light and I said he's in range so when I turn the light back on we are both casting.
The light came on and the gator was about 50 yards moving left to right. My cast hit 5 ft past him and dead on, Scott's hit somewhere about Bainbridge. LOL >
I burn the real to take up the line and keep the 8/0 hook up high, as soon as I felt it hit him I let the gator do the rest, he took off and buried the hook in the soft under side of his front leg and it was on. I gave Scott my rod as I went to running the trolling motor to keep up with the gator. I knew he was a big gator for several reasons but if one can pull a 22' center console then its got some size.
As the gator settled on the bottom I went to dropping a big bottom fishing rod on him with a 12/0 hook, after several minutes of trying to hook him with out pulling my other hook I drove it in him and gave that rod to Mike.
Those 2 guys had their hands full while this gator drug us around like we were in a Jon Boat. Once he settled down enough I went for the big gun. I got out the 16/0 weighted hooks that I make and keep razor sharp and tied to Mule Tape. I dropped this hook down between the other 2 lines and eased it up to him, once I felt the resistance I said "I hope yall are ready" I drove that 16/0 in him with all I had and he took off, I immediately tied it off short to the cleat and away we went for a third pull. The gator was rolling violently at the side of the boat and we just let him continue to roll himself up in the lines, he broke off the rod Scott had and we pulled him up so Scott could put a Harpoon shot in his side. We knew we had a huge gator on and we didnt want to be less than 3 lines in him.
We kept trying to get his head up but he had wrapped himself up head down , the only option was to try and get a hook in his forward body to get a lethal shot, I put another hand line in him and we finally got a BANG STICK shot on him, the shot missed its mark so we put another one in him. We were thinking that was enough but the gators eyes were still open and responsive so I took my 40 cal and put 2 more in the sweet spot until the water filled with blood indicating we finally severed the main spinal artery.
Only then did we see the size of the gator and knowing the 3 of us had nothing left to pull him in the boat, and Leah being pregnant she did all she could, by getting things that we needed and by keeping me and the other 2 in the game with cold water.
The only option was to secure the beast to the side of the boat and begin the 2 hour idle back to the ramp,once at the ramp we pull him up on the dock and then into the boat,and that was all we had left.We measured him on the table and back at camp the gator was 12' with a slight bend in his tail which would have maybe gained an inch, but we called it 12'.
It was a great hunt enjoyed by all of us and i look forward to more adventures with these great people.
We headed to my familiar water and didn't see any gators, only boats and lights. Considering it was a few weeks into the season, and bow season was open we thought the mad rush would be over. So we just used the one thing I have that kills big gators, and that is Patience. We observed one boat sitting about 200 yards away blasting the sounds of baby alligators (I assume he was hoping gators would flock to him) but after a while even he left.
After the water and area calmed down I spotted a good sized set of eyes towards where the boat came from. I eased towards it and once we were within casting distance the gator went down. So we got out our ''patience card'' again and waited. After several minutes the eyes reappeared and this time I asked that all lights be kept off. As I closed the gap, Scott and I readied ourselves on the front and on my word we quickly checked the eyes with a dim light and I said he's in range so when I turn the light back on we are both casting.
The light came on and the gator was about 50 yards moving left to right. My cast hit 5 ft past him and dead on, Scott's hit somewhere about Bainbridge. LOL >
I burn the real to take up the line and keep the 8/0 hook up high, as soon as I felt it hit him I let the gator do the rest, he took off and buried the hook in the soft under side of his front leg and it was on. I gave Scott my rod as I went to running the trolling motor to keep up with the gator. I knew he was a big gator for several reasons but if one can pull a 22' center console then its got some size.
As the gator settled on the bottom I went to dropping a big bottom fishing rod on him with a 12/0 hook, after several minutes of trying to hook him with out pulling my other hook I drove it in him and gave that rod to Mike.
Those 2 guys had their hands full while this gator drug us around like we were in a Jon Boat. Once he settled down enough I went for the big gun. I got out the 16/0 weighted hooks that I make and keep razor sharp and tied to Mule Tape. I dropped this hook down between the other 2 lines and eased it up to him, once I felt the resistance I said "I hope yall are ready" I drove that 16/0 in him with all I had and he took off, I immediately tied it off short to the cleat and away we went for a third pull. The gator was rolling violently at the side of the boat and we just let him continue to roll himself up in the lines, he broke off the rod Scott had and we pulled him up so Scott could put a Harpoon shot in his side. We knew we had a huge gator on and we didnt want to be less than 3 lines in him.
We kept trying to get his head up but he had wrapped himself up head down , the only option was to try and get a hook in his forward body to get a lethal shot, I put another hand line in him and we finally got a BANG STICK shot on him, the shot missed its mark so we put another one in him. We were thinking that was enough but the gators eyes were still open and responsive so I took my 40 cal and put 2 more in the sweet spot until the water filled with blood indicating we finally severed the main spinal artery.
Only then did we see the size of the gator and knowing the 3 of us had nothing left to pull him in the boat, and Leah being pregnant she did all she could, by getting things that we needed and by keeping me and the other 2 in the game with cold water.
The only option was to secure the beast to the side of the boat and begin the 2 hour idle back to the ramp,once at the ramp we pull him up on the dock and then into the boat,and that was all we had left.We measured him on the table and back at camp the gator was 12' with a slight bend in his tail which would have maybe gained an inch, but we called it 12'.
It was a great hunt enjoyed by all of us and i look forward to more adventures with these great people.
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