My first Gar

Post by **Markus** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 8:28 am

Some of you may have seen this in the great lakes forum, but I wanted to post it here also, so the people who don't read the other forum could have a look. I've also recieved a lot of PM's with questions, so I thought I'd elaborate a bit.

I was so excited about finding these. There were hundreds of them swimming together. They were not boat shy, but they weren't active either. We threw everything we had at them - spoons. spinners, cranks, they wouldn't break formation for nothing.

We stayed on top of the school and dropped small twister tails right into their face. 95% would ignore them, but a few would take a lathargic snap at it. It was enough to fetch up the plastic in thier snots and the hook would just curve around their beak. We'd gently lift on the rod and carefully real them straight up. A fish being yanked from the school didn't bother them a bit. In fact, the gar wouldn't even start thrashing until they were in the boat. They had no fear.

Definately a neat looking fish. We boated 4 and we're having 2 mounted for the wall. They have two rows of razor sharp teeth in that beak.

Post by **wolfe** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 9:40 am

Funny, Markus, but I was just talking to my veterinarian (an avid fisherman, particularly muskellunge) about fishing and gars came up in the conversation. What an unusual fish they are, both in appearance and in behavior. They look like something from another time...

Nice pic's...(and wow, is that BLUE SKY and SUNSHINE I see?!)!

W.

Post by **GamblerSteve** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 1:01 pm

I got my first one last spring. This spring I'm going out to target them, there a blast fight hard and strike hard.

Post by **Markus** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 1:19 pm

Whoa, that's a fat one!

Do you catch them regularly? What do you normally get them to hit?

Post by **kingston-Mike** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 1:57 pm

I wonder how'd they rate as tablefare?
I would imagine something similar to Pike perhaps?

Post by **GamblerSteve** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 1:59 pm

That day last spring we could of caught over 20 of these if we stuck with the hook. Their mouth is all bone so it's hard to get a hook into them. They we're striking spinnerbaits and shallow running cranks. The shallow running cranks we're getting more strikes I think because of the rattles (I think they we're getting pist-off). Guys use that heavy white cotton rope about 6" tie a knot at one end and fray it up on other, so when they strike their teeth all tangled up.