Okay, I have uploaded some pictures in the Member's Gallery. Sorry the pictures aren't the best as I took them with my phone, but you will still be able to see the gators we got this year. I didn't take the good camera because it rained a ton. :x
This year in Alabama, there were 125 tags drawn for the Mobile area hunt and 40 drawn for the Lake Eufaula hunt. I went with two buddies who each got Mobile area tags and I got a tag for Lake Eufaula. You can't bait alligator in Alabama so you are limited to snagging them with treble hooks, bowfishing equipment, harpoons, and/or snares and they have to be at least 6' long. We would snag them first with a size 14 treble hook and then try to get an arrow in him. The treble hook was on a braided 80 lb test line and the arrow was on a 540 lb line (and by law secured to the bow). Since gators don't really like to be stuck, it is really important to get as many lines in him as possible. The first gator took a chomp at the fishing line, but thankfully the arrow line was still secure. Once the gator is secured along side the boat with a snare around either the head or leg, you can then use a bangstick with a .38 cal or larger round or a shotgun with shot no larger than #4. We used a bangstick with a .44 cal round. We took a shotgun only as backup, since it has to be a point-blank shot, and it's very messy since the head has to be above the water.
We had a great time and only sacrificed one rod, the snare pole, and a paddle. Let me assure you that you do not get anything out of an alligator's mouth unless it wants you too... trust me. We have already cooked up some of my gator. It was delicious and the kids loved it.
Here is the link:
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/images/thumbnails.php?album=145
There were a lot of drunks out there the first weekend. Many of them got DWIs and in Alabama the punishment is the same as driving a car. The other boats were more dangerous than the alligators. There were also a lot of boats that were unprepared for the hunt. One guy shot his gator with a shotgun while the gator was under water... it killed the gator, but killed the shotgun too. :roll: Another guy failed to secure his gator to the side of his boat after killing and tagging it, so when they took off the gator went to the bottom. He said it was too large to bring in the boat and they fought it for 6 hours. :roll: :roll: My gator in Eufaula was one of three harvested this year, thanks to the weather. The only one larger than mine was 7'2" and weighed 85 lbs. 3 out of 40 is disgraceful. Can't wait until next year to see if I can get another tag.
