I'm originally from Louisiana, spent alot of time in Georgia growing up and I have been stationed in Florida and still fish there quite a bit. I am stationed in Virginia now and don't have to worry about them here. I have never really had much a problem with gators and I fish primarily from a kayak. However, there is one place where they always give me a hard time and there are some Jurrasic Park critters there. That place is Lake Moultrie (One of the Santee Cooper Lakes) and I have a run in with an aggressive gator there pretty regularly. Here is a big female that I have had some unfriendly rendevous with......
There are some monster bass there though, so I keep going back!!