# Catching gar



## Crusader (Jan 31, 2014)

I had an interesting experience recently -- I was fishing shallow end of the small lake and noticed a decent (~3ft) alligator gar cruising around, eating bluegills. And he did not mind getting too close to the shore where I was. So I figured -- lets catch him. No way -- I had my hook (with various grubs/gulp minnows/etc) in his mouth at least 6 times (I was just dipping it next to him and he was grabbing it). Every time events followed along one of two scenarios:
A) he starts chewing it (and I could see grub moving in his mouth) and eventually spits it out
B) he starts chewing it, I wait a bit, try to set the hook and it flies out of his mouth :-\

Same happened to smaller spotted gar who joined him later. How do you catch them -- what is the trick?


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## Dtrojcak (Jun 17, 2012)

Frayed rope.


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## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

Dtrojcak said:


> Frayed rope.


This will catch them although if you break off this fish he will most likely die. Use dead/live bait and let him swallow it. Mouth is all bone except the bottom of the mouth. Trebles help as they have a better chance to catch in soft part of mouth.


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## Dtrojcak (Jun 17, 2012)

So far, I've only caught one gar on a limb line. 
He foul hooked himself in the soft part underneath his jaw. 
The line was tangled in his teeth and around his mouth. 
I was pulling the line in to go home when I found him. 
The line had only been set for a few hours. 
He would've cut the string if he had been on the line much longer. Two of the three braids of the string were cut already. 

As said, let them swallow it. 
Or get a fishing bow and arrow.


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## txtrotliner88 (Mar 3, 2013)

Grind up a small amount of baitfish and put it in the toe of a knee high panty hose. Tie a treble hook to your line and run it down inside the pantyhose burying it in the bait. Tie your line and the panty hoes in a knot to hold the bait and hook in place but don't cut off the excess pantyhose. The hook will hang in the soft part of the mouth and the panty hose will get tangled up in the gar's teeth. Good luck!


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## nikki (Apr 14, 2011)

Just like roping a calf. A very fine wire that can hold the shape of a lasso hung below a float. Hang a light hook from main line/wire then bend the wire in a loop and back to main. When he sticks his nose thru the loop as he takes the bait it will tighten (like a snare). Bigger wire for bigger gar and works on any size fish.


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## sotexhookset (Jun 4, 2011)

We used to do this but used guitar string. Simple piece of tape held the loop ope a foot under a styrofoam float and cut bait for bait. We caught some seriously big bastards in the river and lake like this a long time ago. Biggest one I've ever seen up close was hung up in a trot line we had out back in 82' or so. It was a little 20 hook line us kids put out to run next to camp in Copano Bay. Only 11 or 12 yo then but knew this dude was over 8' when we walked up on it. One of the men walked out to it and cut it off for us and did say as well that's one of the biggest sobs he's ever seen. One of those good memories you don't forget.


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## Crusader (Jan 31, 2014)

Guys, thanks a lot of pointers!


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