Most anglers picture custom rods built for bass, inshore species, or offshore giants, but for Florida guide and veteran rod builder Kevin Brotz, some of the most demanding designs are made for a creature that tests tackle in a completely different way: the American alligator. As the owner of Get Bit Outdoors, a 26-year custom builder, and a full-time, licensed alligator guide, Kevin has spent decades perfecting alligator fishing rods capable of extreme casting distance, raw lifting power, and flawless performance in one of the toughest hunting environments in North America.
A Passion for Fishing and Building
Kevin’s journey in fishing began early. He recalls waking his father by tapping him on the head with a fishing rod before he could even talk. “I couldn’t say fishing, but I could say pushing,” Kevin said. “It was just something God put on my heart.” At fourteen, a friend of his father left a rod-building kit on their doorstep.
A St. Croix blem blank, a bag of components, and a terrible old VHS tape were all he needed to catch the bug. “I stayed up all night trying to follow that video,” Kevin said. “I spun the blank on a cardboard box and heated epoxy in the kitchen. It dried hanging from the roof of my parents’ car on the way to the Keys.”
That early obsession with performance eventually became a career. Today Kevin runs Get Bit Outdoors in Orlando, builds rods, develops rod-building products, and guides hunters on legal, permitted alligator hunts.
Why Alligator Rods Are Unlike Anything Else
Alligator hunting in Florida is tightly regulated. Hunters must first legally connect to the gator before dispatching it, and because these animals have been pressured for decades, they are incredibly wary. Reaching them often requires extreme distance casting.
“If I can cast an extra fifteen or twenty feet, it can mean a paycheck or no paycheck,” Kevin said. “If I can reach that gator, I can catch him. If I cannot reach him, I do not get paid.”
Most gators will not allow a boat within 60 to 80 yards. That means Kevin’s alligator fishing rods must be engineered to cast accurately well beyond 100 yards, with some reaching past 120 yards.
To build rods that perform at this level, Kevin takes a scientific approach. “I put buoys out on my lake and test every detail,” he said. “Guide layouts, spool lip angles, choke guide placement, braid thickness, rod weight. I move everything until it casts farther.”
The Guide Train That Changed the Game
Kevin is outspoken about the single biggest performance upgrade he has found.
“TorZite is an absolute game changer,” he said. “The first time I really cast it, I thought I broke my treble hook off because there was so little friction.”
Using high frame, lightweight Fuji TorZite guides gives Kevin maximum distance with ultra thin braid. “You have to hit a buoy that big at a hundred yards to make a living,” he said. “TorZite lets me do it.”
Three Types of Alligator Rods
Most people are surprised to learn that gator hunts require multiple specialized alligator fishing rods, each with a different purpose.
1. The Bombing Rod
Used to cast over the gator and snag it legally.
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Length: 8 to 9 feet
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Action: Fast tip with backbone
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Guides: High frame spinning guides (often TorZite)
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Goal: Maximum distance and accuracy
Kevin has cast as far as 121 yards with his bombing rods.
2. The Bait Rod
Used when hunters legally feed a bait (without a hook) and let the gator swallow it.
The key is letting the gator swim off without feeling resistance. “If the rod is too stiff, the gator feels drag and spits the bait,” Kevin said.
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Length: Around 7.5 feet
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Action: Soft tip, moderate
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Drag: Very light
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Goal: Zero resistance so the gator fully commits
3. The Heavy Lifting Rod
Used after the gator is hooked and fought close.
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Rods: Shorter, heavy power
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Guides: Double foot K-series
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Purpose: Lift a large gator straight off the bottom
“Once the gator is connected and down, you need raw power,” Kevin said.
Rod Building Meets Real-World Testing
What makes Kevin unique is that he relies on the alligator fishing rods he builds to make his living. The performance feedback loop is immediate and unforgiving. “These gators are not dumb,” he explained. “If something fails, you lose the gator. If a rod underperforms, you do not reach the gator. Everything matters.”
Years of dialing in these rods have taught him lessons that apply across fishing styles:
• Weight matters
• Guide quality matters
• Blank recovery matters
• Line management matters
• Rod balance impacts distance
• And especially, finish and adhesives matter
Beyond Gators: Innovating Rod Building Products
Kevin has also spent more than a decade quietly developing improved finishes and pastes for alligator fishing rods. His Next Level product line includes high clarity finishes, rapid-set options, and structural pastes designed for modern high stress fishing.
“We spent eleven years on Next Level,” he said. “I refused to release a product until we knew it would not yellow. We put it in UV chambers until everything else failed.”
His rapid-cure finish, Halftime, also nearly never existed. “I only made it because Kerry Batson asked,” Kevin admitted. “I thought it was too niche. But builders loved it and it took off.”
Final Thoughts
Pushing the limits of performance, innovation, and real-world testing, Kevin Brotz continues to show what is possible when rod building meets a true on-the-water proving ground. His commitment to precision engineering, thoughtful design, and field-tested results has helped shape a new understanding of what alligator fishing rods must be capable of. Whether casting more than a hundred yards, lifting a massive gator from the bottom, or fine-tuning gear for maximum efficiency, Kevin’s work proves that the right rod is more than equipment. It is the difference between success and failure in one of the most demanding pursuits in the outdoors.
Where to Find Kevin and His Rods
For rod components, finishes, tools, and educational content:
GetBitOutdoors.com
For booking a legal, licensed alligator hunt with Kevin:
FloridaGatorHunting.com
