ARLINGTON, Texas -- A local fisherman captured video of an alligator in the waters of Lake Arlington.
Cody, who lives in Tarrant County, takes his boat out often. "I try to fish, at least two days a week," he said.
And like all good fishermen, he won’t say where his best spots are. So all we know is he was on the west side of the lake Easter Sunday when something happened.
"My son-in-law said 'What’s that in the bushes?' I turned around, I said, 'It’s probably a log, but it looks like an alligator,'" said Cody.
He’s got good eyes. It was there, just above the water and Cody pulled out his phone. They cut the motor and watched.
"I think we got too close," he said, describing the wind blowing their boat toward it. "We were only about 10 feet from him."
"Alligator dives Holy smokes, that scared me! Nearly dropped the phone!"
What Cody captured thrilled Ray Rentschler with Arlington Animal control. He says alligators are in most North Texas lakes, and this guy may have been the same one reported in the area in 2016.
"We had a report a few years ago about an alligator about three feet [long], so it makes sense that it grew a little bit more!" said Rentschler. "Now that they're protected, they're making a natural comeback."
But if you come across a gator, he recommends you do what Cody did. Stay still and very quiet, but maybe a few feet farther back.
"I think the only thing I hope is that everybody just leaves him alone," said Cody. "He’s just out there doing alligator stuff."