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Clifnotes version -
Little Ashley right against Bear WMA without crossing the bank into WMA. You’ll hear them slide over in the dark. Go at night it’s upriver from the launch. Use a Xbow or Hand Harpoon and bring a few extras. Bring a snatch rope on a float as well for the first time you have him at the boat. It’s a bit of a heavier line. Looks like a dog catchers noose but the noise pops off the pole and leaves with the gator on a float. Probably take 2-3 floats to land a big gator.
Using a knife is fine. I took an 11’er that way after he tried jumping in my lap in the dark. Watch the tail, wear him out, pull his head in your lap, watch the tail, bend his neck over boat edge, don’t slice at it, point the knife between verts then hammer the back with all you’ve got = dead gator. Did I mention the tail? Also, more likely to get infections, etc than anything. Watch open cuts and scrub that hide with a boat brush and bleach before cutting it up.
I drew midlands my second trip and passed an 11’ the first morning. Day trip only for my guide on Marion. Two days of chasing and all we saw were 9’ers. 9’ is closer to normal anyways but I wasn’t after a smaller gator than my last trip. I missed the draw date a few years but next year I’m at 3 points and know which region I’m applying for.
I’d post up pics but still struggle on this site for some reason. Looking at the 11’ head with neck mount right now and the little rapala knife I used to kill him is in his mouth at the moment.
Good luck and safe trip. If you try pinning them waiting for them to surface be mindful they like to get up in that tall alligator grass and will charge/bump the boat sometimes. It’s a little surreal in the dark.
Also, only one person use the light. Too many lights scare them. The bugs, oh yeah, if you’ve never been inland from the coast in the Low Country you’ll not know about them. They will be in your eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Sprays and thermacell aren’t going to help. They don’t bite really but really aggravating having an eye full of them or inhaling them. I spent 2.5 years there and they drove me nuts. Head net in the swamp might work but hard to see through at night I bet.
