Gar fishing???

[tonydl86]

I was out on the lake last weekend and while fishing for bass I saw a bunch of Gar feeding on the surface, well I threw everything but the ancor at them and they just made like I wasnt even there. can gar be caught with a fishing pole? how is it done?

 

[JJ57103]

Re: Gar fishing???

Funny you mention that Tony. When I go out Catfishing with cutbait, I can hardly keep the Gar OFF my line. The perfect Gar bait is a Chub, cut in 1/2, put on a #1 or #2 hook, below a slip sinker, fished off the bottom. A gar will "tow" the bait, and you usually have to let them run with it a bit to get it into their beak. They like shallow water, and when you set the hook, they will come straight out of the water like a LM Bass... pretty fun when it's a 4+ footer Good luck to you, let me know how it works for you.

 

[catfish1]

Re: Gar fishing???

jj's got it down! gar like to play with it alot, they seem to be hard to catch when fishing for them. but when your not trying is when you seem to catch em. at least thats my experience with them

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: Gar fishing???

You can't eat those things can you? I'm not sure I'm up for a plate of gar even if it's a southern delicacy.

 

[catfish1]

Re: Gar fishing???

no, i dont think anyone eats them.

 

[wikelam]

Re: Gar fishing???

yes people do eat them. i usually catch them when i am snagging for spoonbill. also on trotlines. a 100+ lb gar can destroy a new trotline.

 

[JJ57103]

Re: Gar fishing???

An old guy I used to know, he's long since passed on, used to love eating Gar. Granted, the gar here in SD don't get nearly as big as they do down south - anything over 42" is a "Big Fish Award" here. He used to catch it, and beat the heck out of the thing with a big stick... according to him, the flesh released itself from the tough skin with this method. He'd then cut off the head and tail, run a cut from one end to the other with a nasty old rusty pair of scissors, and take out the bloody, sausage looking remnants and throw them into a cooler full of ice. Never knew how he cooked it, nor did I ever have the gumption to ask. It sure was funny watching him attack that fish though - cursing with every swing of his stick - toothless old gent, pinstriped bibs, and a big wad of snuff in his mouth. He'd always get excited if one of us would catch a gar for him, and he'd always ask "Are ya sure ya don't wanna keep it? mmhmm good stuff"

 

[oddjob]

Re: Gar fishing???

I took my Dad to the everglades to fish for bass with live shinners. When the garr show up, I usually go to another spot because your bait will rarely get below the garr near the surface and then to the bass. After moving several times, and losing lots of bait, my Dad asks how do we catch them *******s! I really dont want those stinking things in my boat but to please Dad and help him get his revenge,(plus we werent geting any other bites)I abliged. <br />Catch them as JJ stated above. <br />Also just let them play with it for awhile, tease them and tug gently once in awhile. They may let it go once in awhile so dont real it in yet! After playing the game for about 3-5 minutes they will run with it slowly. Give them free line for about 30sec to a minute then set the hook and enjoy the fun. Dad had a great time with them once he had them in the boat. <br /><br />I understand there are several species of garr. Also, I'm told that the pretty green ones with black spots are not garr but a pike that looks like a garr. It has a smooth skin. It is a cousin to the northern pike and is good eating if cooked the same. <br /><br />The Florida garr are said to be nothing but bone and taste bad. However, the Seminoe Indians diet consisted of mainly garr, alligator(because they could muzzle them live and travel for days with fresh meat in their canoes). They would also make a stew of corn cakes and garr. I'm told is very tasty.<br /><br />Listen to Florida native John Andersons hit song "Seminole Wind". The lyrics mentions "the alligator and the garr". <br /><br />PS. I use the same method to catch small shark in the flats only let them run free until your almost out of line.

 

[jim phillips]

Re: Gar fishing???

I eat them when i can. just cut the head off with a hack saw then cut the body open with tin snips I just trim out the back strap (for lack of a better term) No bones, clean white meat.good stuff

 

[tonydl86]

Re: Gar fishing???

Thanks JJ in SD, and all for your feedback.<br />these gar looked green with light spots and they ranged from about a foot to three feet in lenght.<br />I tasted Gar fryed in cornmeal just like you cook catfish and it was delicious it was a long time ago but a lot of people I talk to say that its the best deep fryed.<br />What is chub and what other bait can you use?

 

[JJ57103]

Re: Gar fishing???

A chub, or creek chub, is commonly sold as bait here in the midwest. It's kind of a baby carp, of sorts. Basically, any piece of cut fish, maybe a 1" square fillet, skin on, would work just fine.

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: Gar fishing???

As a kid I'd bend the top beak back and toss them back in. They'd swim around like a submarine periscope.<br />This is the first time I've ever heard of them being eaten. <br />They sure can go through a bucket of Shiners real quick.

 

[rwise]

Re: Gar fishing???

Tony<br />The best gar bait is > take 2' of 1" white nylon rope tie a 4 or 5 oz lead to the center of it, now take a hair brush and brush it out. It is a bit of work, but a lot of fun. You will not need a hook as they get their teeth tangled in the strands. 1 is good, 2 is better, 3 OH BOY. They will fight each other and then turn and all go the same way. Yes some people do eat them, I have not. They are easy to clean just gut em, cross slice em, work knife in slice next to skin, roll! Gotta try it one of these days. Everone I know kills gar and wasts them, feed the turtles.<br />Richard

 

[tonydl86]

Re: Gar fishing???

Ok JJ in SD I'm going to try and catch some, from what i hear it should be a lot of fun because of the fight they put up, besides the bass don't always bite.<br /><br />rwise: what kind of tackle do you use with the nilon rope. cant wait to try this stuff.

 

[JJ57103]

Re: Gar fishing???

rwise,<br />Very interesting, and ya know... I reckon it'd work. I may have to give that a try if it ever quits raining here.

 

[rwise]

Re: Gar fishing???

The rod is a 15' finwick (sp?) with custom eyes, garcia mitchal 488 real, 20 lb line. That real holds enuf (enough) line to hook to the house, drive to the lake and still have line! First eye, closest to the real, the id is 1/4" larger than the spool on the real! Can be a lot of fun, anyway thats the one that has had the rope jig on it, it's my Dads' rod he had custom made for him.<br />My rod is a 14' finwick (hard to find these now) all custom made with a Penn 9500s, put this one together myself!<br /><br />I talked with a guy I work with, he said he uses yellow ski rope (about 8"). Just open it and slip it over the lead, tie it so it wont come off and brush it out, I have never seen anything but white, soft nylon used myself, but yellow could work as well!<br />Richard

 

[jasonballard]

Re: Gar fishing???

Down here in East Texas, western Louisiana Alligator Gars grow to monster sizes. We usually bowfish for them, especially drifting the river at night with Q-beams because that is when they like to hold up on the surface of slack water. I have personally shot a 180 lb. gar (estimated from the gar wheighing about the same as I do). My friend's dad in Louisiana has caught a lot of gar on fishing tackle. I think his biggest is around 100 lbs. He used an old gou head as bait on a giant saltwater treble hook and steel leader. We clean them by taking a chainsaw and cutting them open and scooping the meat from the skin. We barbeque them on the grill; tastes better than BBQ chicken. I think I still have at least 80 lbs. of that meat in the deep freeze. On the trotline, I will fill up a length of ***** hose will cotton seed meal and the will get there teeth snarled in the *****hose. You wouldn't believe the strength of *****hose holding a 50 lb. gar.

 

[jasonballard]

Re: Gar fishing???

The ****** are p-a-n-t-y. I don't know why the post did that!?!?

 

[eaw1952]

Re: Gar fishing???

we bowfish for them too believe it or not we have millions of them and I live 30 minutes from canada, we have to shoot them on the VT side of champlain, only carp are bowfish here in NY---go figure.<br /><br />we also catch them they get into the 20pound range commonly here, but that is about tops.<br /><br />we make a loop, or snare of fine copper wire, single wire, not braided, int he center of the loop we put a minnow, 4" or so, the gar hit he minnow and their swimming tightens the noose around their nose/beak/snout the rest is rodeo fun.<br /><br />we smoke them and also chunk them and can with garlic, some folks like to filet them and some fry them.

 

[neumanns]

Re: Gar fishing???

In South Texas they cube the meat, batter it, deep fry it. Pretty good eating. Down there the only people that I new fished them for the meat not the sport. They would tie 2-3 foot of strong string to a large hook and the other end to a gallon jug bait it and toss it out. When the gar tires the jug would serface and they would go pick it up.