# I want to catch a gar.



## Ir0nMan (Mar 4, 2018)

Any suggestions how? Never caught one before.


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## percidaeben (Jan 15, 2010)

We all do. Ha! There is a ton of them in Hoover. I would check it out about the same time as the crappie spawning up in the northern end. The gar will be there spawning also.


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## All Eyes (Jul 28, 2004)

There are a couple of interesting rigs for gar. Their snout is all bone and very hard to get a hook set on. An old man once showed me how to use a piece of nylon rope tied to the hook. Their teeth get locked into it and don't let go. I've seen cotton balls used and other methods as well. In my younger days we would catch them by the dozens in Devola, which is a roller dam lock on the Muskingum River. They would get thick as thieves down there and steal bait in a blink. They have to be the fastest swimming fish in fresh water.


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## Fishingisfun (Jul 19, 2012)

I have had gar grab my crappie jig a few times. I don't think they are picky on what they try to eat. The problem is hooking one when I set the hook the lure just slips out of their mouth. I'm told the mouth is really hard to hook. I was told an old timer trick is to wad up an old piece of nylon hose on the top of the hook throw it to the gar and let it take it the hose catches in their teeth and they can't spit the hook. It sounded a little like snipe hunting but I can't say either way.


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## Farmhand (Jul 11, 2011)

6” piece of bailing twine tied to a swivel


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## tvfisherman (Apr 16, 2004)

I did manage one at Hoover a few years back casting a crank bait. I don't believe I had a good hook set on him but after he hit he managed to roll a few times and by the time I got him in the net my line had basically hog tied his snout. While the back treble was in his mouth it took nothing to get the hook out. The trick was unwinding the line from his face. Also had one take a shot at a little Rapala once. He actually snapped the back end off of it.


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## Tastefishy (Jan 5, 2016)

We caught them in Big Darby while using creek chubs under a bobber. They would hit and kill the chub and a minute or two would pass and they come back and the bobber would take off across the top of the water, much like a crappie bite. We gave them at least a 10' run before setting the hook or we would miss them every time. My guess is that they grab it and then work the bait back towards their mouth? Also, we would fish the up stream side of a hole. Good luck!


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## Nohaha (May 10, 2013)

Any size to them in Hoover? I've only ever caught them in the south or shot them while carp shooting in Saginaw Bay.


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## Baloogala (Jul 29, 2016)

Both of the ones I've caught over the past couple years have been on a wee craw crankbait. The first (Scioto) was a bit of a surprise, the second (Big Walnut) I saw them massing up and got one to take it. The first, the hook actually got through somehow; the second, I just kept the rod low so the bait was sort of wedged in. As soon as I got him to shore, it came out. They are aggressive as heck. Every time I've seen one and threw something to it, they hit.


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## sixtyminutes (Jan 3, 2009)

As mentioned, the North End of Hoover will be full of them around the same time Crappies are spawning. One day with no wind, I could see hundreds of them just under the surface. It was like they were getting a tan. Very slim minnows were just under the surface at the same time so perhaps they were eating those. They show up everywhere in Hoover but I would focus up north if I was targeting them. Big Walnut is also full of them. We used to target them as kids. Very strong fighters. Hard to hook. Let them swallow the bait. Eat all you want. I hear they taste like smallmouth.


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## Be Like Water (Oct 12, 2014)

Hocking river has tons up until whites mill dam. I catch them all the time, either on stinger hooks or circle hooks. They're bait thieves though.. definitely let them take it for a while as others have said. They make runs similar to, but slightly different than catfish once hooked. Short energetic dashes. Difference is, they will try to rip and tear the bait off your hook before deciding to eat and run with it.


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## the_waterwolf (Feb 8, 2013)

This is what I have made and used. Worked every time.


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## redthirty (Sep 19, 2014)

Bobber no. 6 long shank lite wire hook and a minnow. Set your minnow about 6in. Under the water. When you get a bite be very patient. He will kill the minnow first. Let him take it under at least 3 times. Reel up the slack in your line and set the hook. Catch quite a few like this in the summer.


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## All Eyes (Jul 28, 2004)

As many have stated, let them run with the bait for a bit. When they are competitively feeding in numbers, they can grab your bait and be 20 yards down stream in a flash. But they hold it in their teeth like a pike does and usually don't inhale it right away.


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## the_waterwolf (Feb 8, 2013)

All Eyes said:


> As many have stated, let them run with the bait for a bit. When they are competitively feeding in numbers, they can grab your bait and be 20 yards down stream in a flash. But they hold it in their teeth like a pike does and usually don't inhale it right away.


This is where the rope lure is perfect. I set the hook with just a "swoop" hookset. Think of it as you're lifting up on a crappie when jigging them and not setting the hook as your would a muskie. This is if you're using the rope lure.


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## STRONGPERSUADER (Nov 5, 2006)

I for sure wouldn’t try eating one. Especially a female, the eggs are poisonous.


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

If you actually catch one big enough to eat they make excellent table fair . The meat is white and mild with a texture closer to chicken than fish Tough getting one thick enough to clean in Ohio . 

There's a lot of YouTube videos showing the procedure to clean gar . I mostly have cleaned/ butchered alligator gar and we used a machete to chop a strip of scalles up the middle of the back . Once that's done you make a cut from the top to bottom in the seam between the scales at the front and back . Once that's done you filet the skin off and open them up like one of those old style lunch boxes and remove the meat like you would remove loins off a deer . Trim off any red meat . Cut into nuggets and bread and fry .


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

I agree with what everyone has posted so far. Frayed rope and panty hose on the back of a blade bait is what we used to use. I’ll just add don’t use braided line and you may consider using a steel leader as well.


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