Any you boys get into a good gator hunt?!
just prepping ideas and locations always chasing after that lake placid monster lol
?!?!?!?!
gator hunts
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Longshot270
- Posts: 465
- Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2014 8:09 am
- Location: San Marcos, TX
Re: gator hunts
Yeah, I've been on two public reservoir management hunts for Texas Parks and Wildlife. Here were a few random tips we learned.
Heavy trotline string and #9 hooks were the tools of choice along the bank. Don't make the mistake we made on our first trip of using a cypress island. Don't give them anything to wrap up slack and then leverage to break the rope. The idea is to gut hook them, otherwise they'll either break off your rope or your hook. Never wrap the rope around your hand, they'll win at tug-of-war.
We were provided some 15' heavy bamboo sticks to stick in the mud and suspend the bait from. The ropes were tied to something solid like a tree. Those critters have some good noses, they'll find bait if it has some stink to it. Don't use a high powered rifle, you put a bullet in at the base of the skull. There is a soft spot that is a direct line to their central nervous system.
Another time I caught a baby gator by accident. I saw a catfish bobber moving in shallow water that had been "lost". I was thinking free catfish so I paddled my kayak up to it. Turns out it wasn't a catfish...got the bobber and weight though.
Take your time, be careful, it is just a big azz lizard that smells kinda funky when you skin it.
Heavy trotline string and #9 hooks were the tools of choice along the bank. Don't make the mistake we made on our first trip of using a cypress island. Don't give them anything to wrap up slack and then leverage to break the rope. The idea is to gut hook them, otherwise they'll either break off your rope or your hook. Never wrap the rope around your hand, they'll win at tug-of-war.
We were provided some 15' heavy bamboo sticks to stick in the mud and suspend the bait from. The ropes were tied to something solid like a tree. Those critters have some good noses, they'll find bait if it has some stink to it. Don't use a high powered rifle, you put a bullet in at the base of the skull. There is a soft spot that is a direct line to their central nervous system.
Another time I caught a baby gator by accident. I saw a catfish bobber moving in shallow water that had been "lost". I was thinking free catfish so I paddled my kayak up to it. Turns out it wasn't a catfish...got the bobber and weight though.
Take your time, be careful, it is just a big azz lizard that smells kinda funky when you skin it.