A Texas City man recently landed an unforgettable catch in his backyard stream after being shocked to see a 5-foot alligator on the end of his line.
Ruben Suarez Jr told Storyful that he fished for alligators in his backyard, which he said he enjoyed “because they fought.” But what he spotted on April 16 was not an alligator gar, but a straight alligator.
Suarez’s security camera footage shows him trying to size the alligator and struggling to grab its tail before a team from Galveston County Animal Control arrived on the scene. His phone clips show the alligator in the water, then after putting it down, taping its mouth shut. The alligator was released by animal control.
“(It was) my first encounter with an alligator in my life, I’ve never seen one there,” Suarez said. Credit: Ruben Suarez Jr via Storyful
Video transcription
RUBEN SUAREZ JR: Ooh! He has power now. Alright, here we go.
(CHAT)
– And then we’ll bring them to the edge. For example, you will always have to stay away from him on the side. They usually don’t bite you unless you go looking for them.
– Okay, bye, man.
(LAUGH)
Well, thanks for taking care of him.
RUBEN SUAREZ JR: Yes.
– Yeah. In the future, usually what I do… if you have a net, a fishing net or something like that, you just put your net over their head and hold it. They really aren’t as strong as you think. And just put some weight on his head and get that line. It will go straight back into the water.
RUBEN SUAREZ JR: He was tired because we fought for about 2.5 hours.
– Yeah.
RUBEN SUAREZ JR: I didn’t want to hurt him. I did not know what to do.
Very good now. Oh, it’s tripping, brother. There is no one here to help me. There it is, it’s right there. I covered him so he wouldn’t see me coming.
And I got my stick. I mean, I can touch him. He’s right there. I mean… turn it around. You can see he’s closed his mouth now. I just need to record it.
I need another rope that can go around his mouth. That he has done? Yeah, me and Tella did it. Hey!
(TELLA LAUGH)
– Oh my God, no one is going to believe that.
RUBEN SUAREZ JR: Yeah, I watch too much TV.
– Well, we need to get the tape out of his face.
RUBEN SUAREZ JR: Yeah. He’s pretty good. He is pretty…
– He’s a young man.
– He has–
RUBEN SUAREZ JR: No, do what you have to do. Let me come here.
– Alligators are so beautiful.
REUBEN SUAREZ JR: Let me take a few things on your way.
– Oh, you tied him up like a dog.
REUBEN SUAREZ JR: It was my first. I had to make sure… Here I’m going to take it off the fence.
– There you go, I got it.
REUBEN SUAREZ JR: You’re ready ?
(CHAT)
Yeah.
– Yeah. Yeah, cut it out because their body will digest the metal.
– It will be.
– Yeah.
– It’s quite long.
– To bring them.
– Yeah. Do it away from his face so as not to cut off his head. You’re doing well, big girl.
– It’s a metal wire.
– Did you–
RUBEN SUAREZ JR: Do you want me… wire cutters?
– Yeah, wire cutters?
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