Finally filled the gator tag on Friday. That’s 2 in 3 years for the 4 of us. We’ve promised over the last few years to all put in for a tag, and if one of us gets a tag, we all get to hunt. It’s been good so far!
After a few unsuccessful hunts in the Cooper River/West Branch area, we hit up Cypress Gardens landing on Friday and headed left towards Bushy Park. We had an equipment failure (snapped a Tsunami jigging rod in half) up that way earlier in the season on what we thought was a 10 footer, so we headed back to find him.
10 minute boat ride later, there he was, in the same (**() stretch of river, right in the middle. We passed him, then trolling motored back toward him. At about 50 yards away, he sounded. The waiting game ensued, but sure enough about 10 minutes later he surfaced…back on the chase with the TM. We never got close enough to fling a hook at him before he sounded again. Decided to wait him out at least one more time and see what happened. In the meantime, one of my buddies managed to get a hook in him while he was on the bottom.
20 minutes later we got another hook in him and the pressure was on. Exactly 1 hour into the fight he surfaced, but was to quick for us to get the arrow in him and he sounded again after a good breath. 45 minutes later I got another hook in him, this time on a paracord hand line. I was able to get him to breech the surface, and my other buddy flung that arrow right at his spine behind his head, perfect shot. It didn’t penetrate enough, but it stunned the hell out of him, and I was able to drag him to the side of the boat before he came to. As soon as he did, I smoked him with the Ruger 22/45 LITE. Another bullet to seal the deal.
Of course by now we had three boats watching us, and they were all a little shocked when they heard gunshots…but they kept filming and hollering. Back to the landing and to the processor we went.
All in all a great day. Gator was 10’ exactly, and a lean 221 pounds, but most river gators are pretty lean