Using a fishing pole and rope, massive 11-foot creature reeled out of a Florida pond
Whoa, this was not an ordinary catch.
Picture it: A man reels his fishing pole with a little bit of "oomph" while sitting close to a pond in Florida. He leans back to get even more momentum. The fishing pole bends back because whatever is on the end of it is struggling for control. You hear the fisherman grunt. Several times. But he's not letting go − and neither is the catch. Ripples in the pond show something. It's big, whatever it is.
On Monday, May 13, Mike Schulz recorded the moment local trapper Ken Cowles − the fisherman − wrangled the massive creature with the help of Schulz’s friend, Matt Laporte, in the backyard of a Sarasota apartment complex.
The video captures the catch from start to finish (an abbreviated version is at the top of this story). It cuts to Laporte, who got some rope. Cowles eventually walks into the shallow pond casting the rope like he would a fishing net to help wrangle "the catch."
Two minutes into the video, we see just how big this creature is: An 11-foot alligator.
We hear a snap sound, presumably the gator's jaws clamping on the rope, then, "Oh, yeah, you got him," Laporte says.
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The pair proceed to reel in the massive creature. Merely feet away from Cowles by the bank of the pond, the 11-foot alligator proceeds to do "the alligator roll," the spinning maneuver to subdue or dismember prey.
Ironically, the alligator's death rolls allowed it to be captured. The more it spun, the more it got trapped in the rope.
With just the fishing pole and some ropes, it eventually took four men to pull the 11-foot creature onto the bank by the pond. Cowles hopped on the subdued alligator's back and posed for photos of his epic catch. A pickup truck eventually pulled up in the backyard, and it took five men to lift and shove the alligator into the pickup bed.
Viewers can hear Cowles out of breath as he grabs the alligator's tail while the other four try to close the truck hatch.
The video ends with Laporte asking his friend, "Need a smoke?"
Why are we seeing more alligator encounters in Florida?
Since early April, there have been an abundance of alligator encounters on highways to tarmacs to residents' front doors. Most have been featured on the news, encounters captured on video, in some cases going viral.
But why?
Alligator mating season is typically May to June. The reptiles are found in all 67 of Florida's counties, lurking in most of our waterways across the state.
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Safety tips: How to stay safe around alligators
Remember, alligators may always be present near any body of water in Florida, especially fresh or brackish water. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offered these tips to stay safe:
Closely supervise children when they are playing in or around water.
Never swim outside of posted swimming areas.
Don't wade in waters where large alligators are known or likely to occur.
Swim only during daylight hours. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn.
Do not allow pets to swim, exercise or drink in or near waters that may contain alligators or in designated swimming areas with humans. Dogs are more susceptible to being bitten than humans because dogs resemble the natural prey of alligators. The sound of dogs barking and playing may draw an alligator to the area.
Never feed or entice alligators — it is dangerous and illegal. When fed, alligators overcome their natural wariness and associate people with food.
Inform others that feeding alligators is illegal and creates problems for others who want to recreate in or near the water.
Dispose of fish scraps in garbage cans at boat ramps and fish camps — do not throw them in the water.
Observe and photograph alligators only from a safe distance.
Leave alligators alone. State law prohibits killing, harassing or possessing alligators except under permit.
Never remove an alligator from its natural habitat or accept one as a pet. It is illegal and dangerous to do so. Handling even small alligators can result in injury.
Contributing reporting: Samantha Neely and Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY Network-Florida
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida alligator caught: Video shows how 'death roll' backfired
