# gar fishing



## TrenchMouth

i've recently been fishing part of the LMR and a creek emptying into it. when the water is clear i can see a bunch of gar just hanging at the surface. i have tried i few different things and got a handful of strikes but i can set a hook in their boney mouths. does anyone have any tips, tricks, or secrets for me. thanks.


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## XL506

Are you sure its gar??


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## Carpn

I've heard of people having luck catching them in a piece of frayed nylon rope. White or yellow I believe. They actually make lures just for this. The gar have fine teeth which become entangled in the rope when they hit the rope. You could also try using small minnows on a small hook.


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## KansasBoy

I've always found that I only catch gars when I'm trying to catch something else. Caught a dozen or so last time I went catfishing. Little suckers LOVE rotting liver . . .


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## creekwalker

Check out the article by Mark (Salmonid on OGF) - http://www.flyfishohio.com/fly_fishing_for_gar.htm

It's about fly fishing for them, but there's some good info there, especially about unhooking them once you catch them! Also a few pics of the "rope flies" that are sometimes used to catch them.

I've targeted them a couple of times, but have no success to date. I might try them again if they are up in the creeks now. They usually make it up to the part of the creek right behind my house 

CW


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## JTRESS

Not quite as sporting as catching them with a lure....but, gar are considered "rough" fish and are legal to snag...or shoot with a bow.!%


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## TeamPlaker

I catch them sometimes when I'm bored and nothing else is biting. I toss a little silver roostertail and fish it close to the surface.


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## shortliner

Gotta use a minnow. Set it with a size four or six hook about a foot below a bobber, then let em run with it for a few minutes before setting the hook. Works pretty well.


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## Mean Morone

I suggest you get the prettiest looking catfish bait you can find. Nice fat live gizzard shad will get you noticed  I think the best bait for gar is creek chub minnows. You should use a wire leader if you are really wanting to get them to shore or boat. Usually the mono will break on the hookset. If you are setting the hook and you feel absolutely nothing and your line is cut, you have found gar. The wire leaders should work. Don't forget to let them run a long time. They need to swallow the bait real good to get past all those teeth and that bony mouth.


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## MuskieJim

There is conventional lure for gar. Their bony mouths are very difficult to bury hooks into. A few years ago, I learned about the nylon rope trick. You take a small piece of nylon rope, maybe about 8 inches or so. You then "V" the rope through a large split ring and use a zip tie to secure the rope onto the split ring. You can then fray the rope out and it can mimic a minnow when stripped. A gar does not actually hit lures, they simply soft mouth them due to all their teeth. When the gar mouths the lure, give him a sec then just slowly apply pressure. He will think the prey is trying to get away and chomp down a few times. As Carpn said, the nylon rope gets tangles in their teeth. 

I recommend trying this on a fly rod. Also, bring scissors to clean the fish's mouth of any tangled nylon rope


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## sevenx

As suggested the rope fly works well, Use a 1" wooden dowl rolled back into the jaw and then a good old fashioned pocket comb to remove the fly. S


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## Lunkers

Wow, lots of good info here in this post. I am sure you will be catching them with the Rope lure/fly. I never target them but when I have hooked and caught them it has been on a custom flat sided crankbait with needle sharp new treble hooks. They will destroy a nice new custom balsa flat sided wide wobble crank fished high in the water column. Now as far as 20-25 dollar lure. Chances are it will be damaged by the time you get it out of the fishes mouth. As Mean mentioned, it is likely to lose your bait before you get it in, unless you are using a leader. I know what it feels like to swing on a BIG THUMP and have nothing but empty line.


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## fratfish

best way to do it is to pull a dead minnow across the surface as slow as you can right by them when the gar are at the surface. they will go after it visciously. the other way we catch them is just a floating rapala, again very slowly across the surface with a little struggling movement when you get close to them. my friends and i do this quite often on a summer afternoon when the sun is out, seems to be the time when they are on the surface. ton of fun, easiest way to catch 3 inch plus fish in the columbus area.


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## Fishman

fratfish said:


> , easiest way to catch 3 inch plus fish in the columbus area.


lol I think he meant 3 foot plus fish in the columbus area, at least I hope that's what ya meant 

Just read Mark's article about gar fishing right now. Funny thing was, I honestly had ever saw those anywhere. I use to do the same on the river with nylon rope! I used spinning gear, but once the nylon rope is wet it actually had some density to it and you can cast it quite easily.


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## fratfish

ha yea, not a 3 inch fish, those seem all too easy to catch. i meant a 30 plus inch fish, now thats a bit more of an accomplishment in the columbus area. if we ever quit getting nailed with these storms and the river slows down, i'll be out there trying to get my hands on a couple of these monsters.


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## Ðe§perado™

First I would use fiberglass to get them or just use a gar lure, like Carpn said. here is a picture of what they look like. A friend of mine uses these with his fly rod.


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## Salmonid

If you think a 30" fish is a monster, that would typically only be about 3-4 lbs, in my dealing with the Longnose all over Ohio, the 40" mark is a nice fish, and 45" is a trophy for river fish anywhere in the country. What you will find is once these fish get above 40", they really start to just get heavier without adding much length, I have taken several 42-43" fish in the 7-8 lb range and my best was a 48" fish at just a hair under 10 lbs, I might mention the state record is a 25 lber that was right at 50", a real gut heavy pig!!

Desperados rope fly is about what I tie except his is much more intricate then mine, I might mention many articles talk about breaking off the hook and only using the rope but I always keep the hooks on in case I land a better other game fish such as crappies, big bluegils, rock bass, saugers, LM bass and a 17" smallie I took on the Chagrin, without the hook left on, I mould have missed all of these.

Salmonid
PS Gar are thick right now below Greenup Dam


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## amazing189

My son and I usually take any leftover live bait from catfishing and go the the same types of places. We typically use a small treble hooked through the nose of of a minne or small baitfish. Just like the other guys said, a foot or so below a bobber, let 'em run for a minute or two & have fun. 

Funny enough, we were in Panama City Beach fishing under a bridge where the salt and fresh water merge....my boy caught a 3 1/2 footer....we were pretty suprised...fun though!

Good luck, 
Danny


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## Hay in Ohio

Young man,

This is a method to catch your garfish that work.

Wish I had a picture of what I use so, I'll try to explain it to you the best I can.

1)Get some stainless spinner wire that is not very heavy.
2) cut a length that you can work with. ( 7" to 9" )
3) at the half way point, bend the wire 1/2.
4) use pliers and twist a loop where the wire bends.
5) hold the top of the wire and with the other hand grab the bottom.
6) make the bottem make a circle with about 3" past the main wire.
7) bend the 3" wire back on the opposit side .
8) THEN, bend the tag end down through the loop you made.
9) on the top twist on a swivel snap
10) on the tag end put on a swivel snap and a #6 hook
the loop should be 3" to 5" around
To use this rig, depending on the water you fish, add a bobber on the line.
on the hook plase a nice minnow.

When the gar grabs your minnow, just set the hook ( most likely not ) BUT you just cought a gayfish with the loop that works just like when you rope a calf .
:F
PS, yes, they are good eating.


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## Hay in Ohio

GARFISH 
NOT GAY FISH lol


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## Crappieman420

Lol, ill have to try that

LAND BIG FISH !!!


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## Hay in Ohio

OK,
That was from a gray haired grumpy old man that has fished the Maumee for 60 years . An old man taught me that when I was about 10 or 11. I thought he was nuts but tried it anyway. Guess what, IT WORKS.

PS: I don't want you to catch a state record, I'm going to do that. LOL


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## Matulemj

TrenchMouth said:


> i've recently been fishing part of the LMR and a creek emptying into it. when the water is clear i can see a bunch of gar just hanging at the surface. i have tried i few different things and got a handful of strikes but i can set a hook in their boney mouths. does anyone have any tips, tricks, or secrets for me. thanks.


Is this just south of Camp Dennison in Indian Hill? I was on my yak a couple weeks ago and hooked a couple. There must've been 10-15 3' gar just hanging out right where the creek dumps into the LMR. I was able to hook them on a set of #6 gang hooks with a crawler.


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## IMiss_Na_H20

I don't know what a big gar is, but I reeled in one about 30" to my kayak and nearly crapped my pants. I was thinking about what I was going to do with all those teeth in my boat in moving water when the line broke..WHEW!


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## oldstinkyguy

Back in the day we used to camp out on that big rock bar below Meldahl Dam and catfish at night. During the day we would use cut bait cut up into small pieces about an inch square. If it was a normal run it was usually a catfish but if your line took off like a carp running with a doughball you knew a gar had taken the bait. Then you let the fish run and run till you couldn't stand it any longer before setting the hook. That way the gar had time to swallow the bait. several still cut the line but you had a chance to catch a big ugly hard fighting fish on light tackle. It's a blast. Caught one 46" that way that jumped like a tarpon.


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