| Memories of last spring's fishing trip to | | | | alligators. All of them were lying on their |
| Florida help warm up the night as I sit next | | | | sides engulfing mouthfuls of the hordes of |
| to a glimmering fire in the den of my home | | | | menhaden. Their powerful jaws were acting |
| here in northern Alabama, listening to the | | | | like scissors as the snapped time and again; |
| sleet bounce off the window panes. Spike the | | | | the minnows filling the gators' mouths by the |
| cat gently meows in his sleep next to the | | | | hundreds, if not thousands. |
| fireplace, no doubt chasing mice in his | | | | |
| dreams. | | | | We estimated that all of these animals |
| | | | weighed between 500 and 1000 pounds. My |
| March on Lake Jessup, about 20 minutes away | | | | brother-in-law wanted to get closer. Not me! |
| from Orlando, is when nature out does itself, | | | | Most of the alligators were already too |
| staging a wild life production that really | | | | close to me as it was. I didn't want to get |
| can't be duplicated on cable TV. You have to | | | | on their bad list by interrupting their |
| be there! | | | | breakfasts. |
| | | | |
| Wild flowers of every variety native to that | | | | It was truly an awesome sight! These modern |
| area are in bloom, yellows, pinks and reds | | | | day dragons were all laying on their sides |
| contrasting with a powder blue sky. Trees are | | | | scooping up minnows by the bucket, or |
| in their springtime finest foliage. Birds | | | | mouthful. None of this seemed to deter the |
| are nesting, crappies are bedding and the | | | | menhaden, for they kept swimming toward the |
| menhaden are practically coming ashore in | | | | shore seemingly oblivious of these monstrous |
| their desire to spawn. | | | | amphibians that were about to eat them alive! |
| | | | |
| Menhaden are little shad-like minnows about | | | | The desire in all living things to reproduce |
| 3-4 inches long. In the spring the spawning | | | | no matter what obstacles may lie ahead was |
| season is awesome, with thousands if not | | | | driving these midget shad toward shallow |
| millions, of the small fish swimming within | | | | water. By swimming to the shoreline by the |
| inches of the shore, laying eggs by the | | | | millions and depositing their eggs in very |
| millions. They were so many that when I cast | | | | shallow water, they were insuring that some |
| a net off the dock, I hauled in approximately | | | | of the eggs would hatch. By the large |
| 60 pounds of the small fish. | | | | amounts of menhaden we saw, it was evident |
| | | | that this theory had worked in the past. |
| That particular morning we arose early | | | | |
| because all fishermen know that you catch | | | | We watched until the alligators left. As if |
| fish by getting up early and dangling your | | | | someone had flipped a switch, first one of |
| bait in front of them while they're having | | | | the largest gators suddenly twisted around, |
| breakfast. Just at daybreak my | | | | slapped his tail on the water, lunged toward |
| brother-in-law and I walked from his house to | | | | the open lake and was gone. All the others |
| his dock where the boat was tied. As we came | | | | immediately followed suit. Nothing was left |
| closer to the pier, we both heard a noise | | | | but muddy water as all the alligators churned |
| coming from the bank that sounded like a | | | | up the bottom of the lake making their get a |
| buffalo dying. | | | | way. |
| | | | |
| Startled we crept closer to the pier, unsure | | | | While we were fishing later that day, we saw |
| of what we would see as we heard the sound | | | | alligators everywhere. The morning was made |
| of water splashing and roaring sounds as if | | | | even more exciting by two young guys in |
| some prehistoric monster was feeding. Indeed | | | | kayaks paddling around the lake, about 30 |
| it was! There were fifteen mammoth | | | | yards from the bank, unaware of what might be |
| alligators ranging from 8 feet long to 12 | | | | lurking beneath the surface. It was almost |
| feet or more and they were doing something | | | | like being in a "B" movie where the kayakers |
| I've never even seen on Animal Planet! They | | | | ignore the warnings from the good guys and |
| were all lined up at the shoreline like | | | | keep flirting with death. |
| cowboys at a bar in an old western movie and | | | | |
| they were having breakfast! | | | | Thankfully they didn't capsize and made it |
| | | | back to shore after thinking the matter over. |
| We'd moved stealthily to peer from behind a | | | | Every time I go to that lake in Florida, |
| large Cypress tree, that was dripping with | | | | there are sights that I never see anywhere |
| Spanish moss, and about 60 feet from the | | | | else. I'm going back soon! |