# Gar Fishing!



## Bman74

Hey guys I live in Andalusia Alabama (right on the Alabama/Florida line). And up here gar fishing out of the rivers is pretty popular, I've got some buddys that have been tarin'em up lately and being a newby to gar fishing I dont really know what the best set up is. Any thoughts on hook size, leader length, bait, and fishing technique?


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## skiff89_jr

Live bait (bream, shad, any small live fish) rigged on about a 6/0 J hook on a 12-18 inch mono leader tied to a cajun thunder cork. Throw out and wait. I'd say if you didn't have a bite within about 15 minutes to move. Gar are PLENTIFUL!


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## skiff89_jr

Kill every last one of them!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## JD7.62

skiff89_jr said:


> Kill every last one of them!!!!!!!!!!!!


Why?


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## Bman74

skiff89_jr said:


> Kill every last one of them!!!!!!!!!!!!


Oh I will be sure to kill the ones I catch they are getting way to abundant. And you said to use a mono leader want they bite through that, why not a steel leader?


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## skiff89_jr

JD7.62 said:


> Why?


I was being a bit sarcastic, but I will admit I kill any I catch. They're a major nuisance and over populated in my opinion. But i'm no marine biologist :thumbsup:


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## skiff89_jr

Bman74 said:


> Oh I will be sure to kill the ones I catch they are getting way to abundant. And you said to use a mono leader want they bite through that, why not a steel leader?


I've caught more than I can count while flathead fishing and i've never had 1 break my line; however, I see no problem with a steel leader.


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## Bman74

skiff89_jr said:


> I've caught more than I can count while flathead fishing and i've never had 1 break my line; however, I see no problem with a steel leader.


Alright sounds good I'll probably try a mono first off for the advantage of low visibility but keep a steel leader in my tackle box incase they start cutting it.


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## skiff89_jr

Now that I think about it my gar fishing buddy did use a steal leader. But they definitely can be caught on mono. Good luck!


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## CatHunter

Like skiff said no need for leaders, simple mono works great. If targeting them I would use a float with cut bait. Use a very sensitive float that the fish wont feel. Small strong J hook and a split shit should do it. Once they take the bait allow them to swim with it for at-least 2 minutes before drilling the hook in his skull. Your rig should look like this picture below.


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## Charlie2

*Gar Fishing*

I don't fish for Gar any more, but when I did, I used a hookless lure that entangled their teeth. Kinda like a mop head. 

The Fish Gar is good to eat. Stay away from the roe because I always was told that it was toxic. I never checked it out. 

On the other hand, the Alligator Gar isn't
supposed to be edible. I just killed them and left them for the alligators to earl. Ç2


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## Yakavelli

CatHunter said:


> Like skiff said no need for leaders, simple mono works great. If targeting them I would use a float with cut bait. Use a very sensitive float that the fish wont feel. Small strong J hook and a split shit should do it. Once they take the bait allow them to swim with it for at-least 2 minutes before drilling the hook in his skull. Your rig should look like this picture below.


Hey man, where can I get some of those split shits?


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## firespan1

Yakavelli said:


> Hey man, where can I get some of those split shits?


 Are you kidding Yak.No shot, you dont have any split shits?


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## Yakavelli

firespan1 said:


> Are you kidding Yak.No shot, you dont have any split shits?


Well, I used to, but I had to get the piercing removed...


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## CatHunter

Split shits are the best, much better than split shots


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## MikeH

I Use A fiberglass Arrow With A 4 PRong TIp. I CaSt It From A Pse 55# Recurve.


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## NoMoSurf

skiff89_jr said:


> I will admit I kill any I catch. They're a major nuisance and over populated in my opinion. But i'm no marine biologist :thumbsup:


 
So are some people, but we cant go around killing them... 
Gar have been here for 100 million years without our interference. And they are just now becoming overpopulated? Sharks too, I suppose?

As an avid gar fisherman and holder of World Record on Spotted Gar, I'll weight in on this.

The rig everyone describes is correct except I use a #4 treble. I usually catch most gar at or after dark. Hang a large minnow about 1ft below your cork. Mono leader is fine. Gar teeth are pointy, but not sharp on sides. When a gar takes your bait he will probably not pull cork under. He will hold bait sideways in his mouth and tote it around to show it off or find a good place to eat it. I've had them run around for more than 5 mins. He may pause for a few secs and go again. When he stops for more than about 5 sec... POP him!

When you catch, keep and eat or release them. No reason to kill. Not to mention that it is AGAINST THE LAW! I watched a guy killing gar a couple years ago. I advised him not too but he continued. About 30mins later the warden showed up and busted his @ss for wanton waste or something like that! I was laughing by butt off. I'm sure the guy thought I called the law on him, but I didn't.

I got stopped by a warden on a local creek once as well. He was looking for a couple of guys with bows in a black truck. They had been shooting gar and throwing them on the bank.


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted

I use to kill them but not anymore. But having a dock light I will say I dislike seeing 20 gar under it. I would rather see a school of glass minows being crushed by specks.


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted



NoMoSurf said:


> skiff89_jr said:
> 
> 
> 
> I will admit I kill any I catch. They're a major nuisance and over populated in my opinion. But i'm no marine biologist :thumbsup:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So are some people, but we cant go around killing them...
> Gar have been here for 100 million years without our interference. And they are just now becoming overpopulated? Sharks too, I suppose?
> 
> As an avid gar fisherman and holder of World Record on Spotted Gar, I'll weight in on this.
> 
> The rig everyone describes is correct except I use a #4 treble. I usually catch most gar at or after dark. Hang a large minnow about 1ft below your cork. Mono leader is fine. Gar teeth are pointy, but not sharp on sides. When a gar takes your bait he will probably not pull cork under. He will hold bait sideways in his mouth and tote it around to show it off or find a good place to eat it. I've had them run around for more than 5 mins. He may pause for a few secs and go again. When he stops for more than about 5 sec... POP him!
> 
> When you catch, keep and eat or release them. No reason to kill. Not to mention that it is AGAINST THE LAW! I watched a guy killing gar a couple years ago. I advised him not too but he continued. About 30mins later the warden showed up and busted his @ss for wanton waste or something like that! I was laughing by butt off. I'm sure the guy thought I called the law on him, but I didn't.
> 
> I got stopped by a warden on a local creek once as well. He was looking for a couple of guys with bows in a black truck. They had been shooting gar and throwing them on the bank.
Click to expand...

How big was this record gar you caught?


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## NoMoSurf

Randall2point0 said:


> Wirelessly posted
> 
> 
> 
> How big was this record gar you caught?


8lb 9oz And before I get a lot of responses saying that they have seen some 3 or 4 times that big, those were probably longnose or alligator gar. This is a spotted gar. the smallest of the North American species.


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## Bman74

NoMoSurf said:


> 8lb 9oz And before I get a lot of responses saying that they have seen some 3 or 4 times that big, those were probably longnose or alligator gar. This is a spotted gar. the smallest of the North American species.


Thats pretty damn cool!


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## MikeH

Good Catch! I Have ShoT Spotted Gar Very Close To That Size,BuT Of Course It Has To Be Caught To BeEligible FOr A Record. Again,Great Catch,The Record Is Something To Be PRoud Of!


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted

Those gar are a pain when fishing dock lights! Get out of my way!


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## gastonfish

NoMoSurf said:


> 8lb 9oz And before I get a lot of responses saying that they have seen some 3 or 4 times that big, those were probably longnose or alligator gar. This is a spotted gar. the smallest of the North American species.


Nice! Do you eat them?? 
BTW My wife would have killed me if she came home to see that on her countertop!!


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## NoMoSurf

MikeH said:


> Good Catch! I Have ShoT Spotted Gar Very Close To That Size,BuT Of Course It Has To Be Caught To BeEligible FOr A Record. Again,Great Catch,The Record Is Something To Be PRoud Of!


I caught one quite a bit bigger a few years before. I turned him loose. A few days later, I was wondering what the record was and looked it up. DAMN!

Do I eat them, no. I have heard that they are good. I tried to clean one once, but broke a knife on him and didn't get in...

as for the kitchen counter. Wife was mad, but I was recently married and it was my house first... I didn't say it though :thumbsup: She had to go though. Current wife lets me clean fish (that she mostly caught0 on the kitchen counter. Then she cooks em. LOVE that woman!


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## NoMoSurf

I'm surprised that no one has pointed out that I killed that one. He died from being hooked, plus he is one of only 3 or 4 that I have ever killed.


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## kilroy1117

I was just thinking, "Man, that's dude wife is gonna smoke his ass if she sees that fish on the counter!" That's pretty damn funny. Good on ya!


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## weedline

why kill one if not to eat it im fine to kill anything for a meal but if u are to lazy to cook it dont kill it


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## ditz

I certainly agree on not killing the gar. I don't live in your area so maybe I don't have a say. I do know that it is against the law to kill alligator gar if not the others. There are a few up here and I hope to get into them one of these days on a flyrod. .....some of the idiots up here still kill carp. What a waste. One of the best fighting fish in warmwater and they can get quite large. I for one will call the law if I ever see anyone killing gar or carp. :thumbsup:


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## CatHunter

Gars are no threat to other fish. They primarily scavenge and hunt smaller fish that will fit in its mouth.


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted



CatHunter said:


> Gars are no threat to other fish. They primarily scavenge and hunt smaller fish that will fit in its mouth.


Try threaten my menhaden while fishing dock lights! Lol


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## CatHunter

Randall2point0 said:


> Wirelessly posted
> 
> 
> 
> Try threaten my menhaden while fishing dock lights! Lol


Ain't that the truth. They love shad and menhaden.


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted

Yeah, when there is about 15 gar under a light and your trying to striper fish it's frustrating. But a good thing about gar is it takes them a while to turn the bait around in their mouth to eat it, so if one takes your live bait you rarely actually hook one unless you free spool him for a minute. But you run through your bait like that also.


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