Snatching Victory From The Jaws Of Defeat

A True Tale

Today was meant to be the day my fishing buddy Bob and I were set to fish in the saltwater of Estero Bay with a captain. I had been looking forward to this day for about six months for two reasons. First, the captain runs a Beavertail Mosquito Skiff, and I have been captivated by the Beavertail line for a while. I admire the 16-foot 8-inch Micro and often dream of trailering it to the Everglades whenever desired. It has a 5-inch draft, which sparks fantasies of entering shallow waters that have seen little to no fishing pressure. The second reason is that I haven’t had much luck fishing saltwater from the shore. I was really hoping to land my first snook or baby tarpon and get great advice I could use later from the Captain.

To my disappointment, the Captain canceled the day due to high winds predicted in the weather forecast. Since my buddy Bob is only visiting for a few days, rescheduling the outing isn’t an option. We decided to fish in a nearby pond, where I have guest privileges, thanks to another good friend. It may not have been the thrilling experience I had hoped for, but Bob assured me he was fine with the idea.

Fortunately, I keep a 5-weight and a 6-weight rod in the condo. Bob works for Orvis, so I let him use the 6-weight Clearwater rod paired with my Hydros reel. I took the 5-weight Reilly rod along with my ECO reel. Orvis fishing gear is well-known for its quality and great feel. However, many anglers aren’t familiar with Reilly Rod Crafters. The company is based in Virginia and produces a fantastic line of fly rods. I own two of them, and they’re my go-to rods in Florida, making fishing a joy. These rods are made in America, and the quality shows that.

When we arrived at the pond around 11:00 a.m., we set up and decided to fish with poppers on the surface. The pond featured a 5-foot grass line we had to navigate, but we easily spotted fish moving in and out of their natural cover. I believe it was maiden cane grass. This grass is particularly challenging because the blades are wide and strong. If your fly gets too close, you can expect a five-minute struggle to dislodge it or lose your fly. However, bass love hiding in this grass, so learning how to fish it is crucial for success. It's also a favored spot for alligators, so you need to be cautious.

As we approached the pond, one of the residents warned us that an alligator had been spotted swimming earlier. Being forewarned is being forearmed, and we thanked him for sharing that information. It didn’t take long before we saw the alligator. He was about 6 feet long, which would make him 10 to 12 years old. Alligator mating season in Florida occurs between May and June. Our quick assessment was that we should keep a close eye on this one, but go ahead and fish. We also decided to name him Darth, which sounded so much cooler than simply Gator.

Bob positioned himself onshore closer to the gator than I did. I decided to cast toward an intake pipe, hoping to find bass hiding there. Additionally, it gave me a good angle to cast parallel to the maiden cane. It didn’t take long for me to run into problems. I tend to rush my back cast whenever there are obstacles behind me. My line wasn’t shooting the way I wanted, so I slowed down the start of my forward cast. This usually compensates for the flaw in my casting, but it didn’t work this time. One lesson I learned long ago is that when things aren’t going right, stop flogging and figure out why. I think it’s a valuable general life lesson. I discovered that I had missed putting my line through a guide, which interfered with my cast. That likely happened because Bob and I tend to chat while we rig, and I didn’t pay enough attention to what I was doing. In the end, a silly rookie move.

Once I fixed my mistake, everything started to work as expected. It wasn’t long before I heard Bob yell, “Fish on!” He had a decent-sized Mayan Cichlid take his popper and was dancing with it. Unfortunately, Bob was in a position where there was no break in the maiden cane to easily bring the fish to hand. This meant he had to carefully work the fish about 20 feet to his right if he wanted to avoid losing it.

The commotion caught the alligator's attention. Darth was curious about what was happening and began swimming slowly toward the fish. Bob maintained pressure to guide the fish toward the opening in the grass. He was making good progress, but Darth was gaining speed. Bob brought the fish within 10 feet of his target before he lost the race to Darth. A huge splash followed by Bob’s line flying over his head—without a fly or fish on it—was a clear sign that Garth had won the day. It was a classic National Geographic moment.

We hadn’t expected to have an alligator fish with us, so we decided to keep fishing as long as we vigilantly monitored his whereabouts. Bob chose to fish below the surface, and I continued using my popper.

Alligators are a natural part of Florida's ecosystem. It's important to learn how to fish safely in their presence. Generally, if you give a gator plenty of space, it won’t pose a problem. In every situation, you must respect the potential danger that an alligator represents. Failing to do so can lead to tragic consequences.

I could see Darth swimming in the center of the pond, keeping a close eye on him. After a few casts parallel to the maiden cane line, I felt the tug. It was a decent-sized Mayan Cichlid that my popper had teased out of the grass. The fish was smaller than Bob’s, and I was positioned closer to the opening in the grass line than Bob had been. I started working the fish toward the opening as quickly as I could.

Everything was going great until the fish made a last-minute dive into the grass just a few feet from where I could grab it. The tug-of-war between the fish and me created loud splashes that were impossible for Darth to ignore, even though he had recently snacked on Bob’s catch.

I maintained pressure on the line, but the Cichlid’s thrashing ended up snagging it in the grass. Progress was slow, and Darth was closing in. The harder I pulled on the line, the tighter the grass seemed to grip it. I knew it was only a matter of time before I, like Bob, would experience an alligator release of my fish.

Darth picked up speed, and I knew I had only moments left before the inevitable. He was literally inches away when I saw him open his jaws to engulf his next meal. Bob was watching as Darth made his leap of doom to claim my fish. There was a huge splash, and before I could react, that Cichlid practically jumped three inches from the grass. It was just enough for the pressure on my line to rescue him from the jaws of defeat.

I brought the fish to hand and retrieved my popper from his mouth. Darth was eyeballing me the entire time. I moved about 10 feet down the shoreline and released the fish safely.

Bob and I decided that Darth was becoming a bit too familiar, and we shouldn’t push our luck. We gathered our gear and called it a day. On the ride back to the condo, we soberly discussed our experience. We concluded that it would have been safer to avoid poppers as soon as we spotted the alligator. If the alligator had been larger, we probably would have chosen not to fish in that pond.

But I’d be lying if I said we didn’t have a few laughs as we reminisced about how I snatched victory from the literal jaws of defeat. It’s an experience we won’t soon forget, and after sharing the story a few more times, I’m sure the gator will grow to 20 feet long in the telling. Overall, it was a memorable day of fishing.

PUBLIC SERVICE INFORMATION:

Safety Tips For Fishing In Water Where There May Be An Alligator

• Be aware of your surroundings: Pay close attention to the water's edge and look for signs of alligators, such as basking on logs or floating debris.
  

• Avoid fishing in shallow, weedy areas: Alligators often hunt in these areas, so it's best to avoid them.
  

• Make noise: Alligators are generally shy and will avoid areas where they feel threatened. Make noise to alert them to your presence.
  

• Don't approach an alligator: If you see an alligator, avoid approaching it and give it plenty of space.
  

• Know how to respond to an alligator attack: If an alligator does attack, fight back aggressively. Punch it in the eyes, nose, or head.
  

• Don't fish alone: If possible, fish with a partner so that you can keep an eye on each other.
  

• Don’t forget to also be wary of snakes.

• Consider fishing from a boat: Fishing from a boat can provide a safer distance from alligators.