# Mysterious fish on ripping white tubes



## ltaylor8959 (Jun 3, 2013)

I have been down to the Ohio river a few times this year. I am stuck on throwing white tubes. Every time I go down I hook on to monsters by rip jigging them off bottom. Each and every time I have hooked on I have lost these big fish. I don't know what they could be. They snap my line with ease. I had one snap my line before I set the hook. I started using 10inch steel leaders. To my surprise it must engulf it past the leader and still breaks off. I tie very strong knots. I figure it must me big wallet or pike. Next time I go I'm gonna use 20-30lb test with Atleast 18 inch leaders. Does anyone have any idea as to what they could be. It's not gar. I've caught plenty of those ha.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

its flatheads, no need for wire, just man up with the gear.


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## SeanStone (Sep 8, 2010)

Could be gar too. We were drifting the ohio for blues the other day and the amount of gar we saw was crazy. I had two rods load up and both baits came back with teeth marks.

You dont need a steel leader for gar though. ... Id agree bigger gear and youll see your mystery fish. 

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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Some of us up here, are having problems LANDING huge gar too!
Use strips of cut bait with rope & singe hook, instead of trebles & whole gills or shad.

I went to Youtube for some ideas/ answers.
Check out this 'deal' LMBO!





This one will make you lol!





Here's the best ideas,,, with rope. BUT use/add a strip of (bluegill) cut-bait too, Specially for bobber fishing at night. 










How to Skin/ clean a gar


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## FishNerd (Apr 22, 2013)

I'm voting catfish. A lot of people are under the assumption that catfish are big lazy scavengers getting fat off things that fall to the bottom. That's true for young catfish, especially channel cats. But most large catfish, though, are apex predators in whatever body of water they inhabit. It's not unusual for cats to hit crankbaits and other "active" lures. I saw a guy take a decent sized catfish on a spoon bait while fishing for stripers at R C Byrd just last week. That's why trophy catfisherman use live bait in most situations, usually a sucker or bluegill or something similar. 

There's always the chance that it's one of the larger, toothy fish like gar, but massive gar are pretty rare (although that doesn't mean they don't exist - the state record is 25lbs but I'm sure bigger ones have snapped a few lines). There are also big bottom feeders like gar, buffalo, and drum that all easily exceed 20lbs. I've had drum hit hard on white twister-tail jigs.


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## ltaylor8959 (Jun 3, 2013)

This has been helpful. I didn't rule out the possibility of gar completely but I've never had a problem getting one in. I just couldn't explain the line snapping everytime. I use 10-12lb test and have landed many large fish. And after losing one with a steel leader I was shocked. How big are the gar at the Ohio river. And are they as good to eat as I've heard about alligator gar?

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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

:BIf it were me i'd be flipping around 50lb power bro braid and a 50lb steel leader. Would definitely like to see what fish it is....better have a good backbone rod and great drag on your reel as well! HOLD ON!! lol:B


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## ltaylor8959 (Jun 3, 2013)

I might go back to braid just for this reason but for my day to day fish I got away from it because it snapped to easily jigging rocks etc... Anyways yes I am def gonna upgrade some gear as most of my stuff is all new and nice expensive crap lol. It's not enough to land whatever these fish are

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## SeanStone (Sep 8, 2010)

ltaylor8959 said:


> How big are the gar at the Ohio river.
> 
> Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Ohub Campfire mobile app













My gfs biggest from the meldahl pool of the ohio river near rome, ohio. 53" and only 15lbs. They do get much bigger.

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## oldman from the hills (Mar 29, 2013)

I've fished Hannibal and Willow Island dams and seen Gar close to 5 ft and had 60 lb Spiderwire braid snapped by something. It could even be a giant Stripper but would lean towards a cat. PB was a 37lb flattie caught on a 8" goldeneye at Willow Island above the dam. Good Fishing


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## Daveo76 (Apr 14, 2004)

Don't forget , there are huge Drums too


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## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

I would stay away from the steel leader. What rod/reel are you using?
I would use 40-55lb. braid, double uni to 30lb. mono leader material.
Is your drag cranked all the way down? Maybe even step up to a saltwater grade hook or jig so you'll be less likely to break the hook.


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## ltaylor8959 (Jun 3, 2013)

I was using a 6'6 medium action johnny morris carbonlite rod and reel with 10 and 12lb mono. I however just bought a new 7'0 buco heavy action rod with one of my old quantum reels and lined with 17lb flourocarbon. So I'm gonna try again soon!

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## kyjake (Nov 21, 2007)

Several years ago I landed a 53" gar on 8 lb,same trip fishing buddy landed a 54" also on 8 lb so gar don't seem to be too tough on gear.Catfish would be my best guess of line busters in the river but there are some big carp in the river that can be hooked accidentally.


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## BottomBouncer (Jan 20, 2005)

I'd seriously switch to braid. The slightest rough spot on mono or flouro will be the breaking point. 

Whatever you were getting into wasn't taking in the entire steel leader and cutting the line. Your line was just breaking on the hookset. Assuming this is a fish and it's fairly large then your hookset isn't going to move the fish much. I have broke 8/0 Gamakatsu circle hooks flathead fishing. 80lb. braid, 60lb. flouro leader and XXH rod. The hook was the weak spot. I set the hook, fish didn't budge and the hook broke under the barb.

Again, if it is a fish then eliminate all possible equipment failure points. You never know what you'll get into in the rivers. Best to be prepared.


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