Gar Fish

[achja]

Anybody know anything about gar? I've never seen one before until this past weekend when I had one in excess of THREE FEET!!! swim between my legs while I was wading. What do they eat? Ever catch one?

[Flyguy]

Hooker has a great fly for Gar. I have been with him when he has hooked and landed gar form 3# and upwards of 15+# and they do put up a great fight. We also caught the gar on the same river you where fishing. Drp him an e-mail and I am sure he has some great pointers for you and the pattern for the gar fly.


Flyguy

[FFing Duo]

I caught one last summer while fishing for b****on the Flint River. It measured 31" and put up a pretty good fight. It hit a rubber-legged BH black Wooly Bugger. I was fishing some slack water along shoreline gr****below a set of shoals when it hit. I think it was a miracle that the hook penetrated its bony mouth.

I have heard that somethimes people fish for them with only a length of frayed rope as bait. No hook. Supposedly they will hit almost anything, and their teeth will get entangled in the rope, thus negating the need for a hook. Haven't tried myself. I think I would feel foolish casting just a hunk of rope, unless I knew there was a concentration of them in the area.

[Hooker]

Gar: My favorite trash fish! The current record in Georgia is 28lbs. Does anyone happen to have a copy of the IGFA line cl****records for gar?

The Gar Fly:
Unwind a the braid on a soft nylon rope until you have a 12" strand of fiber. Fold the fiber strand in half and thread it half way through a split ring. Mix in a few strands of flashabou and spin a strong collar just behind the split ring. Cut the loops and fray the rope fiber.

Throw the Gar Fly in front of the fish, give it some movement, and get ready to rumble.

Hooker

[achja]

Hooker,

This I have to try! But how do you get the rope out of its teeth once you catch it?

[FlygURL]

Ummm, garfish... http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/smile.gif

Down in the neck of the woods that I am from (Southeast Louisiana), when you catch a garfish, you call it a day and go fry up some garfish balls. And I am not kidding, they are great!

It just goes to prove once again that we Cajuns will eat anything!!

[The Ole Man]

flygURL
I thought you were from Miss. SE Louisiana-? no wonder you're so wild. Poor Jack.

[HNeal]

Poor Jack? If she learned to cook even a smidgen of that food, he's one lucky dude. They could make even gar balls taste go-ood.
BTW, I once had smoked mullet dip, excellent!
I think a lot of "trash" fish are often overlooked as good eating if fixed properly. Heck, when I was growing up on the coast, the red drum wasn't considered good eating, until Paul Prudomme (sp?) got a hold of it and called in "Blackened Redfish"

[Hooker]

Achja,
You have to cut the rope out with a knife. I usually wear a glove when I'm catching gar, and I just grab them by the nose and pull them in the boat where I use a fillet knife to cut them loose. Just be careful and don't let them get away from you before your ready. Those teeth hurt.

Hooker

[FlygURL]

Redfish, sheepshead, garfish - it's all good!

No nutria for me though!

Lived in New Orleans for 10 years and 13 in Picayune and Hattiesburg MS. If you check your map, no town is closer to Louisiana that Picayune. Just across the Pearl River! Oh, what fishing!

[FlygURL]

Oh yueah - Jack and I can both cook well! Bon appetit!!

[davida]

Re:cutting rope

I presume you don't release. or do you?
Just wondering.

[Hooker]

davida,
I do release! Once I cut the fiber and pull it out with needlenose pliers, the fish is ready to go. I'm not into garfish balls.