muggs Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 I was doing some smallmouth fishing on a river near my house last night, and came across a big hole loaded with all kinds of fish, including about 12 gar. The biggest was easily 30+"'s and most were around 20". Not big for gar, I know, but it was still pretty amazing to see. Not very common around my area (I don't think). All I had was a few different colored tubes, and actually had two of the smaller ones strike, but couldn't set the hook. Heading out after work with some shiners and smaller hooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadHuntinPastor Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Re: Gar Everywhere!! Pretty cool muggs. I don't know much about gar. I've seen a few while bass fishing but didn't know what to do. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andrea Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Re: Gar Everywhere!! The only thing I've ever caught a gar on was cut bait. Or a dead shiner. A small hook threaded through the bait works and doesn't allow them to snatch it off. They always run with it for several yards then stop to swallow. Then they take off again. That's when I set the hook and hang on. Biggest one I've caught was 15 pounds. Was bigger than my leg!!!! I love catchin the big ones but they don't taste good...only the little ones do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggs Posted May 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Re: Gar Everywhere!! HG, that's for the pointers, I heard cut bait does work well. I buddy of mine, hooked into a monster with a cut bluegill while he was catfishing in Tenn. They were really active and chased my tube everything. Hope they're still hanging around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andrea Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Re: Gar Everywhere!! Are they alligator gar? Those jokers get HUGE. They've been poppin the water like crazy down here. Of course, they always do, but right now they seem like they are more active. Watch out for those teeth! Had one bite me on the leg one time, didn't hurt but it bled like crazy. Heard a lot of guys like bow fishing for gars. I would rather use my rod and reel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lil hunter Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Re: Gar Everywhere!! Sounds like a good time to go bowfishin if you ask me. Good luck catchin a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggs Posted May 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Re: Gar Everywhere!! Yeah, i was thinking the same thing about bowhunting. I could have connected on as many carp as I wanted and all the gar. Don't think I'd want to shoot the gar though. HG, they weren't alligator gar, I"m not sure we get those up here. I believe they were spotted gar, but I'm no expert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterfowler_gal Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Re: Gar Everywhere!! I have spear fished and gotten gar before... but they are much smaller up here compared to down south.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramie Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Re: Gar Everywhere!! Spotted gar dont get very large. Aligator gar get hundreds of pounds... Literally. We have then as thick as any other fish. We snag for spoonbill every year and usually haul in a few gar too. They are a blast to hang into. Ive never caught one on bait but you better have some metal at the end of the line. Their teeth are very, very sharp. Here's a pic of the current Oklahoma Record. (unrestricted) It weighed 182lbs. and here is the Rod and Reel record, it was 180lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggs Posted May 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Re: Gar Everywhere!! geez, those are some monster fish, not sure I'd know how to land one of them. I'm heading out tonight with leaders and some cut bait. The biggest I saw was probably 34" and I'd guess about 8 pounds, not huge, I know. But I've never even seen one personally, so it would be a cool thing to catch and get some pics of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andrea Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Re: Gar Everywhere!! I was watching these guys catch alligator gar on some fishin show a few weeks ago. They used a whole bream with one side cut off. When they hooked up the gar, it started swimming towards their boat. It made a really high ripple in the water as it came to them.( Kinda reminded me of "Jaws") When they "landed it", they actually pulled it up on the bank instead of putting it in the boat. Of course, they let it go. That was really fun to watch. Good luck muggs. Hope you catch a biggun and post us some pics! I'll do the same. Gonna try to get one tomorrow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andrea Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Re: Gar Everywhere!! Never heard of grinding the meat in with other fish. We usually cut open the armor-plated skin with a pair of tin-snips and filet the meat off. Then we "gash" it like you do when you clean pike ( jackfish). They call it gashing down here...don't know what everyone else calls it. But when you fry it, the meat curls up like a slinky. Anyway...the bigger fish aren't very good because the meat is spongey. The younger ones taste like pike and catfish mixed. And the skulls of gar are cool to hang around your cleaning sink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andrea Posted May 31, 2005 Report Share Posted May 31, 2005 Re: Gar Everywhere!! Well, I caught 3 gar yesterday. I'll post the pics asap. Did it a little different this time. Used some small bream that were "almost" dead and threw them out behind the boat on a big bobber. It was fun watching the bobber zip across the river then go outta sight. Don't know how much they weighed, but they were good eating size. The big boy that I fought for about 10 minutes, broke the line when I got him to the boat. ( Naturally) Oh well. Can't complain. I had been on the river from Friday afternoon until about 9:00 last night. Wound up with 119 bream, 3 cats and 3 gar. Oh yeah and 1 jackfish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDNKHNTR77 Posted June 2, 2005 Report Share Posted June 2, 2005 Re: Gar Everywhere!! what river was that eric? ill have to go get em with the ol bow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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