# Gators in the surf!



## 140L (Feb 17, 2008)

I just wanted to share a couple of pics I took because it's something you don't see everyday. I took these on McFaddin Beach(Texas) back in September. It's approx. 10-15 miles West of the Louisiana border. It was the Wed. before hurricane Ike made landfall(late Friday). The surf was already very high from the pre effects of Ike. I had seen one a couple of weeks before in the same area and it was much larger. The first one scared me pretty good because I didn't notice it 'till I was coming in from casting. It was between me and the beach!They were both in the wade gut and the one in the pic swam a good ways out in the surf.
The pics are poor quality. The camera crapped out not long after.


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

Gators in the surf. Good God.

Then again, if you would have hooked him you'd have had an even better story.


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## bluefish1928 (Jun 9, 2007)

sharks were known to bei n the surf now gators, i think its safer on dry land


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## Charlie2 (May 2, 2007)

*Sharks Now Gators*

Another reason that I'm glad that I gave up wade fishing and learned to fish with the long rod from dry sand.

A shark grabbed me by the leg and barely broke the skin before releasing me. I was either too tough or tasted bad. Anyhow, he let me go and I haven't been there since. C2


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## jimmy z (Nov 5, 2006)

Things are getting tough all over, even for the Gator's. I heard he was laid off, and was looking for a new gig.


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## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

That is crazy.


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## bstarling (Apr 24, 2005)

Then there was the rattle snake swimming in Rich Inlet near Wilmington NC several years ago. That'll get your attention!

Bill:fishing:


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## red_fish (Jul 22, 2007)

Damn I was looking to see some pics of gator trout not trout eaters nic pics


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

Sam I'm with you, I was looking for some pics of some big-azz Specks from somewhere besides the ditch, oh well good story.


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## 140L (Feb 17, 2008)

Charlie2 said:


> Another reason that I'm glad that I gave up wade fishing and learned to fish with the long rod from dry sand.
> 
> A shark grabbed me by the leg and barely broke the skin before releasing me. I was either too tough or tasted bad. Anyhow, he let me go and I haven't been there since. C2



Probably not recommended , but I continued to surf cast after a 30 minute wait and see......The Bull Reds were biting! LOL!


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## 140L (Feb 17, 2008)

jay b said:


> Sam I'm with you, I was looking for some pics of some big-azz Specks from somewhere besides the ditch, oh well good story.


 "gators" are our "hogs" and "sows" (trout). Didn't realize


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## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

Yeah, I was thinking it was going to be some trout too. I thought Alligators were strictly a freshwater species!!??? I know there are saltwater crocs, but I didn't think gators messed with the saltwater too much.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

140L said:


> I just wanted to share a couple of pics I took because it's something you don't see everyday. I took these on McFaddin Beach(Texas) back in September. It's approx. 10-15 miles West of the Louisiana border. It was the Wed. before hurricane Ike made landfall(late Friday). The surf was already very high from the pre effects of Ike. I had seen one a couple of weeks before in the same area and it was much larger. The first one scared me pretty good because I didn't notice it 'till I was coming in from casting. It was between me and the beach!They were both in the wade gut and the one in the pic swam a good ways out in the surf.
> The pics are poor quality. The camera crapped out not long after.


COOL!!!! I need me a new pair of boots!!!!!!


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

140L said:


> Probably not recommended , but I continued to surf cast after a 30 minute wait and see......The Bull Reds were biting! LOL!


Man that would be crazy- hooking into a nice red--- only to have a gator latch onto the red-- have seen pics of that hapening with BIG sharks. 

:fishing:


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## inshoreangler95 (Jun 15, 2008)

Wow man, i understand crocs are saltwater friendly but an aligator,and in the surf??? thats a first for me! Its gettingweird out there, eventually were going to have to wear steel-coated waders!


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## Cerberus (Nov 1, 2007)

drawinout said:


> Yeah, I was thinking it was going to be some trout too. I thought Alligators were strictly a freshwater species!!??? I know there are saltwater crocs, but I didn't think gators messed with the saltwater too much.


There is a spot here between Miami and the upper Keys that is home to the American saltwater Crocodile. There are some small keys and reefs there that are infested with huge lobsters, but for some strange reason divers are reluctant to spend much time in the water there. 

I have driven through many times but never stopped.


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## triple t (Nov 1, 2008)

Good thing you were'nt wading out


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## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

Cerberus said:


> There is a spot here between Miami and the upper Keys that is home to the American saltwater Crocodile. There are some small keys and reefs there that are infested with huge lobsters, but for some strange reason divers are reluctant to spend much time in the water there.
> 
> I have driven through many times but never stopped.


I saw a show a while back about the American Saltwater Crocodile. You never hear too much about them. I don't think there is a big population of them. Aren't they endangered? Probably a dumb question being I'm not up on my Croc science.


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## 140L (Feb 17, 2008)

These were Alligators. They live in the marshes around here and the marshes are brackish water. Some of the marshes aren't very far from the beach. It's just odd to actually see one in the surf. The saltwater makes them "crazy" if they stay in it to long. I've also heard it can blind them(saltwater). I guess I'll have to dig up a few wild hogs running the beach pics.. Lots of hogs/boars in the area as well.

Triple T, I was wading out with them. The first one I spotted 2 weeks prior was between me and the beach kinda just floating. Scared the heck out of me because it was the LAST thing I expected to see in the surf. I've seen BIG Alligator Gar in the surf but never an actual alligator in the surf. If you fresh or saltwater fish enough in this area of the world you will eventually run into a Gator and I've had my dealings with them in the past---very strange to see one in the surf!


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## BentHook (Dec 22, 2002)

About twenty years ago when they were building the Sawgrass area which is just south of Jax Beach they were getting gators in the surf.They first showed up when they were clear cutting the land next to the beach.Then when they finished all the golf courses they would stray across the fairway into the surf for a dip and little sun.
Two years ago we had a bear roaming the south end of Little Talbot Island which is a popular fishing spot.


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## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

I've heard of Alligators being spotted as far north as North Carolina. Rumor has it one was found a few years back while clearing some land not far from where I lived in Perquimans. I know back in the 60's people used to order baby gators in the mail!! A friend of my mother's ordered one back then. They ended up not knowing what to do with it, so they let it loose in the Tar river. With no natural predators and plenty of food, I'd imagine they wouldn't have much trouble surviving up this way. A little off subject, but all this talk about gators made me think about it. It would be a sight to see one in the surf! I think I'd rather be surprised by a 5 foot gator in the surf than the same size shark though. Then again, I've caught some decent sharks in the surf, and I don't know a thing about a gator.


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## RW_20 (Oct 16, 2007)

drawinout said:


> I've heard of Alligators being spotted as far north as North Carolina. Rumor has it one was found a few years back while clearing some land not far from where I lived in Perquimans. I know back in the 60's people used to order baby gators in the mail!! A friend of my mother's ordered one back then. They ended up not knowing what to do with it, so they let it loose in the Tar river. With no natural predators and plenty of food, I'd imagine they wouldn't have much trouble surviving up this way. A little off subject, but all this talk about gators made me think about it. It would be a sight to see one in the surf! I think I'd rather be surprised by a 5 foot gator in the surf than the same size shark though. Then again, I've caught some decent sharks in the surf, and I don't know a thing about a gator.


Seen something a while back about the original inter coastal water way and the alligator river. Guess the name comes from the occupants.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_River_National_Wildlife_Refuge


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

drawinout said:


> I've heard of Alligators being spotted as far north as North Carolina.


Believe it or not, there are actually confirmed reports of gators in the Great Dismal Swamp that straddles the Virginia/North Carolina border.


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## Dyhard (Oct 24, 2002)

Is there a limit on Gators down there?
Slot size?
It tastes like chicken.


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## Rockfish1 (Apr 8, 2005)

we got a pile of'em here in our area... been here since 1971 at least, that's when I saw my first one... we got enough of'em there are no nutria to speak of in this area...


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## redfish1979 (Nov 14, 2008)

I fish the same area , and i see the gators in the surf from time to time. I dont think the saltwater bothers them at all really. I think if it did they would stay out of the surf. Ive saw the gators in the surf at high island , at mcfaddin , and swiming through roll over pass several different times. But it would be kinda scary to wade out and turn around and have a gator between me and the sand.


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## redfish1979 (Nov 14, 2008)

I think i would rather have a shark bump me , be real scary to have a gator bump me in the surf. Can be real scary wading out in the texas surf at night. One night years and years ago, me and my dad were fishing at mcfadden beach here in texas. It was a full moon, real clear night. We had several rods fishing, and i was wading out to make a cast. I had droped one bait not that far out. Just over the sandbar. Well i was on the sandbar, and i was about to cast. Surf was fairly calm , but still it was hard to hear over the small waves. Well i thought i heard my dad screaming, turned around to have a look. He was hooked up on the bait that wasnt that far away from me. Well the rod was bent over big time. My dad was putting alot of pressure on the fish, when the line broke the rod almost hit him in his face. I was like darn, the fish got away. I was about to cast , when a shark that looked to be around 8' long hit me on my left hand side. Didnt attack me, but still was very scary. I was in water around 3' and half feet deep. I watched as the shark swam off with its fin sticking up out of the water. It was hard not to freak out and walk on water.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

That's crazy. I don't think I'd be wading out to make any casts for a while.


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## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

Spoooookkyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Growing up on the river in Perquimans NC I developed a healthy fear of water moccasins. I got my first boat when I was around 12, but before then it was all wade fishing for me. One time I had a spinner bait get hung up in a low lying cypress tree. I crept up on the bait, took a real good look, and things looked good.... As soon as I reached my hand in that tree, a big ass mother water moccasin hauled back and launched at me!!!!!!! I dropped my rod and started running, but you can't out run a snake when you're in water up to your belly button!!!! I'm trying to push through the water as fast as I can, but this damn snake was way too fast. I finally just stopped in my tracks, and she dove under and brushed right by me!!! I guess that's to be expected when you live on the waterfront and don't even have a bulkhead. Even after I had my boat I had a bunch of close calls with snakes falling in the boat, having snakes bite hook and line, and big snakes covering up my walking path, but nothing as scary as the day I was chased down!!! I moved to VA when I was seventeen, went to Northwest River Park for the first time, and water moccasins were everywhere... Thankfully they weren't big angry sob's like the ones we had behind my house in Carolina. It almost seemed like a different species, that's how placid the ones were at Northwest River Park. Anyway, big sharks don't give me that kind of scare yet... I guess I'd have to have an encounter with a really big one to put the fear in me. As far as the gators go, I don't have any experience with them, but I think I could handle myself around a bunch of gators. Stomping through cypress knees at 6 years old looking out for monster copperheads definitely helps peak your senses!!! My first trip to "The Point" in Hatteras I was 12, and by that time it would have taken one hell of a shark or gator to put the "fear" in me. If you have a healthy respect for dangerous critters, you'll never have much trouble...... However, if you're ever a little kid, with a lure in a waterlogged cypress tree, and nobody close to shouting range,,,, I'd steer clear!!!! I guess that could loosely apply to alligators in the surf!!!! lol Somehow!!


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## redfish1979 (Nov 14, 2008)

Yea i had some dealings with water moccasins myself, they will hit topwater baits fished for large mouth bass , lol. And they can stay underwater for ever, and come up and be good and alive. Big bullfrogs will hit topwater baits also, then the snake see,s the frog going crazy . And the snake tries to eat the frog. Gators will hit topwater baits also . And gators can swim very fast towards you when u have a fish on right beside the kayak, lol, i found that out. Glad it was a small gator.


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