Hooters Bass Fishing Goes Gator to the Extreme! HOOTERS Magazine - Bass Report by Brad D. Wall July/August 2007 - Issue 66 In the course of our travels fishing across the country, HOOTERS Bass Fishing meets the most wonderful and interesting people. I was parked in Florida with the HBF tow vehicle in the shop for a lube, oil and filter before the long road home at the end of the ‘04 season... ..."Oh, and bring a sharp heavy knife; that's what you'll be hunting with." I laughed and said, "Yeah, right." He said, "No, seriously, bring a sharp, heavy steel knife." Then he hung up the phone!
 That’s when the living legend, Gator Mike, as he is known in Gator country, and his wonderful wife Tara pulled up and shouted, “We want to buy that HOOTERS Bass Boat, right now! As always, I smiled and welcomed their company. It wasn’t long before we were talking about the outdoors. Gator Mike is obviously a serious fisherman but it didn’t take long before I could tell Gator Mike was the real deal when it comes to the outdoors. As all sportsmen do, Gator Mike and I share a true passion for the outdoors. Before I knew it I was invited to come back to Florida to stay with him and his wonderful family to pursue one of the top five most dangerous predators in the North American continent . . . .The North American Freshwater Alligator! In September 2005 I had a short break in the tour. I told myself, self, you need to call old Gator Mike and go get some.  Go big or go home!” I couldn’t take my mind off the chance to wrestle one of these awesome beasts. Gator Mike said, “Come on down, I’ll pick you up at the airport. “Oh, and bring a sharp heavy knife; that’s what you’ll be hunting with. I laughed and said. “Yeah, right.” He said, “No, seriously, bring a sharp, heavy steel knife.” Then he hung up the phone! The week I spent with Gator Mike and his family was the experience of a lifetime. Gator Mike is a self-taught gator hunting machine. Mike has a custom-built airboat, heavy-duty spear guns with solid steel, self-made shafts, and homemade harpoons, all attached to jugs and lines for wrestling the alligator to the boat the real way! Once the monster beast is close to the boat, the hunter, agents and Gator Mike must be at complete focus, as any miscalculated move could be deadly. Once the head of the alligator is under control, the hunter has to lean onto the rope with all his strength. This creates a stalemate between the gator and the hunter against the airboat. The gator will resist and push from the boat. At this point, Gator Mike will tape the business end of the gator shut. If a loss of focus occurs, or somebody slips, or allows slack in the rope, the animal will try to escape. A gator always goes forward in the direction he is pointing, which means he’s either coming in or over the boat. That’s not what you want! Once Mike has taped the mouth shut, the hunter can safely harvest the animal with a quick severing of the spinal cord at the base of the head. Yes, with a knife! This is the quickest and most humane way to expire the animal. Commonly the “bang stick” has been used for this task. The “bang stick” is a gun-like device, shooting a cartridge into the base of the alligator’s skull, but Gator Mike says, “The knife is quicker, more humane and definitely makes the experience more up close and personal.”  HBF thanks the state of Florida for their efforts in regulation, management, and conservation. Also, for providing habitat, education and an opportunity for people to learn about, hunt and contribute monetarily in the form of regulated hunting tags. These endeavors serve to ensure that our future generations will always enjoy this wonderful natural resource: the North American Freshwater Alligator. Enjoying these experiences with people who still live from the salts of the earth is one of the many things I truly thank HOOTERS for. Hunting, fishing, the outdoors and its precious preservation means so much to all of us. Not only was this an incredible experience, this trip has provided quite a bit of excellent meat for our family. Those of you who have enjoyed a little gator gumbo know what I mean. Wild game always tastes better when you’ve earned it and harvested it yourself. As old Marty Stouffer use to say, “Until next time.... Enjoy our wild America” As a little PS. to this story: Gator Mike and Tara did end up buying the ‘04 HOOTERS, Ranger, Mercury, Bass Boat and our families have become very dear friends. Thanks again to HOOTERS, Gator Mike and family as well as the HOOTERS store of Kissimmee, FL. Fish on!  |
