Florida Gators

[GeauxTo]

Why do they call them Florida Gators?

http://www.geauxto.com/experimental/022daff0.jpg
:D

[Bean]

The same could be said about your tiggers.

[GatorHunter]

I've been Louisiana several times....no I don't know your "alligator" population, but gators are pretty prevalent in Florida. Pretty much anywhere in the state you find a nice, quiet body of water...pond, lake, golf course, etc. you'll find a gator.

Truth behind the Swamp:

Back when Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was to be built...they wanted it on campus...the only place they could put it was a "swamp" by Lake Alice. So they dug out the swamp...over 100 feet down....if you've ever been to the Swamp, you'll notice that the field is actually several levels below street level...anyway, when they got to "dry ground" they built the field and stadium around it. That's where Spurrier got the name "Swamp" for BHG Stadim.

[autiger1126]

auburn's stadium is built into the ground as well. Also, I know Turner field is below ground level. They do that so there is more structural support for the stadium.

[GatorHunter]

auburn's stadium is built into the ground as well. Also, I know Turner field is below ground level. They do that so there is more structural support for the stadium.

In UF's case...it was done so the field wouldn't turn into "muck" everytime it rained. As far as the architectural reasoning...I'll leave that to Art Vandalay... :D

[GeauxTo]

Thanks for the engineering lessons, guys... BUT, those little fellas in Florida are like baby gators here in Louisiana. We've got Cajuns, you know, who hunt gators (big gators) and make a living tanning and selling their hides. Those gators in Florida live in ditches, backyard ponds, and alley ways. Ours live in real, sho-nuff, scary-place swamps.
:D

[GatorHunter]

In one of my favorite fishing spots....a small (16 acre) bass pond...there's a big 'un in that "water hole" that would rival anything you coonasses could drag up out of the bayou....I've got a 18' Ranger 345V and this boy is half as wide....at least 10-12' but his girth is what's impressive....I stay away from "his" area of the lake....what you folks in Louisiana do have is some giant Red Snapper....I went with a friend a couple of years ago, fishing off some of the oil platforms...caught several 25-30 pounders!

[GatorHunter]

Those gators in Florida live in ditches, backyard ponds, and alley ways. Ours live in real, sho-nuff, scary-place swamps.
:D

Have you ever heard of Lake Okeechobee? Thousands of acres of nothing but snakes, gators, shellcrackers and some of the biggest bass you've ever seen.

[GeauxTo]

I've got a 18' Ranger 345V!
Dude, what a great boat! I have a friend up at Toledo Bend with a big Ranger 21' and I've fished with him a few times. Absolutely superior boat!

I bass fish all of the time. I have a 16' Xpress with a 60 hp Yamaha. Great for the bayous and lakes in this area. About two years ago, they imported some Florida bass into the Atchafalaya Basin (see pic below) just west of here along with some stripers. We're beginning to catch some really big bass over there. Specs (speckled trout) are a favorite over here, too, which we catch a little to the south of Baton Rouge and west of New Orleans (3-8 pounders, usually).
Check out the brief video: Windows Media (1.02 MB) (http://www.atchafalaya.org/VideoFiles/LOT_Amusement.wmv)

http://www.atchafalaya.org/photogal/archive/Atchaf%20(1).jpg

[GatorHunter]

Dude, what a great boat! I have a friend up at Toledo Bend with a big Ranger 21' and I've fished with him a few times. Absolutely superior boat!

I bass fish all of the time. I have a 16' Xpress with a 60 hp Yamaha. Great for the bayous and lakes in this area. About two years ago, they imported some Florida bass into the Atchafalaya Basin (see pic below) just west of here along with some stripers. We're beginning to catch some really big bass over there. Specs (speckled trout) are a favorite over here, too, which we catch a little to the south of Baton Rouge and west of New Orleans (3-8 pounders, usually).
Check out the brief video: Windows Media (1.02 MB) (http://www.atchafalaya.org/VideoFiles/LOT_Amusement.wmv)

http://www.atchafalaya.org/photogal/archive/Atchaf%20(1).jpg

Cool video...I love fishin' in those swampy, cypress tree infested water holes! I have a Fisher Marine 14' "jon boat" with a little 2.5 Johnson and a Motorguide 55# thrust trollin' motor for that type of geography. That's were the big "hawgs" live. Yea, the Ranger is about 10 years old, but I keep it in the garage...sure is an awesome boat...even though the wife has been on me to sale it for a couple years now :( ....there's just some things worth hangin' on to. ;)

[AUTiger94]

mmmm. Gator....Tastes like Chicken... coincidence I think not.http://www.allamericangator.com/meat/almonds.jpg

[GeauxTo]

Cool video...I love fishin' in those swampy, cypress tree infested water holes! I have a Fisher Marine 14' "jon boat" with a little 2.5 Johnson and a Motorguide 55# thrust trollin' motor for that type of geography. That's were the big "hawgs" live. Yea, the Ranger is about 10 years old, but I keep it in the garage...sure is an awesome boat...even though the wife has been on me to sale it for a couple years now :( ....there's just some things worth hangin' on to. ;)
Yeah, you gotta keep that Ranger! Garage kept, it's probably in mint condition.

I also have a little 12' jon boat with a 5 hp Merc. We can load it into the back of a pickup and launch it in those little out-of-the-way bayous where there are no boat ramps. I love that sort of thing. Sometimes gets hairy. Once I took a leak by balancing one foot in the jon boat and the other foot on a partially submerged log. About an hour later, I saw a huge gator in the exact same place where I had balanced my foot on the log. But what a great life it is!

[GatorHunter]

Yeah, you gotta keep that Ranger! Garage kept, it's probably in mint condition.

I also have a little 12' jon boat with a 5 hp Merc. We can load it into the back of a pickup and launch it in those little out-of-the-way bayous where there are no boat ramps. I love that sort of thing. Sometimes gets hairy. Once I took a leak by balancing one foot in the jon boat and the other foot on a partially submerged log. About an hour later, I saw a huge gator in the exact same place where I had balanced my foot on the log. But what a great life it is!

Yea...I detail the Ranger as if it were my truck!!

My dad and love to load up the jon boat and head to the Choctawhachee river...you can go into the little sloughs....pick up the boat and carry it a hundred yards or so and get into some places that's never seen a man! Awesome fishing....warmouth (rock bass), shoal bass, stripers, shellcrackers, blue gill, red-breast...you name it...go in at dark...come out at dark....and clean fish all night!!