So the boss (work, not home) sent me to Orlando, Florida last week for a conference.  I love to fly but hate airports, and, I wanted to try some of that famous Florida fishing I am always hearing about.  I rented a car and drove down to avoid the airports and to take along my fishing gear.

I spent Saturday on Turkey Lake and Sunday on Toho.  Saturday, I had a nice one blow up on a spinner but backed off.  I could see in the water and it was very close to me.  I kept trying but nothing.  Saw some nice stripers but they just weren't biting.  Toho, caught some nice gills off a dock but that was about it.

Rest of the week I spent every evening at several lakes around Orlando with limited success.  On Thursday, I went back to Turkey Lake and was fishing off an old floating dock.  I was casting in/around some reeds, lily pads and grass.  I saw a large swirl to my left about 25 ft away and cast my trusty ol' chatter bait to the middle of the swirl which was right along the upper edge of some reeds where a small bay had formed.

At once, my lure was hit ferocious, hard strike from out of the reeds.  Then nothing.  Thought it had spit my lure back out but felt some pressure, so I started reeling in.  No, it was still on.  I would feel and occasional shake, but, I could tell it was not a bass.  Had no idea what it was.

As it got closer, to my surprise, I saw it was a small alligator.  About 2 feet long.  I reeled it up and pulled it out of the water letting it hang on my line (above the water, not the dock).  I was shocked, surprised and wondering what to do next.  How do I get my lure back?  Do I cut the line?  How close can I safely get to cut?

Well, I knew first of all I had to get a picture because no one would believe this.  My good camera was back in my tackle bag so I tried to get my phone out of my pocket.  As I was getting it out, the gator shook loose and plopped back into the water where it just floated on the top staring at me.  It looked mad.  I took some pics but they were really, really bad.  I retied my lure and kept fishing.  

Another guy was walking by and saw what I had.  He made the comment that was a little one and momma is probably around somewhere.  The gator just kind of hung out there with me, eventually swimming back in some grass but I could see it watching me.  I think it was waiting for me to get in the water.

That was something else.

Eddie

You should have told him to tell George Welcome you said "Hi"  ;D  (http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1192700662)

did you say striper? as in striper bass? i don't think there are any stripers in florida. maybe some other species, but i'm pretty sure a striped bass.

Florida Hybrid: cross between a striper and a white bass. Commonly called the Sunshine Bass.

http://www.floridaconservation.org/Fishing/Fishes/stripers.html

Great story(and well written!) and I would have loved to see some pics.  Next time maybe?

Dan

bummer you didnt catch a nice 6 pounder.

im suprised you didnt catch a trophy crankbait murdering mudfish.

Thanks, guys.

George, you win, man. If I had seen that one on the end of my line probably would have thrown my pole in the water and ran away screaming like a little girl! J/K However, I do not think I would have been as cool about that one as I was the gator-dink I had hooked. No way I would have gotten that close - especially on the boat and with a boga grip.

bocabasser, good question. Not sure about the appropriate classification of "striper". From what I could see, was in about 4-6' of water, I saw the lateral lines that I have seen on our "stripers" around here. The link George posted sure looks like what I saw in the water and have seen around here (Central NC).

Hey, Dan. Thanks. I was really disappointed when I got back to my hotel room, hooked up the camera and downloaded the pics. Evidently I had the setting on "contacts" - which creates a low-res small picture for address book contacts. The picture was small and very grainy/pixelated (sp?) - looked like those old satelite spy pictures you would see years ago. Was really bad. Knew I should have went and got the good camera. :-[

YaHoo - I agree. Although there wasn't much to "write home about" - outside of the gator - was still better than working.