# Question about Gar Fishing



## therocket37 (Jun 12, 2013)

Hey Guys,

I've never been bowfishing and I wanted to attempt to catch some alligator gar in chocolate bayou via rod and reel. first of all, I know this is possible but is it likely on light tackle? What areas (types of environments) would I want to key in on to find gar? What do you recommend using for bait? Is it easier at night? Any and all information about catching these beasts is appreciated!


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## David. (Dec 14, 2012)

Slow moving water preferably adjacent to a main river with lots of flow. A back bay also is good that is fed by a river or lake. I try to find a bay or landlocked canal that is fed by big rivers or lakes.


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## David. (Dec 14, 2012)

Bait is essentially anything you can catch in a cast net where they are or are close by to. In the laguna I use cut mullet. In fresher water cut tilapia and brackish water I use buffalo carp. All th fish are in the area where the gar are.


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## fishermayne (Dec 22, 2009)

Tip 1: find an area where you know that gar are located. Just troll around during the day and look for them rolling on the surface. They also tend to swim near the surface, so if you troll a shoreline you are likely to see them, if they are there.

Tip 2: use bait that can be swallowed whole. Gar have teeth, but don't chew or bite there food like a shark. They use their teeth to hold their prey, but will only eat something they can swallow whole. I would gauge my bait size on the size of the gar I see rolling. I typically use small perch or a cut up mullet. 

Tip 3: don't set the hook. Gar have a very boney mouth and you are unlikely to hook them in the mouth. They also don't eat their prey right away. They will usually take your bait and swim with it for 2-5 minutes, before they swallow it. Like previously mentioned, gar swallow their food whole, and what they are doing when they are swimming around for that 2-5 minutes, is making sure the prey is dead and positioning it so that it can be swallowed. They will then swim fast and open there mouth, using the water pressure to push the prey into their stomach. Your best chance of hooking a gar is deep in the throat or upper stomach. I basically just let the gar hook themselves, and will just keep giving them line until I get tired of playing with them.

Tip 4: Use braided line, 80 lb test minimum for Alligator Gar, 30lb will work for spotted and long nose. I have found that using a wire leader will make landing easier, but you will have a much greater chance of the gar dropping the bait before it swallows it. Gar are smart and if they feel anything is not right, they will drop bait and swim. I don't like using big weights or bobbers for that reason. Any resistance they feel while they are swimming around, positioning the bait, could spook them. I like to fish near the surface, especially in the summer when they are rolling. I will use a small bobber, just big enough to keep a small perch near the surface. Then I will start feeding line as soon as I see the bobber go under. Once I stop having to feed line, I will count to 100, then I will gradually reel in until I feel resistance.

Tip #5: If all else fails, you follow these tips and still don't catch any gar, there is a sure fire way to make sure you catch at least one gar. What you do is go over to the Trinity river any night of the week, between 59 and trinity bay, and try to catch a catfish!


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## Tee (Jan 2, 2014)

Anyone seen or caught gars around the US 59 or US90 parts of the Trinity lately?


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## Mustad7731 (May 23, 2004)

*Gar Fishing*

Catching gar can be a little tricky.

I've always had the best luck using 5/0 to 7/0 treble hooks on a 18" single strand 
wire leader, about 100lb test.

I've almost always used a larger bait, some fish that had a more round profile,
because I always cut the bait into at least 2 pieces. I'd remove the guts and place
one of the treble hooks into the backbone very solidly, and back the other 2 into the
ribcage/sidewalls of the empty gut sack...that way the gar couldn't feel the hooks.

The bait would weigh about 4 to 8 oz and would cast like a dream! If I wanted to
attach a float it would be easy to use a popping cork.

I'd cast it out and wait with the "clicker on"...When the gar picked up the bait I'd
feed line (w/o the clicker & minimal resistance) for about 2-3 minutes....maybe 
a little more and set the hook!!!

I was foolish years ago and killed lots of Gar for the $0.50 hook, now I just cut 
the wire leader...

I think that you could probably catch Gar with a large circle hook (16/0+), but I
would just skip the hook setting. Instead of hooking the bait in the gut sack I'd
hook the bait with the point coming out between the eyes or across the back.

I would use an 8'-10 surf rod w/30-40 lb mono line....unless you had a MAJOR problem
with having to control the fish....I've caught lots of gar and have never needed
line larger than 40 lb mono.

My $0.02
Mustad7731
Jack


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## fishingcacher (Mar 29, 2008)

I noticed there were a lot of gar in Cypress Creek especially after white bass season has ended.


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