This trip was one for the books.
I met up with my good buddy, Jordan Lee—one of the best bass fishermen I know—and we decided to do something totally different this time. Normally, we’d be out on the water fishing, but this time, we switched gears and went all-in on something I never expected: gator hunting.
It all started earlier that year at ICAST when I ran into an old friend, “Captain Goggles.” He’d had the chance to check out our new kayak, the XTR 130, and he was pretty impressed with its capabilities. He said, “That thing’s got the stability, capacity, and deck space to land a big gator.” I remember thinking, “Why not? What better way to show off the kayak’s strength than by going after an actual alligator?” So, I got in touch with Captain Goggles, and before I knew it, we were planning the whole thing.
After weeks of prep and outfitting the kayaks, I hit the road and made the long drive down to Florida. Now, I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into. I thought we’d have a chill morning, but nope—Captain Goggles had us launching at 3 a.m. and I didn’t even get there until 2 a.m.! I was running on zero sleep, caffeine, and some Zyn pouches, and had no idea what was in store for me.
When we got to the ramp, Goggles told me we’d be riding tandem in the XTR 130. I was impressed by how stable it felt even with two grown guys aboard, not to mention the fact that we were about to take it into gator-infested waters.
We launched into the darkness, paddling through thick brush in Florida’s swamps. The mosquitoes were brutal—I’m talking thicker than oatmeal, and I was getting eaten alive before we even made it to our spot. But I wasn’t about to back out. We were on a mission.
Captain Goggles started spotlighting the water with a red light, searching for gator eyes. Every time he saw something, he’d shout, “Over there! Left, Justin! Faster! Slow down!” But honestly, I was so sleep-deprived I could barely keep my eyes open. Still, I was wide awake enough to see him toss a massive treble hook right into the water. And to my surprise, he landed it on a gator! Unfortunately, the gator wasn’t having it and made a quick getaway.
But we didn’t give up. We still had one more shot that day. On our way back, we spotted the perfect gator—out in open water, with nowhere to hide. This time, we used bait. After a long wait, Captain Goggles reeled in the line hard to catch up with the 12-foot beast. It was a crazy adrenaline rush—I went from near-nap mode to feeling like I could conquer Mount Everest. But as luck would have it, the gator made a run for some heavy brush and snapped the line before we could put any pressure on it.
I passed out on the way back to the ramp, but I knew we still had another shot the next morning. This time, Jordan Lee would be joining us, and I knew his fishing luck would bring us some good juju.
Within 45 minutes of hitting the water, Jordan and I spotted a gator, and we managed to get it on a bait line. This time, it wasn’t as easy as reeling it in—it was a full-on tug-of-war. The gator kept diving, pulling drag, and at times, we thought we’d lost it. But after about 20 minutes of this intense back-and-forth battle, we managed to get it close enough to land it.
Now, this is where things got really interesting. Jordan was up front, rod in hand, while I stood behind him with a snag line and a bang stick, ready for action. We had to be delicate with the pressure on the line—too much, and it would break, too little, and the gator would get away. But we finally got it close enough, and when the moment came, I put the bang stick behind its eyes.
It was a huge relief. We’d done it — landed our gator in a kayak.
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The ride back to the boat ramp with a 12-foot gator at my feet was something I’ll never forget. We passed airboats, got stares from locals, and pulled up to a house with a giant freezer full of gators. Just another day in Florida, right?
To wrap up our wild adventure, Captain Goggles hooked us up with some fresh gator meat, and Jordan and I fried it up in the backyard of our Airbnb. Even the neighbors had a pet turkey. Florida at its finest. Before dinner, we tried some fishing, but after multiple casts with no luck, we were left hoping that the next morning would bring us better fishing.
Looking back, I still can’t believe what we pulled off. Gator hunting in a kayak? It was one of the most adrenaline-filled, unforgettable experiences I’ve ever had. And doing it with Jordan Lee? Couldn’t have asked for a better teammate. Sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone leads to the best memories—and this one will definitely stick with me for a long time.
— Justin Floyd
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