# Kayaks and Gators



## blindhog (Mar 2, 2017)

Has anyone had a gator act aggressively while you were fishing in a kayak?
I want to fish a lake that is known to have big gators, and I had an avid yak fisherman tell me he would not put in there with his yak.
But this place is known for Big Lunkers.


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## mdgreco191 (Mar 2, 2017)

I don't have personal experience with this, but everything I have read says that they really don't want anything to do with you.  However, I have also been told not to lip a fish in the water because a gator could be coming up to steal him from you!


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## 61BelAir (Mar 2, 2017)

Last spring we had them come closer than normal along with some grunting/blowing/bellowing, but they still kept enough distance that I felt safe.  They did a lot of "displaying" with their heads lifted and mouths open too.  It was kind of distracting while fishing, but cool to watch.  

Back then we were in small 10' kayaks.  I think that would be different in our 12' ones this year.  Guess we'll see.   I know I wouldn't let it stop me from fishing in a place known for lunkers.


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## 61BelAir (Mar 2, 2017)

Forgot to add:  NO stringers!!!    I had a small bass and the biggest crappie I've ever caught snatched off a canoe.  Nearly turned me over and broke my stringer.  Generally stringers and kayaks aren't a good match anyway because of them getting hung up and tipping you, but we still use them a lot when not around gators.


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## 1982ace (Mar 3, 2017)

I had one at reed Bingham state park swim closer than I liked. I think in a perfect world you wouldn't have anything to worry about, but who knows some yahoo is feeding them to associate people with food


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## chriswkbrd (Mar 5, 2017)

My personal biggest concerns are:
1. Not knowing they are there in the first place.
2. Lipping them, as mdgreco191 said. 
3. Being fed, so they lose their fear of people and approach them. 


You obviously know they are there, so I would just keep an eye out for them. 

You obviously


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## ricksconnected (Mar 5, 2017)

stay very clear of them during the mating season months.
you don't want to be in that area in a kayak when that's going down. they get very aggressive


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## blindhog (Mar 5, 2017)

I have been in Lake Miccossukkee when the bigguns were bellowing.  I was in a 15' tin jon and didn't like it.


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## ricksconnected (Mar 5, 2017)

oh yeah it gets scary. a john is still much better than  PLASTIC KAYAK


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## FROGSLAYER (Mar 16, 2017)

No thanks!


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## Nicodemus (Mar 16, 2017)

You get used to em. You`re probably safer in a kayak than wade fishing like I do all through their territory. You`ll never see the one that gets you anyway, till it`s too late.


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## riverbank (Mar 16, 2017)

FROGSLAYER said:


> No thanks!



Nope....Me neither. Down in Florida people were swimming in a nice clear swimming hole we went to....On the tree was a sign that read something to the affect of "be mindful of the alligators".......haha are you kidding me.....COME ON IN.....THE WATERS FINE!!!!


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## ricksconnected (Mar 16, 2017)

got my scuba diving license in a gator infested lake
then we went to the ocean to get our final certs back in the
early 90's.


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## Nicodemus (Mar 16, 2017)

From just north of here, all the way to the southern tip of Florida, any hole of water is more than apt to have a gator in it. Except for maybe your bathtub and if you leave your front door open in the summertime for any length of time, one will probably crawl in there too.

Couple of places I fish, there`s one or more just about always in sight if it`s not too cold.


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## 61BelAir (Sep 6, 2017)

blindhog said:


> Has anyone had a gator act aggressively while you were fishing in a kayak?
> I want to fish a lake that is known to have big gators, and I had an avid yak fisherman tell me he would not put in there with his yak.
> But this place is known for Big Lunkers.



Did you ever go fish there?


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## jcarleto (Sep 8, 2017)

I used to catch gators with a DNR permitted remover in South Florida.  This is what I know:
1. Young gators will go after top water plugs.  Young gators can hurt you.
2. Don't bring a dog with you.  Dogs look too much like a regular food source.  They will come in your boat to get the dog.
3. Stay away from them in the Spring breeding season and especially stay away from  reed thickets that might contain or provide cover for nests (Spring, early Summer).  There is NOTHING more dangerous than a female gator protecting a nest.
4. They won't bother you and don't really have much to do with humans unless fools feed them.  If they come up to your boat and seem curious, go elsewhere sooner than later.  Their normal unfed behavior is to go the other way when they see you. If they have been regularly fed, you look like a food dispenser.  If the "dispenser isn't working," they seem to consider that perhaps it needs a good grab and shake.

I would not hesitate to fish where there are gators, but I would not hesitate to move away if they start getting curious or aggressive.


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## Alex from GA (Sep 8, 2017)

Last year I was fishing a small lake in FL and a 4'er came at my kayak with it's mouth open and didn't stop until I nudged it with my paddle, hit it on the head.  It left in a hurry.  No one feeds them in this lake.


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## 61BelAir (Sep 8, 2017)

Alex from GA said:


> Last year I was fishing a small lake in FL and a 4'er came at my kayak with it's mouth open and didn't stop until I nudged it with my paddle, hit it on the head.  It left in a hurry.  No one feeds them in this lake.



I think when they are around that 4' to 6' size they are more likely to come check you out even if they aren't fed.  A person in a kayak sitting right at water level instead of up in canoe or on a boat must be an odd site for them.  They are too big to be afraid of most things they encounter and not old enough to know better.


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## Dub (Nov 26, 2017)




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## 61BelAir (Dec 1, 2017)

It's hard to say if that's real of photoshopped, but I wouldn't want to be that guy.


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## Dub (Dec 5, 2017)

61BelAir said:


> It's hard to say if that's real of photoshopped, but I wouldn't want to be that guy.



Not sure....saw it on another website....took a cellphone pic of the screen....that's why it came through so grainy.

Yeah...I wound't want to be in that situation, either.


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## Coenen (Dec 5, 2017)

Dub said:


> Not sure....saw it on another website....took a cellphone pic of the screen....that's why it came through so grainy.





61BelAir said:


> It's hard to say if that's real of photoshopped, but I wouldn't want to be that guy.


Turns out it's real!

https://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/sharkkayak.asp

I'd have figured it was fake as Pam Anderson's... everything.


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