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компютри втора употребадиваниonline casinoHere in Florida, alligator hunting season is a blast. The season goes by harvest periods in August to November. Florida has been holding public hunts for about 18 years. When Florida began the hunts, permits were acquired through a random draw system.  Permits are now issued on a first-come-first-serve basis via the Internet, telephone or at the county tax collector’s office.
Let’s be more specific about permits and requirements. Once you get into the system on the day the permits become available, you will choose from many different areas of the state that are open to hunt. If the area you request has permits available, then are are in. You can select another area if your first choice is unavailable. This permit allows you to take two alligators from the specified area. For Florida residents, the permit costs about $280, and the fee for a non-resident is $1,000.Â
The state offers training for first-timers, a list of qualified hunters for hire, what type of equipment is needed, as well as what is legal to hunt. No firearms are allowed, other than a bangstick.
If you have never hunted alligators, it is an experience like no other. Imagine, it is pitch black out and there you are with a spotlight strapped to your head. All you can see is 2,000 bugs and two orange eyes. You are standing on the deck of the airboat cruising about 25 mph, with nothing to hold on to. You have to make sure the gator is big enough to suit you, and keep perfect aim to get the harpoon in it. Whew, we’re talking fun now.
Okay, is that a little too much for you? We don’t always run that fast to get a gator. Sometimes the gators are so quick to disappear in to the dark water, the fast approach works. Other times, we will creep up on them slowly, but as quickly as possible. As they sink below the surface, we get the harpoon in them.
Another way to get the gator is to use a large spinning rod and reel outfit with a weighted treble hook. You cast the hook and try to snag them. This way is like fighting a very big fish. Once you tire the gator and get him close to the boat, then the fun begins. If the gator is still fighting, it is a good idea to get a harpoon in it. The harpoon is attached to a heavy line with a float attached. Should your fishing line break, you know that the gator on heavy line and you can pull it in and prepare to harvest it.
The best way to harvest a gator is with a bangstick. A bangstick is also called a “powerhead”, similar to what scuba divers used to use to protect themselves from sharks. It is attached to the end of a wooden or metal pole, and the business end is loaded with a handgun-type bullet, usually .44 magnum.Â
Once you have the gator at boat side, you let it sink about a foot under water, then use a quick, sharp blow between the eyes with the bangstick. These critters have survived for millions of years, so sometimes it may take more than one attempt to kill it.  Now, you are ready to bring it on board. By the way, don’t forget to tape those jaws shut!Â
At the beginning of the article, I talked about hunting in the airboat. Some of the places we hunt are very shallow or actual swamp, and the airboat is the best way to access these areas. Some lakes and rivers have good open water so any small skiff-type boat will work. You can use an electric trolling motor to sneak up on them, then use the spinning rig and treble hook or the harpoon.
I hope this article gets you all fired up about hunting alligators. The population of alligators in Florida is estimated at over 1 million, and the state only allows about 4,500 permits. Some gators are killed if they become a nuisance and that accounts for about 6,000 gators a year. At that rate, there should be plenty of gators to go around!
I have included pictures of a couple of gators I harvested.The first alligator was harvested in Lake Hatchineha, near Kissimmiee, FL. My hunting partner and I had taken a smaller gator earlier in the evening and were about to call it a night when this big one presented us with a shot.Â
When I stuck the first harpoon in him, I thought he was about 8 ft. long. When we got him to the boat-side, we both were shocked by it’s size. We got a second harpoon in him and the fight got wild. The gator eventually tired and allowed us to hit him with the bangstick.
I put the noose around his jaws, taped them shut, then we wrestled him into the boat. What a challenge that was too. Once we got him laid out in the bottom of the boat, he measured one inch short of 11 feet. It was great fun.
(Click on picture to enlarge)Â
 The smaller gator was also taken from Lake Hatchineha. My buddy and I were celebrating my birthday and gator hunting on the same evening. The gators were very spooky that night, but with much persistence, we were able to get to this one. It measured 7′ 7″, and brought a nice price from the processor. I you don’t want the meat, you can sell the whole gator to the processor.
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We had a much larger gator on the line earlier, but, “like the big one that got away”, he got away. I know where he is hiding, so I will get that gator next time!
The Tampa Bay area has great weather. As the saying here goes, if the weather is bad, wait 15 minutes and it will change!!  Â
Please click on this link, My Fox Tampa Bay, and choose the “Weather” link to see up-to-date reports. Have a great day.
 Capt. Dale
Moon phases are critical to any type of fishing. The moon affects the tides because of it’s magnetic pull. The main effect is the movement of the water as the tide changes from high to low tide. Different moon phases have greater or lesser effect on the tides depending upon its orbit.
The new moon phase and the full moon have greater effects on the tides than quarter moon phases do. Tides are higher and lower during the new and full moon phases and this causes more water movement which also effects the way fish feed. Moving waters helps get bait moving putting most inshore species into a feeding mood.
Most anglers who have the time to schedule their trips according to tides will do so when there is good water movement. Most tide prediction tables show times of high and lows as well how high the high tide will be and how low the low tide will be. Example, high tide at 3:oo and 2.46 ft., and low tide at 9:00 and .02 ft. This means that a good tide with good movement will occur at 3 o’clock and a good low tide at 9o’clock. Some tide charts will also graphs depicting peaks in the water movement.
Now, what does all this mean to you and how can you use it to help you catch fish? I like the new moon phase best. The new moon phase usually has a good incoming tide in the A.M. and a good falling tide in the afternoon. This situation allows for good moving water all day long. I don’t like fishing on the full moon unless my trip is scheduled for the late afternoon.Â
The full moon offers good water movement but usually in the late evening after dark. If you are going to fish after dark, expect a good bite.  Imagine that big bright moon and good moving water! The fish feed good all night, but when the sun comes up and the tide slows down, so does the fishing. If the clouds move in and the moon is covered up, that helps, although the morning tides on a full moon are slower than the morning tides of a new moon.
The best example of an afternoon outgoing tide on a new or full moon can be witnessed while fishing for tarpon. At the mouth of Tampa Bay and at Boca Grande Pass, the afternoon outgoing tide flushes thousands of crabs out of the bay towards the Gulf of Mexico. These small crabs float on or near the surface and are a favorite food for the tarpon. This causes the tarpon to go into a feeding frenzy that is as dependable as the sunrise!
Remember, moving water is the key. Fish can be caught on most tide situations, but the more water movement the better. If you want to catch snook, a good tide is critical. Redfish and trout also bite better on moving water. Mackerel, bluefish, jacks and ladyfish are not so particular.
Check your tide tables and look for four tides in a 24 hour period. Four tides in a 24 hour day are your best bet for good fishing. But most of all, go fishing when you can, and record what the tide conditions are when you have the best or worst luck.
The Dog Days of Summer….
Summer - It is hot and muggy and even when it rains, it’s still hot! When it gets this hot the fishing gets slow. So what to do? Let’s jump in the airboat during the full moon and go for real Florida adventure…frog gigging. Â
When the water is high in the swamp, like the last two or three summers, it’s a blast to jump in the airboat and get on the water just before dark. We usually ride Lake Kississimmee, Lake Cypress and Lake Hatcheniha. Unfortuantely, due to the drought in Florida, there isn’t enough water in the swamp to go frogging right now….maybe things will be better after the rainy season.
There are several stopping points along the many trails where other boats stop to let their engines cool down or just hang out to talk about frogs, gators and airboats. Every now then we will stop and listen, and when the big frogs start croakin, we grab our headlights and gigs and go searching for them. If you have never tried frog legs, check your local grocery store and pick up a pound. Dredge them in any good fish frying mixture, deep fry at 350 degrees till they float and enjoy. They have a very mild, sweet meat…a great flavor…nothing like you would imagine.
The frogs are just one part of a night in the swamp. You can see many alligators in the open water and the swamp as well as whitetail deer on land. Oh yes, you will see a few bugs! The bugs really love to fly into the lights, so when running at speed, we wear safety glasses. When the boat is running in open water you can turn your headlight out and enjoy the full moon and cool night air.
 If you are not into the frog gigging thing, I also love taking customers for day airboat rides. There are so many intersting things to see, birds, alligators, turtles, flowers, etc., in the many beautiful lakes, marshes, canals, and rivers here in West Central Florida. Come and go for a ride, it’s a blast.Â
Check out my “Exciting Stuff” page, on alligator hunting, for another way to have fun on an airboat.
