Well I went out this afternoon for awhile and wasnt getting much. Had 1 really big one on but it rapped me up in sticks real good and had to break off.

Starts raining and I'm in a canoe about a mile from my place with a 30lb MinKota. So I am getting soaked and find a dock with a covered boat entrance and park it in there for awhile. While sitting in the dock I just thought, "I should fish all the tree lines that I never fish".

Rain stops so I make my way slowly home while fishing tree lines. I piched in my big ole brush hog right at the base of a submerged cypress tree, let it fall for a sec, then slowly start reeling and WHAM!

Get it to the canoe and "CRACK"! There goes my rod tip.

But the Bass was MESSED UP! Either an alligator or a huge Gar I would say. My lake is infested with Gar.

What do you guys think happened to my Bass???

From the pics it just looks a little beat up. Did you see any actual teeth marks? I don't live down there so I don't have much experience with alligators but I would think if an alligator got hold of it there wouldn't be nearly that much left. The spawn is done down there right? If the spawn is just finished it might just be beat up from spawning.

Yeah we are post spawn.

A huge part of the gill was missing, it had a messed up eye, and no top fin.

It looks like it got in a fight with a lawnmower.

I bet on a gar or pick

is that the winter park chain?

Can't say what might have happened to the bass but I must say that I do admire your photography skills.

Kinda reminds me of someone.