Alligator Hunting Baits

I live in Lakeland, didn't know they had closed the ramp at Hancock, check the ramp at panther point it may still be open. What I have found is the gators in Hancock hear a boat and disappear. Tiger Lake on the Kissimmee chain has some big gators and Lake Pierce closer to Lake Wales. Good luck
I'm in Kissimmee, but lived in Polk for awhile before. Problem with Tiger is some have told a bunch of hunters about it. I stopped applying for Pierce this year when they increased tag numbers.
 
I'm curious; if the bait has no hooks in it, do you simply set up a blind and wait for a chance to snipe the gator when it appears? Or is this a "Swamp People" kind of deal, where the gator swallows the bait and then you pull it up and shoot it at boatside?

Pardon the silly questions; we don't have a lot of gators up here in Manitoba! :)
If I find a gator I want to go after I try to run by and drop the bait in the vicinity where I saw the gator where he can smell it and put the reel in free spool and let them swallow it without tension. If I get them to the boat I hit them with a harpoon to get another line into it. Then fight him on the harpoon line instead. Or if they don't want to come off the bottom I use a bigger snatch hook to move them. Once they're tired I hit them with a bangstick I use a .357 or .44
 
If I find a gator I want to go after I try to run by and drop the bait in the vicinity where I saw the gator where he can smell it and put the reel in free spool and let them swallow it without tension. If I get them to the boat I hit them with a harpoon to get another line into it. Then fight him on the harpoon line instead. Or if they don't want to come off the bottom I use a bigger snatch hook to move them. Once they're tired I hit them with a bangstick I use a .357 or .44
Yep bang stick required by law on all draw tag (sites) permits. My buddy and /or his family members draw tags every year here in levy county Florida. They sell hunts if anyone wants to go on one p.m. me for details. By the way they are great people to be around!! Tribb
 
How'd you fair? Didn't make it out Thursday night but made it out last night. Had him in the boat at 11pm. It was my neighbors first time ever going out and he may be hooked now. 10' 1.5".
 

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How'd you fair? Didn't make it out Thursday night but made it out last night. Had him in the boat at 11pm. It was my neighbors first time ever going out and he may be hooked now. 10' 1.5".
Nice, Congrats!! Let's just say I've let a lot of gators swim by or stay un-harassed lol.

I will tell you my wife and I were the only ones on a lake without houses around it last night. Which is very rare in Central Florida and got caught reminiscing of what this beautiful state use to be and lost track of time of seeing stars and not hearing traffic.
 
Nice, Congrats!! Let's just say I've let a lot of gators swim by or stay un-harassed lol.

I will tell you my wife and I were the only ones on a lake without houses around it last night. Which is very rare in Central Florida and got caught reminiscing of what this beautiful state use to be and lost track of time of seeing stars and not hearing traffic.
A lake here without houses, that is only a myth.
 
So here's my week hunt recap after looking at probably over 1000 gators. I searched the entirety of 15 lakes, put close to 15 hours on the boat just running it countless hours glassing playing the call. I think I found two 12 foot plus gators and one of them took the bait and my impatience got the best of me and starting following the line reeling it in should have waited longer. As soon as the boat was above the gator he spit the bait. I had him within 5 yards of the bait that night and he wouldn't eat it. I lost my sunglasses in a lake, dropped my phone in another lake. Destroyed my air filter cover trying to go under a bridge in another lake and I'm going to need a new prop for my mud motor. Most expensive season yet lol I'll be back searching in 2 weeks during open season.
 
So here's my week hunt recap after looking at probably over 1000 gators. I searched the entirety of 15 lakes, put close to 15 hours on the boat just running it countless hours glassing playing the call. I think I found two 12 foot plus gators and one of them took the bait and my impatience got the best of me and starting following the line reeling it in should have waited longer. As soon as the boat was above the gator he spit the bait. I had him within 5 yards of the bait that night and he wouldn't eat it. I lost my sunglasses in a lake, dropped my phone in another lake. Destroyed my air filter cover trying to go under a bridge in another lake and I'm going to need a new prop for my mud motor. Most expensive season yet lol I'll be back searching in 2 weeks during open season.
Hunting gets expensive as you know. You want to share what lakes you ended up finding them or do you want to keep that to yourself until after season's done? I quit buying tags years ago but I'm always curious on where people are finding them usually I see big gators out on Kissimmee but I know that falls outside of your area
 
Hunting gets expensive as you know. You want to share what lakes you ended up finding them or do you want to keep that to yourself until after season's done? I quit buying tags years ago but I'm always curious on where people are finding them usually I see big gators out on Kissimmee but I know that falls outside of your area
Well I will tell you one of them and the other November 1st lol never know who else is following along. One of them is in Hollingsworth. But after sitting all day and watching the amount of people traffic it would be tricky catching him. And not 100% I want to deal with the possible harassment if I could catch him.
 
Well I will tell you one of them and the other November 1st lol never know who else is following along. One of them is in Hollingsworth. But after sitting all day and watching the amount of people traffic it would be tricky catching him. And not 100% I want to deal with the possible harassment if I could catch him.
Lol I totally understand and respect that. Yeah the take one in that like you definitely have spectators. I didn't know you were coming that far into Polk county. You may want to check out banana also if you're coming that close banana links up into two others. But also has a canal that runs the Hancock it wouldn't be anything you'd take a boat but definitely is something that a gator could travel
 

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