gator hunting tips?

[BlakeJ]

we got our hands on a couple tags this year, and have never gone out and set lines for them. do any of you guys that have done it before have any tips?

[EliteDriver]

Choot em!!

[BackwoodzHank]

Dont take any tips from Amos Moses, he only got one arm!

[Moose]

Don't shoot them in deeper than waist deep water......they sink fast. Go scout an area at night and hang lines the next morning- higher bait=bigger gator.

[TexasArchery_27]

Don't watch "Crawl" before you go out.

[gander]

I have been doing it for about the past 10 years on my own and usually get 25-35 tags each year. First thing you need is bait, and you need it to have some scent. I usually got to Walmart or whatever grocery store and buy a bag of the frozen chicken quarters. I also pick up a couple containers of chicken livers. I buy a 5 gallon bucket with a lid that snaps on and stays good. About 2 days before I plan on setting lines, I pour the quarters and livers into the bucket, close the lid and let it sit outside. Fair warning, it is going to stink pretty bad when you go to bait your hooks. You're also going to want to have some rubber gloves because you don't want that stuff getting on you.

I order my line and hooks from netsandmore.com I usually go with a 12/0 hook and 900-1100 lb line. If you can find someone who has bamboo in their backyard go cut some sturdy pieces and I usually tie a heavy duty clothes pin hanging from the end of the bamboo about 6 inches.

When you set the line, put the bamboo in at about 60 degree angle and then clip the clip onto the line and adjust the line up and down til your bait is sitting 20-30 inches above the water. I tie off the baited line to a nearby tree or if I don't have that, I use a t-post knocked into the ground. I usually use 25-35 feet of line, you want to adjust that accordingly from any type of trees, roots, pilings, structure, etc. that might be nearby that the gator could get tangled in. You don't want it so short though that the gator can get good leverage on the line and pull it out or break it.

If I have the option to go out a day, or even better night, before, I will go out and try and actually locate a big alligator. If I find one then I try and set it near where he was. If I can't find one then I look for a big slide on the bank, or a portion of the bank that the grass is all matted down or there is bare mud with gator prints.

Don't be discouraged if you don't see a big one, just look for the signs and if you find them, set there. I'd say 90% of the gators I kill that are 9'6" plus, I never actually lay eyes on until I have them on the line. Just like a big old buck, a big old alligator is almost completely nocturnal.

[BlakeJ]

that's great info, thanks for all that. what knot do you use on the hook? also, what length/diameter bamboo should I try to find? the water we will be hunting isn't more than 5-6' deep, and it's a soft bottom.

[TheHammer]

Don’t mess with the one with one eye. He’s taken hands off before...

[S-3 Ranch]

I have been doing it for about the past 10 years on my own and usually get 25-35 tags each year. First thing you need is bait, and you need it to have some scent. I usually got to Walmart or whatever grocery store and buy a bag of the frozen chicken quarters. I also pick up a couple containers of chicken livers. I buy a 5 gallon bucket with a lid that snaps on and stays good. About 2 days before I plan on setting lines, I pour the quarters and livers into the bucket, close the lid and let it sit outside. Fair warning, it is going to stink pretty bad when you go to bait your hooks. You're also going to want to have some rubber gloves because you don't want that stuff getting on you.

I order my line and hooks from netsandmore.com I usually go with a 12/0 hook and 900-1100 lb line. If you can find someone who has bamboo in their backyard go cut some sturdy pieces and I usually tie a heavy duty clothes pin hanging from the end of the bamboo about 6 inches.

When you set the line, put the bamboo in at about 60 degree angle and then clip the clip onto the line and adjust the line up and down til your bait is sitting 20-30 inches above the water. I tie off the baited line to a nearby tree or if I don't have that, I use a t-post knocked into the ground. I usually use 25-35 feet of line, you want to adjust that accordingly from any type of trees, roots, pilings, structure, etc. that might be nearby that the gator could get tangled in. You don't want it so short though that the gator can get good leverage on the line and pull it out or break it.

If I have the option to go out a day, or even better night, before, I will go out and try and actually locate a big alligator. If I find one then I try and set it near where he was. If I can't find one then I look for a big slide on the bank, or a portion of the bank that the grass is all matted down or there is bare mud with gator prints.

Don't be discouraged if you don't see a big one, just look for the signs and if you find them, set there. I'd say 90% of the gators I kill that are 9'6" plus, I never actually lay eyes on until I have them on the line. Just like a big old buck, a big old alligator is almost completely nocturnal.

This is good advice, scout and set in deeper water, try putting a piece of aluminum foil to blow around to attract them , super stinky bait and don’t forget
Some really good rubber gloves when handling bait and rigging

[T-roy66]

I use a knee high stocking to put my chicken in. This makes it harder to get off the hook once the gator pulls the bait off the pole.

[M16]

You may think I'm joking but I'm not. I always used a whole chicken. Smallest one I could find. I'd season the heck out of it with any type of Cajun seasoning. Then I'd put it in the microwave and zap it for a couple of minutes. I'd put my hook in it and then put it in a five gallon bucket with a lid a day or two ahead.

The seasoning will cause the juices to flow. The juice is the key. Place your bait like described above and pour some juice around the bait area. Pour some juice in the water as well. The juice will be like a mini oil slick. If you have tidal flow so much the better. An alligator swims with his nose just above the water line. When he catches that juice smell he'll follow it right to your bait.

[LivinADream]

I have been doing it for about the past 10 years on my own and usually get 25-35 tags each year. First thing you need is bait, and you need it to have some scent. I usually got to Walmart or whatever grocery store and buy a bag of the frozen chicken quarters. I also pick up a couple containers of chicken livers. I buy a 5 gallon bucket with a lid that snaps on and stays good. About 2 days before I plan on setting lines, I pour the quarters and livers into the bucket, close the lid and let it sit outside. Fair warning, it is going to stink pretty bad when you go to bait your hooks. You're also going to want to have some rubber gloves because you don't want that stuff getting on you.

I order my line and hooks from netsandmore.com I usually go with a 12/0 hook and 900-1100 lb line. If you can find someone who has bamboo in their backyard go cut some sturdy pieces and I usually tie a heavy duty clothes pin hanging from the end of the bamboo about 6 inches.

When you set the line, put the bamboo in at about 60 degree angle and then clip the clip onto the line and adjust the line up and down til your bait is sitting 20-30 inches above the water. I tie off the baited line to a nearby tree or if I don't have that, I use a t-post knocked into the ground. I usually use 25-35 feet of line, you want to adjust that accordingly from any type of trees, roots, pilings, structure, etc. that might be nearby that the gator could get tangled in. You don't want it so short though that the gator can get good leverage on the line and pull it out or break it.

If I have the option to go out a day, or even better night, before, I will go out and try and actually locate a big alligator. If I find one then I try and set it near where he was. If I can't find one then I look for a big slide on the bank, or a portion of the bank that the grass is all matted down or there is bare mud with gator prints.

Don't be discouraged if you don't see a big one, just look for the signs and if you find them, set there. I'd say 90% of the gators I kill that are 9'6" plus, I never actually lay eyes on until I have them on the line. Just like a big old buck, a big old alligator is almost completely nocturnal.

I don't have anything to add, and not trying to hijack, but I have a lot of bamboo anyone in the area is welcome to. It's in Winnie.

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[gander]

I don't have anything to add, and not trying to hijack, but I have a lot of bamboo anyone in the area is welcome to. It's in Winnie.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

I may have to take you up on this in a few weeks.

The seasoning will cause the juices to flow. The juice is the key. Place your bait like described above and pour some juice around the bait area. Pour some juice in the water as well. The juice will be like a mini oil slick. If you have tidal flow so much the better. An alligator swims with his nose just above the water line. When he catches that juice smell he'll follow it right to your bait.

Yes, I definitely always take a cup full of juice and sling it out in each direction of the bait and the scent just spreads out through the water.

Also, the bamboo you are using needs to be probably as thick as the base of a pool stick. I have even used pvc when I couldn't get enough bamboo so don't sweat it if you can't get it.

Concerning water depth, I have caught alot of big gators in canals that were 12+ feet deep in the center. With that being said though, I have also caught several very big ones (11 feet +) in essentially a bar ditch that was probably 3-4 feet deep water with another 1-2 feet of thick, soft mud at the bottom.

[Quackerbox]

Tagging. Wife and I got 2 tags also

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