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Flec
Posts: 735 Officer
Gators In Mosquito Lagoon
Flec
Posts: 735 Officer
How common, if at all,are alligators in Mosquito Lagoon? I have not seen any in the few trips I have made there, mostly the east central portion. Thanks
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Agreed, I wade fish all over MIWR and almost every place I go holds one or more gators. Some monsters (I've personally seen several 12 ft plus). Worse still - their eyesight suffers from being in salt water and they become super aggressive. Will react/move towards almost any sound/commotion. It is zombie like - just won't give up - don't know how else to explain it. That said, I've been in the water around many a gator without incident so far.........just common sense. Too aggressive I move.
My scariest story regarding gators - besides stepping on one laying on the bottom in about a foot and a half of water short version gator and I both walked on the water in opposite directions - was my one and only attempt to wade the southern end of Mosquito Lagoon near the Whaletail from the access road on the western shore. Went in the water just before first light..........waded out a couple of hundred yards...........looked back at the shoreline...........at 4 maybe 6 pairs of large gator tracks in the mud that weren't there when I went in the water but couldn't see a single gator in the water anywhere. Let's just say I cut that adventure short and feel fortunate I made it back to shore.
All that said, I'm more afraid of sting rays. Been stung once (releasing one of all things).........never want to happen again.....was like being hit with a baseball bat.........kept me out of the water for almost a year due to the infection (several different antibiotics, daily wound care, and an debridement later). Keep a jug of clean water somewhere in your car where it will stay warm.....that's the only thing that will remove a ray's sting.......submersing it in the hottest water you can stand. Breaks up the protein in the venom. Plus always go to the emergency room and demand x rays. The barb shatters like glass......the wound will never heal if any piece remains. And make it clear it was a marine animal - you would be surprised how many doctors have no clue (for example the ray's toxin causes necrosis).
This. Have seen several in Galnipper Basin, Max Hoeck Creek and the Western Shoreline of Whale's Tail. The one I saw while wading was at least 10 feet. Don't think you'll see any north of George's Bar but don't take my word for it.
The only time they are really dangerous is if you are in a tight backwater or something that otherwise puts you and the gator in tight quarters.. Those types of scenarios are the only real scares I have ever gotten but as far as open flats, you'll be fine.. I even sit out there in the middle of the night and don't have them bother me.. For the most part they fear humans and want to be left alone..
That is not always the case either. I used to fish way up the Banana River over where they used to have the booster retrieval ships ( before no motor zone ) and there were tons of gators that would lay on the flats. I used to fo up there in a 14 foot jon boat and take three people. One time my brother jumped out as soon as we got there so he could fish more unencumbered in the boat and as soon as he stepped into the water about 20 monster gators surfaced all around us. He immediately stepped back into the boat. I also ran over one while I was polling the flats and the gator almost knocked me out of the boat with the flick of his tail. I have also seen a whole lot of gators up on the refuge and lagoon back when we used to duck hunt all the time in the 70's and 80's. They are there for sure and salt water makes them meaner too.
Fishing beautiful Destin / Ft Walton Beach area!
I forgot you fish a lot out there at night - you probably see more gators up close and personal than the rest of us combined. They never bump your Yak just to see what it is? They used to do it all the time to my bass boat while fishing on Lake Kissimmee at night years ago. I've occasionally been caught out on the flat after dark wading because I misjudged how quick it was going to get dark.......doesn't really scare me if I know the area........but it is an uncomfortable feeling and I don't push it. But as mentioned the gators really don't see us a food source........so unless they are sitting on a nest...........or marking territory during the mating season they usually will leave you alone.
Though they cannot resist the sound of a walk the dog style plug with rattles!!!! The following pics were taking in a hole dug out in the backwater mosquito impoundments (used to be one of my favorite trout holes). When I first got there no gators in sight - within a half dozen casts had 3 of them following my every move:
Nice thing about Mosquito Lagoon/NIRL/MIWR (except for the beach) no bull sharks!! Matter of fact I haven't seen any sharks caught - at least none I have seen in over a decade fishing.inshore in the area - though I'm sure others here on the forum will tell you different. I think it is too far from an inlet.
Bloody bait in Haulover Canal will solve that for you too.
Fishing beautiful Destin / Ft Walton Beach area!
There is one particularly large fellow that hangs around the hole at the mouth of a runoff in that area. It doesn't like to be seen unlike some of the other ones that don't mind. Only seen it briefly when it comes up for air. Won't show its back, just materializes, barely its snout and eyes, then disappears as quickly. I used to wade that area. Not any more.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1998-06-07/sports/9806070336_1_bull-sharks-mosquito-lagoon-large-sharks
Many things to do.
Knots to be unraveled
'fore the darkness falls on you
Sounds like a crock to me!
Fishing beautiful Destin / Ft Walton Beach area!
Nope,,not giving up Joe. I do hope this water starts to clear up by Christmas. By the way, have you ever seen any gators down our way? I have not. Hats off to you in finding those reds in these conditions!
Back after the big rain of Fay...I saw a gator that was flushed out the St. Sebastian...it was on the beach just north of the North jetty at the inlet...must have had those surfers nervous!...not a little one. Other than that..no.
Many things to do.
Knots to be unraveled
'fore the darkness falls on you
That was from 1998, I've been wade fishing from Peacock's Pocket all the way to Turnbull Creek and all the backwater creeks in between in the Northern Indian River Lagoon plus all around Haulover Canal and just about any other place I can get to from an access road in MIWR for almost 20 years now. Never seen, caught, or heard of anyone else catching/being attacked by a bull shark or any other shark in the area. Lots of Bonnet Heads in the surf sure.........but not in MIWR. Maybe the extreme Northern and Southern ends which are closer to an inlet. Do see a bunch of rampaging manatees though - spook one of the thousand pounders near you - not fun.
About a month ago the wife and I were driving over NASA causeway and we watched what looked to be about a 6 foot bull shark go tearing into the flats, straight into a school of reds, nearly beaching itself.
If Bull sharks have been recorded going all the way to Illinois through the Mississippi, you can rest assured they are all over the mosquito lagoon.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4aeReBxjxDlLVm67vX8Z1w
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4aeReBxjxDlLVm67vX8Z1w