# Gar



## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

Just a picture of a Gar for anybody that doesn't know what one is. Alot of people at my work for some reason don't know what one is.


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## Chuck78 (Dec 25, 2004)

I caught one of those in BDC one time. It was fun, it hit like a bass but no fight. I didn't even know what it was until I got home. Scary lookin fish.

They are a top water fish. That is about all I know about them.


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

I caught this gar in paint creek about a month ago.


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

flathunter said:


> I caught this gar in paint creek about a month ago.


I caught a smaller one in Big Walnut Creek last Friday.. I will post a pic once the film get finished up and developed. I got to get a digital. I caught mine on A Roostertail.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

how do you guys feel about them being killed after they are caught? I was reading an article in F&S that talked about this...


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

I release every fish I catch, except bait fish, including gar.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

I'm not saying any of you guys toss em on the bank, but I know they are talekd about as a nusance fish and was just curious if they are dealt with as they are in the south....also, are there any efforts to protect the long nose along with the aligator gar in the area? are there even aligator gar in the area?


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

No aligator gar in ohio, and the longenose does not need protecting, they are everywhere......I just prefer to release all my fish, because I might want to catch them agin someday


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## jfout (Apr 26, 2004)

We only have long nose gar , in ohio. I wish we had alligator gar though.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

if the aligator gar is native to the miss. river, wouldn't the ohio be included in thier natural range? can anyone say STOCKING EFFORT!!!!


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## dfoxfish (Apr 13, 2004)

johnboy111711 said:


> if the aligator gar is native to the miss. river, wouldn't the ohio be included in thier natural range? can anyone say STOCKING EFFORT!!!!


i can't, for the life of me, figure why anyone would want them stocked.  they are not a game fish to me, and they eat my favorite fish. you'all can do as you want with them,  but i for one would kill any gar i caught.


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

jfout said:


> We only have long nose gar , in ohio. I wish we had alligator gar though.


Not me. I would never get in the water then. I have seen picture of how big the Alligator Gar can get 8 feet is to big for me. I will stick with the longnose. I let my last Gar live, but for the most part, I kill them also.




P.S. I got me some new line for my pole dfoxfish.


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## bassmanmark (May 17, 2005)

If you want to catch a ton of gar use the following. It sounds like I am making this up but we catch a ton of them in the spring doing this. Cut a piece of panty hoes about 2ft long and put a hook on it. The Gar will attack the panty hoes thinking it is another gar. Teeth gets caught in the panty hoes and then you can kill it or let it go very easy by just getting it's teeth untangled. It works.


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## leckig (May 11, 2005)

I think they are cool looking fish and they should not be killed by noone. Plus, why they are not game fish?


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## Eric E (May 30, 2005)

They will destroy a fish population... The one quarry we fish at, theere are a ton of them in there, and alot of the crappie you catch their have teeth marks all over them from the gar... Seems like they overpopluate themselves too quickly...


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

I think gar are one of the coolest fish out there. I go to TX every yr to bowfish for gator gar...You wanna talk about a monster of a fish!! Gar are actually really good to eat if you get the larger ones. I haven't seen any real big longnose here in Ohio ( biggest I've seen were about 48" but real skinny) but down south they'll get up to 50# and bigger.


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## Thesanturellos (May 10, 2005)

I have to agree with Eric they are a big pain in the quarry we have caught 7 of them this year


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

i really don't understand why people would kill them, seeing that they haven't devestaed fish pops. yet,and they are a natural fish....which means....if they haven't ate all the fish in the past lets be conservative and say 200,000 years, why would they start now???some people have no respect for fish they don't understand... I always say, don't kill it unless you are gonna eat it.


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## Eric E (May 30, 2005)

johnboy111711 said:


> i really don't understand why people would kill them, seeing that they haven't devestaed fish pops. yet,and they are a natural fish....which means....if they haven't ate all the fish in the past lets be conservative and say 200,000 years, why would they start now???some people have no respect for fish they don't understand... I always say, don't kill it unless you are gonna eat it.



So the problems they are having with the mussels and foreign fish in lake erie and other such lakes, that is not a problem? The quarry we are talking about, they are overtaking it..... They have not been there for a long time, so they have not had a chance to eat all the fish.....


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

eric e, i am mainly talking about the lakes and rivers around, not your small pond. what is your point about zebra mussels and gobys? as far as i knew, which i may be wrong and feel free to correct me, but I thought those were non-native invasive species. Gar on the other hand have been here since prehistoric times. seeing that they have been around so long, wouldn't they have eaten all the fish by now? They are just an intrical part od our eco-system. I would really like to learn as much as i can about them.


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## mikie_fin (Jun 25, 2004)

Not knowing much about Gar, but are they edible??


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

I've never actually gotten one all the way in, but was w/ Flathunter when he got the big one as well as some others. My son (6 years old) is obsessed w/ them. He wants to catch some real bad. I really think they are a neat fish, but hate it when we get the "gar runs" when cattin. I think theyd be a blast to target w/ an ultra light. Maybe Salmoinnoid will see this post, he knows alot abou them, plus he targets them on fly rod.


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

I almost caught another Gar today. I got him to strick twice, but he never took it. He was about the same size as the one I caught last Friday. The creek (Alum Creek) was crystal clear today. I went in up to my chest to free a snag. Didn't want to loss my Roostertail.


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## Eric E (May 30, 2005)

At one time all species were non- native- evasive species. In rivers the gar population is in check, like you said they have been here forever.. The body of water I am referring to (at least 17 acres) the balance is out of whack right now... they are heavily overpopulated. I grew up fishing the ohio and muskingum rivers, and you would see a couple each time we would go fishing... In this body of water, while in the canoe, we probably saw over 50...I do not think they are natural in such a small body of water, it is the first smaller body of water like this... .... So I guess I should have stated... "In this case"....


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## catfishhunter33 (Apr 6, 2004)

hhjhjhjhjhjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

all fish wern't non native. many fish, such as LG mouth bass were always here, atleast since they evolved from another speices.


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## leckig (May 11, 2005)

I would love to catch some and send pictures to friend of mine. They would not believe such a weird fish exist. Let me know where it is if you can please!
greg


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

leckig said:


> I would love to catch some and send pictures to friend of mine. They would not believe such a weird fish exist. Let me know where it is if you can please!
> greg


You want to know where to catch Gar? I know they are in both Big Walnut and Alum Creek. Sinse Big Walnut is the creek from Hoover, I would also guess that Hoover has them as well.


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## twistertail (Apr 10, 2004)

They are in every creek and lake around here! Sometimes you will see them on the surface with their snout sticking out of the water a little. You can catch them with a night crawler if you can get it close to them with out spooking em.


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## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

I've heard the only edible part on them is the tenderloin that runs along the spinal cord. I know there was a huge garr taken in Kent a few years ago in Ohio, I think it was 165# and 6' something. It was in one of those Fish Finder magazines the bait shops pass out.


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

I saw BIllyG cut one....... with a pair of tin snips. I won a beat w/ my dad that his knife couldnt cut one. He keeps real sharp knifes, the Buck 101 didnt faze this thing.


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## dfoxfish (Apr 13, 2004)

mrfishohio said:


> I've heard the only edible part on them is th etenderloin that runs along the spinal cord. I know there was a huge garr taken in Kent a few years ago in Ohio, I think it was 165# and 6' something. It was in one of those Fish Finder magazines the bait shops pass out.


the only type of gar the state recognizes is the long nose. the state record is 25# and 49" long. :B


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## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

Anyone going swimming...or wading ?


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## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

Gar record in Ohio...it's the sportwriters association or something that makes up the catagories. One of the relatives, a cousin or something of one holds the gar record. Again, I could be wrong, but I'm almost sure. That's when it came about. I asked them once why wasn't there a catagory for skipjacks, same as KY...because they're not a gamefish. I wrote back, neither is a gar.....
Anyhow, don't get me started or I'll have to send my self a PM for a TOS language violation !!


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

mrfishohio said:


> Anyone going swimming...or wading ?


First, how did you post such a huge picture? I can't upload anything near that size. Second. I wade and swim our waterways. I am just glade that thing (Alligator Gar) aint in our waters swimming with me. Because if it was, I sure wouldn't be doing it anymore.


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## dfoxfish (Apr 13, 2004)

that's absolutely awesome!!!!! if the gator gar are like that in the mighty mississippi, what the heck are the kitties and carp like? :B going swimming in h20 with toothy critters like that is INSANE!


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## WINNER (Apr 7, 2004)

Check out these guys!

They are a little crazy...

http://garfishing.com/

Winner


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## Thesanturellos (May 10, 2005)

They also will bite on crappie minows fished on top with a bobber.


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## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

I normally won't post it in the huge size, I use the medium, but it makes more impact for this particular story  
Anyway, just follow these easy instuctions to post like a pro.  
http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23973


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

mrfishohio said:


> I normally won't post it in the huge size, I use the medium, but it makes more impact for this particular story
> Anyway, just follow these easy instuctions to post like a pro.
> http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23973


I know how to post pictures, but not as big as you. I will have to read the link when I get home from work. To long to read right now.


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

When we were in TX this past yr I took my fins and mask and was gonna try and swim with them in one lake we fish which is super clear. I never got a chance though because the weather was bad on the days I took my snorkle stuff. We swim down there in the same areas we see big gator gar...They won't bother you.....Gar tenderloins are really tasty. Its white meat with no fishy flavor at all. It has a texture that is similar to frog legs or shrimp.


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## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

Hey Carpn, Id' be careful...haven't you ever heard the expression, "swiming with the fishys ?"


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

mrfishohio said:


> Hey Carpn, Id' be careful...haven't you ever heard the expression, "swiming with the fishys ?"


You have watched one to many mofia movies lol. Got any cement shoes I can wear while swimming?


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## dfoxfish (Apr 13, 2004)

Rod&Reel said:


> You have watched one to many mofia movies lol. Got any cement shoes I can wear while swimming?


i would'nt swim with fishy's like that gator gar either!!!! :B


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

dfoxfish said:


> i would'nt swim with fishy's like that gator gar either!!!! :B


Yea me either. The only way I am swimming with one of those is if I am on a boat, drunk, and fall in. Then the first thing I am doing is heading straight for the boat as I sober up really fast. No really, if I was to fall in. I would probably have a heart attack. To me it would be like falling into the ocean. No thanks.


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## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

Actually yes, I do.


> Got any cement shoes I can wear


 Have several made up & ready to go (cement blocks with ropes attached) I use them for anchors in certain areas where you can lose an anchor or two real fast. Also they come in handy for "dropping" someone off.


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

mrfishohio said:


> Actually yes, I do. Have several made up & ready to go (cement blocks with ropes attached) I use them for anchors in certain areas where you can lose an anchor or two real fast. Also they come in handy for "dropping" someone off.


Ok, but only if you use me as your fish finder while I am down there.


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Aw...they won't bother you on purpose. I've gotten some scraps and small wounds from them though putting them in the boat...Just accidental stuff from them flopping around.
This yr I had one thrashing at the side of the boat and he put his snout right into that soft spot right above your chest at the base of your neck...Just about dropped me in the bottom of the boat...lol.


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

I swam with them as a kid all the time in Big Walnut Creek. I never had an issue with them, but I wouldn't swim with the Alligator Gar. Screw that. There are alot in Big Walnut, I saw them all the time as a kid.


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

I did have a friend tell me he was bittin by one, but I fine that hard to believe seeing how often I swam with them as a kid.


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## BuckeyeFishinNut (Feb 8, 2005)

If you wanna catch gar fish the Ohio River. They are everywhere in the summer. They are also pretty thick in the Scioto too. Easiest way I know to catch them is to fish fresh cutbait below a large slip float. Let the current just slowly take it and if there is gar in the area it wont take long to get a hit. Let them run off with it until you float comes back to the top then set the hook on them. They have a very had snout so you have to let them take it a little further into they mouth where there is a lil more skin for a hook to set into. Also a little advice, dont throw a cast net in an area where you see gar. When they hear the splash they think its food and will swim into your net. You wanna talk about a pain to get out. The bite into your net and them roll all in it. Sometimes the only option to get them out if to break off their snout. they are more trouble than good in my opinion.

Jake


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## Rod&Reel (Jun 4, 2005)

BuckeyeFishinNut said:


> If you wanna catch gar fish the Ohio River. They are everywhere in the summer. They are also pretty thick in the Scioto too. Easiest way I know to catch them is to fish fresh cutbait below a large slip float. Let the current just slowly take it and if there is gar in the area it wont take long to get a hit. Let them run off with it until you float comes back to the top then set the hook on them. They have a very had snout so you have to let them take it a little further into they mouth where there is a lil more skin for a hook to set into. Also a little advice, dont throw a cast net in an area where you see gar. When they hear the splash they think its food and will swim into your net. You wanna talk about a pain to get out. The bite into your net and them roll all in it. Sometimes the only option to get them out if to break off their snout. they are more trouble than good in my opinion.
> 
> Jake


If I was into fishing for Gar (which I'm not), I would just stay here in Columbus and catch them all day long. Ohio River is to far and to dirty for me to want to travel to it just to fish for something I can catch here. They are everywhere here also.


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## tuscriverfisher (Jun 29, 2005)

Know of any good spots near new philadelphia for gar? any help will be greatly appreciated


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