Kevin is a jack of all trades... fishing and hunting and custom rod building and combining them like fishing for monster gators on custom "fishing" rods... check out his latest "catch" a 12'5" gator caught on a RainShadow RCKJB jigging rod...

Great catch Kevin! And cool story too! For those not familiar with Kevin, he founded and owns Get Bit OutDoors one of the best places to buy custom rod materials and blanks! And he and his company Get Bit OutDoors are sponsors here... a great family owned business.



Jigging Rod Vs 12ft 5 Alligator.... It's ALL about the story...

- Capt. Kevin Brotz

" Yesterday was a day I'll never forget "

The kids had the day off, and I was scheduled to guide a hunt. I wanted to bring the kids, but my client's experience comes first, and I wasn't sure what they would think about 4 and 5 yr old kids hopping out of the truck with their guide.

I would normally ask the client but something told me not to. The hunter had a horrible experience with a different guide, and I could tell he was apprehensive from the bad taste of his previous hunt. Maybe that was why my gut said, "don't ask, just bring the kids."

I prayed about it, my gut stayed the same, and... we had one of the most amazing days I've ever had as a guide, and more importantly, as a father.



Mr. Mark, his son Ryan, and his grandson Parker were an absolute blessing to be around. They loved on Hunter and Luke as if they were family... and the way I see it, we are family, family in Christ, and in our passion for the outdoors.
To share Parker's first two harvests as a hunter at only 6yrs old was awesome! To watch everyone's eyes light up while Ryan's 10ft gator put on a show.. that was awesome. To watch Mr. Mark and his son tag team a giant 12ft 5" gator that absolutely kicked our butts, yes it was awesome.



Watching my boys respect our guest's experience, congratulating them on their success while unknowingly building relationships and building themselves to be stewards of God's Great Outdoors.. PRICELESS. Thank you Jesus and Thank you Mr. Mark for the opportunity.

I surprised the boys with a trip to Bass Pro Shops on the way home and gave them $15 each in $1 bills to help them understand the value of a dollar, and to treat them for doing a great job. At the register Luke went over budget with a net and some worries. Hunter immediately offered to use his money to help. I let him know how proud I was and to hold onto his $, Daddy paid the difference. Thank you Lord for these boys, their sister, and their momma, my heart is full.



We love sharing our adventures. We will be posting a video of this hunt on YouTube very soon. Please like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube so you can ride with us on all of our adventures.



Capt. Kevin Brotz has been bass fishing his entire life and lives just minutes from the waters he guides. As a Humminbird Electronics & Mossy Oak Camouflage Pro Staff member, he has proven himself as a guide & takes great pride in providing a top notch service for his clients. Fishing a fully rigged Pathfinder 22ft Bay Boat with a 200hp Yamaha, brand new Humminbird 1198c si Gps/Sonar, & custom gear, no expense has been spared to ensure our clients have a successful time on the water.

So check out Get Bit OutDoors next time...







Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2021 12:55PM by Kent Griffith.

I've hooked into a few gators here in central Florida while bass fishing, but I've never completed the catch for sure! Once I find out I am hooked into a gator it is time to cut the line.

I can not imagine what it must be like hooking into a 12' 5" gator on purpose and fighting it all the way to the boat for the finish. Must be exhausting as well as dangerous since gators of that size can be quite unpredictable... like what happened to this fellow:

Man nearly loses arm in gator attack on Lake Jesup

August 21, 2020

Victim was alligator hunting in Central Florida

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A man who was alligator hunting Thursday on Lake Jesup was bitten by a gator and suffered a severe arm injury, according to Seminole County Fire Rescue.

The man was on the water hunting around 5:05 p.m. near Lake Street when the gator latched onto his arm, causing it to nearly be amputated.

According to a report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 41-year-old Carsten Kieffer was in an open motorboat with two other men when they hooked a “large” alligator and brought it alongside the boat.

“While the men were positioning the vessel and working the lines attached to the animal, the alligator jumped partially out of the water headfirst and bit the victim on the right arm,” the report read.

FWC said the gator briefly rolled while it was still latched onto Kieffer’s arm then it released and returned to the the water."



I am sure Kevin is very careful while gator hunting, but still you never know... must be one @#$%& of a battle on a rod and reel though!

Kent Griffith Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Kevin is a jack of all trades... fishing and
> hunting and custom rod building and combining them
> like fishing for monster gators on custom
> "fishing" rods... check out his latest "catch" a
> 12'5" gator caught on a RainShadow RCKJB jigging
> rod...
>
> Great catch Kevin! And cool story too! For those
> not familiar with Kevin, he founded and owns Get
> Bit OutDoors one of the best places to buy custom
> rod materials and blanks! And he and his company
> Get Bit OutDoors are sponsors here... a great
> family owned business.
>
>
>
> Jigging Rod Vs 12ft 5 Alligator.... It's ALL
> about the story...
>
> - Capt. Kevin Brotz
>
> " Yesterday was a day I'll never forget "
>
> The kids had the day off, and I was scheduled to
> guide a hunt. I wanted to bring the kids, but my
> client's experience comes first, and I wasn't sure
> what they would think about 4 and 5 yr old kids
> hopping out of the truck with their guide.
>
> I would normally ask the client but something told
> me not to. The hunter had a horrible experience
> with a different guide, and I could tell he was
> apprehensive from the bad taste of his previous
> hunt. Maybe that was why my gut said, "don't ask,
> just bring the kids."
>
> I prayed about it, my gut stayed the same, and...
> we had one of the most amazing days I've ever had
> as a guide, and more importantly, as a father.
>
>
>
> Mr. Mark, his son Ryan, and his grandson Parker
> were an absolute blessing to be around. They loved
> on Hunter and Luke as if they were family... and
> the way I see it, we are family, family in Christ,
> and in our passion for the outdoors.
> To share Parker's first two harvests as a hunter
> at only 6yrs old was awesome! To watch everyone's
> eyes light up while Ryan's 10ft gator put on a
> show.. that was awesome. To watch Mr. Mark and his
> son tag team a giant 12ft 5" gator that absolutely
> kicked our butts, yes it was awesome.
>
>
>
> Watching my boys respect our guest's experience,
> congratulating them on their success while
> unknowingly building relationships and building
> themselves to be stewards of God's Great
> Outdoors.. PRICELESS. Thank you Jesus and Thank
> you Mr. Mark for the opportunity.
>
> I surprised the boys with a trip to Bass Pro Shops
> on the way home and gave them $15 each in $1 bills
> to help them understand the value of a dollar, and
> to treat them for doing a great job. At the
> register Luke went over budget with a net and some
> worries. Hunter immediately offered to use his
> money to help. I let him know how proud I was and
> to hold onto his $, Daddy paid the difference.
> Thank you Lord for these boys, their sister, and
> their momma, my heart is full.
>
>
>
> We love sharing our adventures. We will be posting
> a video of this hunt on YouTube very soon. Please
> like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and
> YouTube so you can ride with us on all of our
> adventures.
>
>
>
> Capt. Kevin Brotz has been bass fishing his entire
> life and lives just minutes from the waters he
> guides. As a Humminbird Electronics & Mossy Oak
> Camouflage Pro Staff member, he has proven himself
> as a guide & takes great pride in providing a top
> notch service for his clients. Fishing a fully
> rigged Pathfinder 22ft Bay Boat with a 200hp
> Yamaha, brand new Humminbird 1198c si Gps/Sonar, &
> custom gear, no expense has been spared to ensure
> our clients have a successful time on the water.
>
> So check out Get Bit OutDoors next time...
>
>
>
>


I guess they butcher them? I've eaten alligator and I liked it. Is that the kind that are edible?

Quite simply amazing to think about catching a gator of that size with a rod and reel on purpose. An to think I thought a smallmouth could tug your drag.

That is a good point about the drag and gators of this size. It would put a hurtin' on it for sure. And yes typically gators are a food source, but the bigger and older they are usually the quality of the meat goes downhill, so the small ones are tastier I hear... as I don't usually order up gator meat, but lots around here do.

Vegetation, aka "seaweed", is the foundation of the food chain necessary for fish to survive. The 150 mile+ long Mosquito Lagoon has flat-out lost its seaweed in the last 8 years and this fishery has collapsed. It's unlikely that politicians, realtors, and investors will devote much money or energy to protecting fresh water fisheries in Florida. Better get down here quick.