CLARION-LEDGER (Jackson, Mississippi) 02 October 05 Team C-L gets its gator (Bobby Cleveland)
The note left on the kitchen counter served two purposes.
No. 1 was to indicate that Team Clarion-Ledger had succeeded.
No. 2 was to save a marriage.
"Do not open outside refrigerator, for your own sake," it read. "There's a gator in there."
Had my wife opened it early last Monday to get her daily Diet Coke for her ride to work, she'd have either died or called a divorce attorney.
Late last Sunday night, in the fading hours of Mississippi's alligator season, our team settled for a 7 1/2-foot alligator. We had released a bigger one on Friday (8 feet) and had lost two more much bigger before taking our prize.
"Good thing we lost 'em," said local radio personality Lee Benoist, who was lucky enough to get drawn and nice enough to let The Clarion-Ledger participate — we paid for his permit. "We'd have never gotten a 10 footer in your fridge."
Led by licensed alligator trapper Woodie Reaves and his son Corey Hunt, Benoist boated the last gator by rod and reel at 10 p.m.
The season ended at midnight.
"We'd have done better had it not been for the weather," said Reaves, who accompanied us all three nights of Hurricane Rita weekend. "When the water's that choppy, alligators get spooky. They don't expose themselves in open water because they can't keep their noses above the rippling water."
Using a salt water rod and reel with 130-pound braided line (see adjoining box for details), Reaves cast a weighted treble hook beyond the gator, reeled up quickly and snagged the beast. Then he turned it over to Benoist.
"It was kind of like fighting a fish that would be a cross between an amberjack and a tuna," Benoist said. "It tried to stay deep like a jack but had the strength of a tuna to do exactly that."
It was the 30th and final alligator taken during the initial alligator season held on the upper river area of Barnett Reservoir. A total of 41 of the eligible 50 tag holders participated.
"That's a pretty good success rate," said Ricky Flynt, who coordinated the program for the state wildlife agency. "We did it safely and I think — no, I know — everybody had a real good time."
Said Benoist: "I'm glad the paper talked me into entering the drawing. I would never have thought taking a gator would be that much fun."
Gator hunt essentials
Equipment used by Woodie Reaves during our alligator hunt at Barnett Reservoir.
Rod: 7-foot Fenwick saltwater rod, extra-heavy action. "The key is looking at lure weights," Reaves said. "It needs to say at least five ounces. We cast heavy hooks and need to be able to throw a long way. The rod also must be strong enough to fight a 300 or 400-pound gator."
Reel: A 7000C Ambassadeur reel. "This is a salt water high-line capacity reel that you can cast easily," Reaves said. "Whatever you do, practice your throwing. Be accurate and don't backlash."
Line: 130-pound Stren Super Braid in hi-viz gold. "Braided line gives you strength and castability," said Reaves. "The bright gold color is absolutely necessary for seeing at night."
Team C-L gets its gator