As long as they haven't been fed by man then they are normally pretty chill to be around. Never go out alone and always carry a gun

I was talking about southwest earlier today.

Yes and yes. Not sure if you've ever caught or raised the food you eat, but what you're wanting me to do is the equivalent of taking food out of someone's child's mouth.

Jim Wellman exactly! At first I was upset you were messing with someone's line that wasn't yours. But then I saw you respectfully left their food to the owner and we're just curious.

Messing with someone else's trot line can get you shot down here, Olivia. I personally won't even touch one.

I farted my bad

@@JimWellman I think it's your Cavalier and arrogant attitude that annoy people.

One of our favorite parks also.

It wouldn't be the same without the music.

Not always, but maybe every now and then.

I'd be worried about snakes and spiders more than gators in that situation. Although I've been prepared (mentally) to sleep in my kayak while on long trips, I've never had to do it. I always either made it to my destination or found a dry place to setup camp.

I forgot to mention the hammock tent is a great option to carry along with you on any kayak trip. It can always be setup over water if your can't find dry land. Just make sure to purchase the bug net for the hammock tent and some straps in case the trees are too far apart.

Luckily for me, alligators aren't as aggressive as crocodiles. I don't think I'd attempt this among a bunch of crocodiles.

Toojack isn't ringing any bells.

I'd day winter through spring because the water is low and the shoreline plant growth is minimal, which gives lots of space on the banks for them to hang out.

They probably restrict just about everything, since they started to get too much publicity after videos like this one.

For what do you plan to use the clips?

Best place to launch is from the south side of the park, just after the entrance. The entire river is pretty, but there's a weir on the south side of Lake Myakka and another weir just south of Deep Hole. I've kayaked the river from Myakka City to the Gulf of Mexico and we just pulled our kayaks out and around the weirs. The weirs are just concrete walls which regulate how much water flows out of the lakes. There are a few trails inside the park to walk and bike on and a visitor center at the north end, but on the south side of Myakka Lake. They serve food inside and have a pretty decent sized gift shop. That's about all I know about it at the moment. O yeah, sometimes they have signs which say you aren't allowed to paddle south of Highway 72. That's during the breading season. Signs are there for a good reason. Just don't tell them your intentions when entering the park.

@@JimWellman cool thanks. I gave them a call also and they suggest to park near the Log Pavilion. Are the weirs tame enough to ride down? If you're ever on the east coast be sure to check out Riverbend park. Its one of 2 federally designated wild and scenic rivers in Florida. Theres a couple dams there that are shallow enough to ride the kayak right over without any real danger for an adult

@@thatangularguy957 Each time I've kayaked the river, the weirs were above the waterline and therefore you had to put the kayak out of the water and go around them.

If you plan to take long trips, a sit inside touring kayak is the way to go. If you plan to fish all the time, you may want a sit on top that's outfitted for fishing. I like the sit inside style due to the lower center of gravity and lots of storage. I've also attached some Scotty rod holders onto it for fishing. I've taken quite a few multi day trips in my sit inside and wouldn't change a thing. I've seen people flip sit on tops in rougher water while on a couple overnight trips. Not that it couldn't happen to a sit inside, but it hasn't happened to me yet and I've been in some bad stuff in Charlotte Harbor. You should try some out and really think about what you plan to use it for before settling. I also recommend Craigslist. That's where I got both the kayaks you see in this video. Both were less than half of retail price and came with paddles and life jackets.

@@JimWellman I've been looking as well, as I live in Boca Raton. I hear that sit in ones get really hot, which is bad for everglades weather. and although sit on ones may flip easier due to their higher center of gravity , they're self bailing. we have a rental place at our local everglades refuge. any tips or suggestions for someone who's never kayaked amongst gators? they have a nighttime tour as well, where u go out after sunset for a couple hours. seems a bit spooky. have u ever encountered a gator that goes after a raft? do u use the water skirts with your sit in ones?

@@thatangularguy957 I've kayaked the everglades from Chokoloskee to Flamingo in a sit inside. It was hot. I got poured on. I used a skirt occasionally, which made it hotter, but I still wouldn't own a sit on top. We encountered gators and crocodiles in that trip. Can't say that I've ever seen a gator come after a raft.

@@JimWellman interesting. So is the main reason for the choice being stability? I had read this article which suggested that the sit on ones are super stable as well. Ive only used sit in ones in wisconsin. Ive never tried sit on ones. The arthur marshall loxahatchee national park only rents out sit in ones it seems. paddling.com/learn/sit-on-top-vs-sit-inside-kayaks/

@@thatangularguy957 I like to be able to store things behind my seat and between my legs. Because I'm in a sit-inside, I don't have to worry about those things falling out and if it rains, they stay dry (somewhat). While crossing Charlotte Harbor on the final day of a trip down the Myakka River (the first time I'd kayaked it), my cousin, who was in a sit-on-top, flipped over because the waves were so big. It was a nasty day out there, but were determined to complete the trip that evening, so we crossed the harbor knowing we'd get wet along the way. I was paddling around collecting what was still floating, while I sat somewhat comfortable in my sit-inside. Another thing...my cousin's butt is always wet, or will eventually get wet during a journey while on his Wilderness Systems Tarpon 16'. I'm sure someone makes a sit-on-top that keeps your butt dry, but I haven't ridden in too many to know if they exist. When water gets in mine, I use a sponge to dry it out. You don't have the same flexibility with with his because of how they mount the seat. If I remember correctly, there are holes beneath the seat to allow water to drain out, but it also allows water to come in. They make stoppers to prevent the water from coming in, but they then prevent the water from draining. I don't have to worry about all that extra stuff with my sit-inside.

Ha ha.. stop!!😆

It's just a deep hole that is very secluded in comparison to the rest of the park. So not many people around there. It's also not really affected by the river current, so that may have something to do with it.

@@JimWellman interesting, awesome video

There were quite a few birds walking around the gators while they sat on the bank, so I'm sure birds are a popular choice.

alligators eat almost anything... fish, turtles, mammals, crabs, other alligators they have a much lower metabolism than mammalian predators of the same size, meaning they don't need to eat nearly as much to survive as bears or big cats

Another few miles down the river I saw the largest gator I've ever seen.

Don't get me wrong, I thought about what could be, over and over and over. I've been on many rivers in FL and have, on numerous occasions, had gators dive into the water off of the bank. As I watch their bubble trail pop up under my kayak as it glides through the water above them, I always wonder what could be. Thankfully, I'm still around. This may sound far fetched, but if you've seen that monster gator on the golf course in some viral videos, I am pretty sure he (or she) swam under my kayak while kayaking this river from start to finish back in 2009. That was the largest living creature I've ever seen in the wild, and it wasn't far from where this video was taken.

Yes it is!!!

Nah, as long as you go with someone that has been before, the gators there are used to boats, as long as nobody messes with them, they usually will not come close, if they do get curious you smack paddle on water and it drives them. They ambush but not in deep water , and they are not croc aggressive, but have plenty of food there. It's your own risk, but it's not as bad as you think

@@shable1436 maybe, but one in million exception can be you! then you are dead! It's the nature. That smart Croc hunter got killed by manta ray, I don't think he was less knowledgeable than you.

What are you going to do with a pistol? In the extremely unlikely case that a gator attacks you, you’d be better served using the paddle to deflect the gator than dropping the paddle to fumble for pistol that you would never get to in time anyways.

@@philmaxwell1 my pistol is always tucked in front waist band. It can easily be drawn to first shot within 1.5 seconds

@@philmaxwell1 We carry a pistol with bear rounds in it and a laser sight. Just put the red dot on it and fire away.

Read my response to similar comments below. And I'll ask you this... Would you take a fish off of someone's fishing line before they could reel it in?

@@JimWellman fair enough. I guess I didn’t realize that people fish for turtles. They’re pretty heavily protected up north.

@@spencerstottlemyer5593 depending on their financial situation, people will eat just about anything.

@@JimWellman yeah I can imagine there are plenty of good things to eat in those waters. Our rivers are pretty gross up here so I wouldn’t dare unless I was deep into wv.

@@spencerstottlemyer5593 where are you located?

It flies itself. One of the drone's settings allows it to fly circles around or follow an object.

@@JimWellman that's really cool. Nice work.

No. It wasn't my trot line. Letting it go would be like stealing from someone. I know this is hard for some people to accept, but there are people who catch, raise, or purchase their own meat for sustenance. Taking the turtle off of the line could be compared to taking food out of someone's child's mouth, or compared to stealing someone's food.

I disagree turtles are not food - plenty of fish and súper Walmarts - I think it was cruel to leave the poor turtle in pain for no reason - too bad I was already really liking your channel but I am an animal lover cannot agree with what you did.

@@Jasmandii Are you seriously suggesting people should not produce their own food and go to walmart instead? Walmart is worse for the animals AND for sustainability. I could kinda understand being annoyed at him for leaving the turtle if you were a vegan yourself. But you are just a moron if you are telling people to stop fishing an go to walmart.

​@@JimWellman Thats just vicious of you.. 🤬🤬🤬

​@@JimWellman dont worry about it Who cares? I would love 2 see u on that line u peice of shit

It wasn't my turtle to free. It was on the end of somebody's fishing line.

They won't bother you if you don't bother them. There are ppl who go diving at deep hole, it's 131 ft deep 30 ft down around the edge it's a ledge straight down. Gators don't go that deep either, so it's a wild place for sure

Gator's are no safer than croc's they're all more active at night

@@genabargay4391 (compared to Crocs) Gators are LESS aggressive (relatively) to Crocs...Crocs are far more dangerous and aggressive towards humans than gators. Not saying gators are less dangerous to humans but "compare" to Crocs it is...

It was a soft shell turtle.

@@JimWellman and you didn't at least cut the line?

@@irvingfive7955 Not sure if you've ever caught or raised the food you eat, but what you're wanting me to do is the equivalent of taking food out of someone's child's mouth. If you saw someone fishing, would you cut their line if you saw they hooked a fish?

@@JimWellman I forgot, it's Florida.

@@irvingfive7955 good point; however I'm sure there's people near you who catch, raise, or hunt for their food.

It wasn't my fishing line.

I have never and I don't think they're have been any attacks in this area. It's always possible.

@@JimWellman cool

It wasn't mine. "Saving" it would be like stealing someone's food.

Jim Wellman Really bro ? U should have released the turtle, trot lines cannot be left for dead so to speak that turtle was a bycatch... I’m not saying it’s your fault I’m just saying Sometimes you should just do the right fucking thing.

@@f.baccari5227 you do realize that that turtle was probably going to be someone meal right? And if he let the turtle go some family might not have had food.

I don't think a weapon would help if one jumped up and grabbed me. I think that'd just be the end.

Kinda like whack-a-mole.

It wasn't my trotline.

@@JimWellman Doesn't matter. He was going got fish anyways, not turtle.

@@mariatorres9789 That statement implies that you know the individual, and his or her intentions. You may want to pass along your concern to them. Had I removed that turtle, it would have been like taking food from his, her, or their children's mouths. I know it's hard to believe that someone would eat meat, but it happens quite often.

@@JimWellman Lol, I eat meat everyday. I'm not a libtard vegan. I didn't know people eat turtles. I haven't known anyone that eats turtles, since my grandpa.

Probably not the best decision I've ever made.

Using that logic you'd never be able to drive a car or leave your house.

@@JimWellman i was genuinely asking if its dangerous, so chill man. I have definitely driven and leave my house daily. I have been to Afghanistan in combat twice so quit tripping. However, danger is still real. You wouldn’t be kayaking in a saltwater infested river nor jump out of plane without a shoot right? Difference between stupid and facing your fears. I was asking if the alligators there were big or how safe it is.

Tell her I've been through there a few times and have emerged with all my limbs intact.

K I did XD

It wasn't my turtle to cut loose. You should educate yourself about a more rural way of life. There are people in this world who catch much of what they eat. Cutting the line would be the equivalent of stealing food from someone.

Let's just say, "he's not from around here."

Make sure to like and subscribe before you leave. And educate yourself about a rural lifestyle before making judgement about how the less fortunate obtain their food. You can learn a lot.

Same

I think they'd frown upon that.

The more comments I read like this, and as I get older, I realize this probably wasn't the smartest thing I've done; however, after kayaking through there as many times as I have, I'll do it again.