From Key West to Alaska

 

I mentioned in my last post that I would possibly write about the time I went to the Everglades and was chased by an alligator, and so I will. You might be wondering why I'm posting a picture of a large coho salmon if I'm writing about the Everglades. Well, I don't have any pictures of Largemouth bass nor do I have any of alligators, so I'm substituting this salmon which was bit in half by a salmon shark several years ago.

When Jan and I were living in Key West, there wasn't much money to do anything. We were living in the poverty level because the military didn't pay much at the time. It's not like it is now. In any event, one form of free entertainment was to go fishing. There were many nights where we ate supper and then went down to the White Street pier to fish for the little grunts or whatever kind of fish there were there. None of the ones we caught there were very big and it was a bit of a disappointment.

Although I had discovered that the canals had Mangrove Snappers living in them, I didn't fish there all the time. I think I couldn't come up with the $1.50 or whatever it was for a dozen live shrimp all that often. It sounds silly now, I know, but times were tight then. Anyway, one weekend, I decided I'd like to go north to the Everglades and do a little fishing in fresh water. I wanted a change of pace. It's over a hundred miles to get there from Key West, and we had to cross something like 43 bridges that connect all the various keys. The longest one was Seven Mile Bridge. It is literally seven miles across open water. If I recall correctly, it was only a two lane bridge. We were driving a "72" Pinto hatchback, kind of a light car. Every time a semi passed us in the other lane, we would swerve like a drunken sailor. I was half afraid we'd be blown off the bridge. Of  course there were other challenges as well. Because it was winter or early spring when we decided to take the trip, the snow birds were as thick as flies on the road. It seemed like every other car was towing a trailer or was a Winnebago. Of course they moved at the pace of cold molasses and being a young, impatient jerk, I couldn't wait to put them in the rear view mirror. About every five miles or so there were passing lanes so you could get around them. Some of them were trying to get around even slower travel trailers though, so you would still end up behind a slow poke. I found that I did a pretty good impression of my dad when he was angry on the road. 

After what seemed like forever, we pulled in to the Everglades. We looked around a little bit and I found a pond. It seems like there was a park ranger building on the grounds. I got the fishing rod out and put a minnow on the hook and walked down to a pond. About twenty feet away there was an alligator. I don't recall how big he was, but I guess he was big enough. He was laying on a sandy bit of ground which so happened to be about the only place you could fish. The rest of the area was all filled with weeds or cattails or some such thing. While I was eyeing him, a kid with a dog came walking by. The dog started barking at the gator, and a ranger or some employee said, "you better watch your dog sonny. Last week that gator ate a Doberman."

I scooted a little farther from the gator and the employee mentioned that I'd probably be safe. The gator had his right eye poked out by a stick years ago, and I was standing on his blind side. I took a certain degree of comfort in that. I wasn't there for too long before I saw a big bass swim under a ledge right in front of me. I cast out my line and reeled it close to where the fish was. Unfortunately,  the hook got snagged on the overhang. I was trying to carefully get it loose, and I guess the noise attracted the bass and he came out and struck my minnow. He leapt into the air as Largemouths commonly do, and my heart jumped in anticipation. The whole scene was worthy of an Outdoor Life magazine cover. The pleasure I was experiencing was short lived though. When the fish starting splashing around, the gator turned toward me like he was on a swivel and started running towards me. I was damned if I was going to give that gator my bass, so I reeled it as close as I could and started running up the beach with the fish bouncing behind me on the line. Jan climbed up on a picnic table and started yelling.

"Give it the fish! What is wrong with you?"

"Noooo!!!" I yelled back. "It's a big one."

It was. I think it was the biggest bass I'd ever caught and I wasn't going to let that gator have it. It was a bit of a surprise how fast a hungry alligator can run, but I'm here to tell you, even towing a fish behind me, I was faster. He got tired out after twenty or thirty feet and I kept going until I was sure the coast was clear. When I finally stopped to admire my prized catch, it was less than regal looking. There was sand and grass coving its scales and I think the eyes might have been bulged a little bit. I can't remember if he was still alive or not. I think he might have died of a heart attack. Better than being eaten though I would think.

I think Jan was a little peeved with me, but I was happy. I hate to admit it, but I think I just washed off that fish and stuck it in the freezer when I got home. Periodically, I'd take it out to show to one of my friends. The great white fisherman. Actually I think the bigger accomplishment was outrunning that gator.