Open of the 2011 Gator Season

Article and photos by Nathan Austin

Lobster season is over so the next chapter begins. I Headed down south of Okeechobee to do a little gator hunting for the opener. My Best friend Sean and I both had a permit and the plan was to bang out four gators over Friday and Saturday. This year the state added a few more hours of hunting during the day. You are now allowed to hunt from 5 pm to 10 am.  
 
I wanted to start my hunt at 5 pm, but being Friday, the crew could not get off work in time. We did not hit the hunting grounds until 8:30 pm. At the check station I saw 10+ trucks pulling out; all with big gators in their trucks. Discouraging thoughts ran through my mind. Why was I not here earlier!! My crew talked me down and said don’t worry we will get them. 

As we drove down the levee we started to see one eye; then another. In no time the entire area we wanted to focus on was full of big lizards. Like a kid on Christmas morning we were all eager to jump in and start hunting. We stepped back and focused, got all out gear rigged and ready to go. After a dry fire on the bang sticks it was all systems go. 

After we got on our way in the Gheeno’s, it was no time before we spotted a beast.  Pumped full of adrenaline; I flung the 10/O treble hook. Overpowering the cast I hit the saw grass behind the gator. With all the pulling and trying to free my hook the gator sounded to the bottom. I regrouped and got my shit together. We paddled on down the canal.

In no time I was set up to make another cast. When the splash of the treble hit 4’ behind the gator he slowly sank to the bottom.  Natural instinct kicked and I let the hook fall as well. With a couple cranks of the reel; the line came tight and gator on. After a good 20 minute tussle the gator succumbed to my .223 bang stick. We took him to shore and he was a nice 9’7” respectable gator.  After our first kill we were all pumped up. We got back in and hooked up to another 7 or 8 gators of the same size or bigger, but we got humbled by their power and they all broke the line or pulled the hooks. 3 am rolled around and we called it quits.

After a good night’s sleep and a late lunch at Roland Martins marina, we were back at the spot by 5 pm. In no time we had hooked up to two nice gators.  Making short work of them we had another 9’+ in the truck with an 8’. All excited with three of the four tags filled, we were back on the hunt for one more. It was like the switch got shut off and there were no gators to be found. We decided to pull over and let the sun set. As night grew darker and darker; we saw more and more eyes. The team spent the next 5 hours hooking gators and losing them; over and over again. After failed effort upon failed effort we decided to pull the plug; and call it quits.  

It was a great trip with old friends and made some new on the way. I will be back to fill my last tag before season ends. I am very happy with the results. I wish we could have harvested some of the big boys we hooked up with. However you play the cards you are dealt.  Time to start gearing up for the early September duck season.