We have Gator's.....

[Fuj]

We get a surprise every once in a while up here on Lake Erie. Living just
a few miles from Presque Isle Bay here in Erie, people will claim finding
critters belonging in the deep south. Normally what is found is pets that
get out of hand and dumped. Mind you, Lake Erie has been setting record
high temps and some of these critters will be around for awhile, if not caught,
or winter temps kill them off......Latest is a four to five ft. Gator swimming
around near shore just east of the bay. It's been seen now a couple of times.
News this morning had the city put out a few caution signs if you are inclined
to get a swim in at the area......Actual area is close to the old Sunoco cribs and
known for one of the best small mouth fishery's......I would suggest heavier tackle....LOL

 

[bluealtered]

New boots and a purse for the misses!

 

[mattri]

That's nuts!

 

[akajun]

4-5 footer
Baby
If you wanna catch it though big hook tied to that flat cloth electrical pulling rope and a good rotten chicken hanging about 1 foot out of the water

 

[DumpHollow]

“Choot em”

 

[ebb]

Remove all the meat you can find from the bone, cut it up into 1/2 inch cubes. Cook in shrimp scampi sauce with noodles and don't over cook. Think about how long it should cook and do it about 1/2 that long. Lots of garlic. Serve with wild hog that was slow cooked for 4 to 6 hours, and swamp cabbage. Lots of sweat tea and hush puppies and some shine for after. South Florida delicacy.

 

[KMart]

4-5 footer
Baby
If you wanna catch it though big hook tied to that flat cloth electrical pulling rope and a good rotten chicken hanging about 1 foot out of the water

Those that size like to sun along side of the water hazards of the local golf courses.

 

[ebb]

That size hasn't aged enough to be tough. Tender vittles

 

[Knotwild]

Kill it. Sometime in the future everyone will wish it never appeared. We are covered up with them. They are better to eat in the spring because most of their fat is gone. They can be rank in the summer. To me, they are no better than a coyote.

I hope he freezes to death this winter.

 

[60723]

Does Lake Erie not freeze over in winter? In Mississippi, we had a big freeze a few years ago and it killed a lot of our smaller gators. They have to get a rare breath even when “hibernating”.

 

[60723]

Catching big gators eg 10-13’ and 250-600 pounds on rod and reel is one of my favorite hunting seasons. Tag hard to draw. If me or my grandson draw next year, we might be open to swapping for a good hunt. Perfectly legal. Season usually first week of September.

 

[60723]

Some good ones

 

[akajun]

Remove all the meat you can find from the bone, cut it up into 1/2 inch cubes. Cook in shrimp scampi sauce with noodles and don't over cook. Think about how long it should cook and do it about 1/2 that long. Lots of garlic. Serve with wild hog that was slow cooked for 4 to 6 hours, and swamp cabbage. Lots of sweat tea and hush puppies and some shine for after. South Florida delicacy.

only the tail meat is worth a crap, just cut into strips, batter and fry. I've never had it any other way where it tastes good. Gators over 6 feet it too tough. My buddy got a 13 footer, that tail meat you could damn near bounce like a basketball.

 

[akajun]

Catching big gators eg 10-13’ and 250-600 pounds on rod and reel is one of my favorite hunting seasons. Tag hard to draw. If me or my grandson draw next year, we might be open to swapping for a good hunt. Perfectly legal. Season usually first week of September.

surprising how easy they are to reel in. I had one about 5-6 feet that took an expensive topwater bait I was fishing with , I kept his head above water and he really couldn't fight,
got my bait back though. think it was 10lb line.

I've never pulled in a big one from a boat by hand, but from shore, they're really not as strong as you would think. I think in a boat the issue is the pulling the boat around and it pulling the bow down.

 

[ebb]

I am not too sure I have had some off the shoulders and back that was pretty good. Down this way the removal of the tail was a way of grabbing some meat and making a rapid departure. One of the state trappers showed me how to remove membranes from between the muscles and it taste better and doesn't cook up as tough. I haven't cut one up in so long I doubt I could anymore.

 

[60723]

On a bigger gator the only part worth eating is jowl

 

[jimmymac]

He won’t last the winter.

 

[tlbgto]

Somebody needs to bring him back to Florida. I have a couple buddies out back he would love.

 

[22turborimfire]

I reside in southern Florida during the winter couple of pesky creatures roaming around looking for love in all the wrong places.

 

[jds holler]

Nessie!!
jd