22/0 Mustad shark hooks, way back in the dark ages when I bought them they came with a 3 foot length of chain attached and a chain swivel on the end of the chain. Might be hard to find them these days with all the greenies anti shark stuff, but look at salt water tackle shops, maybe around Galveston or Corpus Christi. These hooks are big, about 3-1/2 inches across the bend and the stock they are made from is about 3/8" diameter. Smaller hooks for smaller gators, maybe 16/0, without the chain. We even made hooks in my dad's shop, using 3/8" cold rolled steel, forged them on the anvil using an acetylene torch for heat.



Do a google search for Mustad Shark Hooks, I was looking for some last year and found several East Coast shops that had them.



Sharpen the hooks!



Below method worked way back in the 1950's and early 1960's, but likely will get you in trouble today with the animal rights folks due to using a live chicken for bait. Just use some type of dead bait, maybe a large fish. Below method was used prior to the 1968 Act that made it illegal to take gators. Be sure it is legal in your area to set baits for gators!!!!



One of our methods: Find a nice pond, lake,or slow oxbow river area know to have gators. One of our spots had cypress trees, with Egrets nesting in the trees. Gators would feed on the chicks that fell out of the nests. We would cut a pole long enough, so when stuck in the muddy bottom, would extend about 5 feet above the water surface. Take a live chicken, white preferred, tie the wings behind the back, and then tie the 22/0 Mustad hook to the wings. 1/2" nylon rope tied to the chain swivel, and looped over the pole end so the chicken just touched the water. Run the rope to a tree on the bank and tie. Come back the next day and see what showed up. Never know what will take the bait, one morning we checked a bait and found a broken rope!!!



PS, a big gator on the end of a rope is a real handfull!!



The hook below would work OK on gators up to about 8 ft. It is a Mustad Sobey style, 16/0. Designed for offshore trolling with rigged baits for Marlin & Bluefin Tuna. The short shank makes it easy to rig through the bait. It's on a length of 3/16" braided steel cable. The swivel shown is a little weak for gators, I would use a standard chain swivel (like you use on a boat anchor) made for 1/4" chain. Cable sometimes is risky, a gator can roll it up and get a bend and a twist in it and it will break. Maybe a 3 ft length of cable, then a swivel, then 1/2" nylon rope would be OK. It would be better to have a swivel or two in the length of rope also.

Thanks to everyone that replied. I get one permit a year on my ranch. The permits come out tomorrow and the season starts friday. Here is a picture of the gator that I am after. Someone hooked him last year but he broke loose. If you look closely at the picture you can still see the homemade hook in his right eye. I think he will go around 10 feet.

This is how they do it outside New Orleans, on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain. Here's links and videos of their hook and shoot method:

http://www.rodnreel.com/pineisland/

and an article...

http://www.rodnreel.com/articles/articles.asp?cmd=view&StoryID=704

I bet he'd tell you what size/kind of hook to use.

Seems a bit "canned", but I haven't personally seen the setup to be too judgemental.

Good luck!