Someone else posted this on another forum, I figured I'd share with you guys if you haven't seen it yet. You won't catch me freshwater fishing out of my kayak anytime soon, I'll tell you that much.

The guy had a yorkie in the boat (you see it swimming towards him on the left after the gator strikes) and people are thinking that's what triggered this. Regardless I'll stick to saltwater.

Warning the guy yells some vulgar language just in case the kids are around.



I can't get the video to post for the life of me! Here's the link until I can figure it out.
Even when I try adding the link nothing shows up on the post!?

Holy S&#$T, a little more momentum by the gator and he would be in the cockpit.

lol that's hilarious what he says :laughing:

...not so hilarious that he almost got his arm taken off

I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but there are plenty of gators in salt water and brackish water alike. Fish Mosquito lagoon and Indian River Lagoon sometime, or, our own Chaz. In the Chaz there is a 10' gator as you come around the second bend of the river going out, west side. He has his favorite mud bank right on that curve. He/she is so well camouflaged that you sometimes can't see him/her until you're just a few feet from it.
In the other two areas, I've waded in a foot of water and had a 7' gator between me and the shore. Many times they sit and watch you while they are sitting the middle of a school of mullet or they could be just swimming across the lagoon in front of you or behind you or anywhere else they want to. I've had more problems with manatees than gators. Manatees will flip your kayak if you glide over top of them and you scare them. Had that happen twice. Of course they won't eat you!!

BTW, one caveat. It's the gator you don't see that you have to worry about.

Read a story once about small animals (dogs) in the water having an increasing effect on chances of shark attack. Something about the thrashing commotion they make when swimming. You'll never catch me swimming in the water with my dogs...that's like ringing a dinner bell IMHO...

I would imagine a small dog in a kayak might have a similar effect on a gator..

If that is the way I go out of the world so be it, at least ill die with a rod in my hand :)

I've seen a few gators. 1 last summer at UTB park very close to state street. He was suning himself on the bank. Maybe 5' max. Saw a little bigger one in the pond at mobly bayou. I hear thee is a certain time of year when they mate they can be agressive.

I don't like em...when I see em, I go the other way. Fast.

when I had my first kayak (yellow) I never thought about gators. Since getting my Hobie (green!!!) I am much more aware of them. See them often in Coopers Bayou, from the Alligator Lake outflow down to the kayak launch. Makes things interesting, LOL

I also heard there is a more aggressive time of the year to stay clear. Nesting season. Does anyone know whe that is? I joy ride in the Myakka and see many many of them.

A mother gator will protect the mound she made for her eggs and even after they hatch she will stay with them for a while.
I have seen a few in the salt in the mangrove area near the boat ramp at CRB most of the time it is early morning and they are getting ready to go back into the back country where there is fresh water. I had one that would hang in the reclaimed area and just watch me from 50 feet or so.
I was back up in the Little Manatee just east of the interstate and a gator came down off a sand bank. I still think it was at least 50 foot long with a head as big as my kayak. You would to.Tthe thing slid under my boat.

reelman wrote:
:laughing:

I would've puked lol

DavidT wrote:
So no interest in chasing the largemouth bass I've been catching in the ponds over here? :evil:

The gators get frisky this time of year...ask Ken about the one he had to shoo away from the sidewalk in front of his house...

Derick Burgos and I had a whole argument going on about this... In several years of kayak fishing I had never seen one in salt water. One day at UTB we are once again arguing about the existence of the salt water gators for our 100th time. Him saying he sees them and me saying I dont. We turn the corner just as I say, "There are NO alligators in saltwater" and sure enough less than 3 feet away sits an alligator on the bank. Open mouth...insert foot. It couldnt have been planned better.

I've since only seen two others, but, I'm now convinced they are out there.