A Gator Tale

Today and yesterday I went to Old Sabine Bottom WMA near Lindale, a really cool place. I've been there before to make observations of plants, and I wanted to find out how many different types of fish I could catch. On the first day, I fished at the end of the channel near the entrance. I caught four types of fish: redear sunfish, largemouth bass, longear sunfish, and the bluegill. I caught a glimpse of a longnose gar swimming away and hoped to catch it, but I never saw it again.

I have a gar lure, which is made from a frayed piece of rope. The idea is that the gar bites the rope, which gets hung in its teeth. Gar tend to completely swallow fishing lures, which kills them. The rope lure simply gets caught in its teeth, increasing its chances for survival. How to make a rope lure: https://youtu.be/gB9gtG9X5JE

Halfway through the day, I drove down the Sabine River bank and managed to catch a drum. Unfortunately, when I unhooked it for a photo, it slipped out my hands and swam away.

Today I went back to hopefully get that gar and another drum. I didn't see the gar, but I saw a drum swimming back and forth along a creek. I put a worm on my hook and threw it in. From a distance, I could see something coming---a little baby alligator. It was attracted by the splash and thought it must be something to eat. It put the bobber in its mouth, then spit it out. It stared and tried again. Not a very bright alligator. ;p I hiked further down the channel, away from the baby gator. It came again. I moved three more times, and it kept following me. The last time, it bit my bobber in half and I gave up. Alligator, you are cute, but you can't eat my fishing gear!

Posted on August 5, 2018 03:49 AM by