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I finally caught my first Gar of the year, but it was on a minnow. For the life of me, I can't get them to take a fly! I can get strong follows on meaty streamers like rabbit or big synthetics, bu tI have never, ever been able to get them to hit. I've read plenty about what flies to use, btu they don't seem to like mine. Anybody got consistent luck with them on flies? Most of the Gar I'm seeing around here are at least 20 inches or more, and I saw a guy land one of 37 inches last week. I think the smalles one I've seen is the one I caught! (Of course!) It was 19".

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We've got a lot of gar species down here in Louisiana, spotted, longnose and alligator are the most common. the best luck i hade in getting them to hit is with a fly with a lot of flash (usually silver) of the same approximated size of the shad in the environmetn where they are (have to find the schooo of shad and take a peek). Even when they hit, though they are hard to hook because of their bony mouths. I had lots of hits, but never hooked up solid with them. Also gar don't like to expend great amounts of energy if they don't have to, so real fast retrieves are out. I've actually seen gar in the bayou in back of the science building here, just position themselves in the right place to let the newly hatched shad be carried to them by the outgoing tidal current, with them just expending enough energy not to drift downstream.

 

Mark Delaney

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Hi Mark,

 

We have plenty of gars around here and sometimes they are a pain to keep off your line. Here are some tips:

 

1) The smaller the gar, the smaller your fly should be. Not always the case with other species, but for gars under 20" try using a white #4 or even #6 woolly bugger. If you can see the gars, cast the fly parallel to the fish and maybe about 12" behind them. Then slowly strip it along side them. If the fish starts to follow, speed up your retrieve and hang on. Do not slow down!

 

Gars suffer from the same vision handicaps as most other pike; they cannot see directly infront of them, so an approach from the side is beneficial.

 

2) Use long shank streamer hooks. Most times around here the problem isn't getting gars to bite, it's setting te hook due to their bony mouths. Stinger hooks and long shank hooks seem to be the only way, although tube flies are making their mark as well.

 

3) Your fly should be within the top 3 feet of the water column. From personal experience, if the gars are below the first 3 feet of the water column (unless in a moderately fast river) they are not feeding during the day.

 

On a side note, I've caught some of the biggest gars of my life at night under a light-up float with a 10" live chub. Most fish taken were over 48".

 

The fish below was taken on a #2 black nosed dace near a limestone edge in the middle of the day using the method above. Best of luck!

post-23-1092803353.jpg

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Nice fish! One of my favorite spots on the river has lowered enough that the fishing is getting tough for most guys, and the crowds are moving away, so I know a position I can take which will allow me to cast right into a spot that concentrates Gar, Hybrids and walleye/Sauger. From the feel of bumping a jig through it, it's a grass bed with boulders around and through it, right at the downstream corner of a gravel bar, and just off a flat with a small inlet.

 

the best casting position is usually taken by the time I get there, so I have to adjust. This is where I caught that Gar though. On the same day I also caught a big Alewife (11") and a nice Skipjack by casting a totally unweighted minnow on a small circle hook into this area. I think a shiny, very lightly weighted streamer with lots of action would do the trick. Lessee...

 

White Zonker with added Krystal Flash!

 

 

Focus on Fish about Gar eh? Hmmmm....

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I've always used an 8x or 10x long streamer hook in the smallest size you can find it, 8 or 10.. then I tie wooly buggers or rabbit leaches in white, red, or lime. I also find the side approach works the best like pik or musky.

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Rougetrout, that is an excellent idea. To use smaller extended hooks. It may result in a much better hook up rate! Thanks for the tip!

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Gar are incredible fish.....here in Missouri I've found the best way to hook...(or catch) Gar is too unravel some small Diam. nylon rope,and frey the heck out of it....use this as your streamer wing,mixed with a bunch of crystal flash.....the fine teeth of the Gar actually catch up in the nylon wing material...Nathan

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Luvinblugills, the gar is another species that I catch on the sparkleminnow. They really love a flashy fly. (BTW, flash can be pearl flash, it doesn't have to be silver) When I'm smallie fishing I have to pay attention to where the gar are so I don't catch one. In withering summer heat, when nothing else is biting, I deliberatly cast to the gar. The hotter is is the better they seem to like it.

 

Pujic's recommendations are pretty good, but I have to add that one key to hooking them is to get them to take the fly straight-on. If they take it crossways in their mouth, you won't hook them. If I can see them take the fly, straight-on, then I can set the hook, with success, 90% of the time. You will need a bite tippet, too. You can catch a few with your regular tippet, but the presence of those teeth is bite off waiting to happen. Don't worry about tippet size. I've never known them to be line shy.

 

Actually, I chuck every one of them up on the bank. With no natural enemies (I guess I might be one, though) they reproduce like rabbits, anyway.

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QUOTE
Actually, I chuck every one of them up on the bank. With no natural enemies (I guess I might be one, though) they reproduce like rabbits, anyway.

 

 

 

 

After humanely dispatching them, right? wink.gif

Guys around here HATE Gar! At most of the dams, a short walk into the bushes usually reveals many of them that have been tossed back there. I'm wondering how long I can resist the urge to try some of the Gar recipies I've read!

 

I still have those sparkleminnows you sent me. I'll have to try them on the Gar around here. I'll definitely do it with a bite leader though, 'cause I haven't mastered tying them yet! biggrin.gif

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I've found pearl to be the best color for them.

Humanely dispatching them? Umm, yeah, that's it! biggrin.gif

I'm going to do a video on tying that fly, as everyone seems to have trouble until they see it done.

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QUOTE
Actually, I chuck every one of them up on the bank. With no natural enemies (I guess I might be one, though) they reproduce like rabbits, anyway.

ohmy.gif

 

Gar are one of the few truly natural wild species left in the Great Lakes area. It's too bad that some folks still think of them as trash and still do what I used to see the old codgers do when I was a kid. Keep all the "Game" species then Kill and dump everything else that didn't fit their idea of a Sport Fish. mad.gif wallbash.gif

Gar may not have many natural enemies...but neither does the Paddle Fish and when was the last time anyone in my region saw one? They used to be common. Anyway, more to the point. I get great enjoyment persuing gar and other "trash" fish on the fly. (they are all sport fish to me! headbang.gif ) I put them back with as much care as I do a trout or a bass. Gobies (real invaders) get dipatched and so will other "invading" species that have been deemed of real concern for the survival of the natural species of the Great Lakes region.

 

Now as for catching Gar. I've had great results (hooking most takes) from SMALL streamers like Dexters and Micky Fins, zonkers and Puke Flies (not really a streamer but THEY WORK). Size #8 hooks and #10s. The key is SHARPEN your hook. wink.gif Keep it sharp. Fish close to or on top of the surface. Fish it slowly...then speed it up A LITTLE after the gar starts to follow it. LIFT UP on the take.

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Well, then Mato, come on down to central Illinois. You'll have them all to yourself. You might call what we have here world class gar action! We have more of them than we know what to do with. If they were a rare sight, I would likely give them a bit more respect, but they are as thick as the carp. Frankly I get much more exited about the carp!

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