# First Gar! 8-3-09



## dht (Jun 27, 2009)

So we went fishing in fish river trying to see if we could get this monster gar we've seen for about 6 years as we've tubed.. We didn't get it, but we still got a pretty good sized gar. There were plenty of gars rolling out there. We went back today and we didn't find any gars. But we did catch a spanish and some ribbonfish in the cast net - made the trip better..










It was 4'10" and we're guessing about 50-60lbs. 

Here it is compared to my brother who is about 6'1''










And here are the filets we got. We ended up cutting the meat off and frying it in small pieces. The original plan was to roast it, but we were hungry.










Thanks!


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## minkmaster (Apr 5, 2008)

Pretty good to eat, pain in the rear to clean though. It deters me from keeping them most of the time.


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## dht (Jun 27, 2009)

Oh yeah its a pain to clean. Took around 30 minutes for this one fish.. Took a machete and a hacksaw... We found a video on youtube so we followed what they did, but it was a ton of meat. And not to bad once I got over the fact that I got it from fish river..


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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

What do you catch them on? I was fishing insanta rosasound the day before yesterday and I saw a school of about ten of them in one area! I kid you not! I had never seen them that far into the sound before. Threw spoons, gulp, topwaters...nada.


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## minkmaster (Apr 5, 2008)

In Missouri I catch them on a fish arrow. They are always hitting on them.


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## dht (Jun 27, 2009)

We caught live pogie at the mouth of weeks bay and just hooked them on the line alive and let them swim out. We had 2 lines out at once. Had probably 5 bites but only got the one, they didnt hook very well, the one we caught we let take the bait out about 100 yards so it would swallow it.


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## countryjwh (Nov 20, 2007)

i only have caught them on live bait. good job on the gar.


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## surfstryker (Sep 28, 2007)

I bet that was a good fight. Are you gonna save the jaws?


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## ScullsMcNasty (Oct 4, 2007)

awesome fish! ive never caught one that big but i have caught plenty in the 5-10lb range on soft plastics


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

just to let u know so u don't get into any trouble it is illegal in Florida to kill posses or to boat and alligator gar, they are a protected specie now


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## dht (Jun 27, 2009)

> *surfstryker (8/5/2009)*I bet that was a good fight. Are you gonna save the jaws?


We did keep the jaws, theyre gonna look pretty cool. The fight actually wasnt very good, I think we used to large of a reel. We just got new reels and we wanted to test out the penn 300trq, and it was no match for it, but now we know to use a little smaller setup.


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## dht (Jun 27, 2009)

> *GLENNFISHMASTERFLOWERS (8/5/2009)*just to let u know so u don't get into any trouble it is illegal in Florida to kill posses or to boat and alligator gar, they are a protected specie now


Dang, do you know if its like that in alabama?


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## countryjwh (Nov 20, 2007)

all i could find in florida is that you need a permit. it was dated 2008, so that may be old news. needless to say i would call and find out.

alabama used to be one per person but that may have changed. i don't really target them.


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

> *countryjwh (8/5/2009)*all i could find in florida is that you need a permit. it was dated 2008, so that may be old news. needless to say i would call and find out.
> alabama used to be one per person but that may have changed. i don't really target them.


The limit is still 1 in Alabama. There are no doubt some real monsters in the Fish River. That heavier tackle would be a necessity on some of the ones that I have seen.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Tensaw river holds the Alabama record alligator gar i think its something like 151bs, beating the old record by 10lbs in 2004 and u are right it is illegal to posses alligator gar and grass carp with out a permit, and the only way to get a permit is to be a scientist or a fish and wild life management


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## surfstryker (Sep 28, 2007)

Post up a pic of them jaws. :takephoto


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## dht (Jun 27, 2009)

> *GLENNFISHMASTERFLOWERS (8/6/2009)*Tensaw river holds the Alabama record alligator gar i think its something like 151bs, beating the old record by 10lbs in 2004 and u are right it is illegal to posses alligator gar and grass carp with out a permit, and the only way to get a permit is to be a scientist or a fish and wild life management


Are you talking about posses in Alabama or Florida? All I have found says it is a one fish per day per angler in Alabama.


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## dht (Jun 27, 2009)

> *surfstryker (8/6/2009)*Post up a pic of them jaws. :takephoto




One of my friends has them who was fishing with me. Ill have him post a pic up soon.


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## Midnight Rider (Sep 30, 2007)

Shot a bunch of them in by bow fishing days, never tried to clean and eat one. Never was that hungry. How is the table fair????? I do know they make good fertalizer.


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## angus_cow_doctor (Apr 13, 2009)

I tried some one time. I tried it fried, and it was tough. Tried it grilled, and it was tough. Tried it baked, andwas tough.:banghead

After spending an hour to clean the 2 fish we kept, I decided to never keep anymore of them. Not worth it to me.

Best way to clean them is with a new pair of tin snips.:doh Just start cut with hacksaw.

They LOVE live bait. We used to catch them by the dozen on lay lake on live bream. We were targeting catfish, and the gar would tear up your gear and eat your bait.:boo


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

FLorida


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## dht (Jun 27, 2009)

Our gar didn't taste bad, it wasn't tough either. But, for some reason, the thought of eating the gar made it odd to eat. It tasted fine though (we fried it) but it was just the thought in the back of my mind. Probably won't eat them again though, plenty of other things to eat that taste much better.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

oh and one more warning the row on the gar is toxic, so don't get any in your mouth, all this gar talk is making me wanna go catch a few of them legless gators, Perdido river is loaded with gar, mostly long nose but there are some alligator gar in there, at ruby's fish camp there is a picture of a 140lber they pulled outta perdido river not to long ago, i my self have caught a pretty good bit of long nose gar from 15-25lbs outta there and i see them rolling at the surface all the time while iam cat fishing...


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