# Caught a really big gar today at Alum



## Hooksetter (May 17, 2009)

Was trolling today at Alum at picked up a 49 inch gar had to weight about 30 lbs..never seen a fish like this before. Released the fella...got skunked on eyes...did manage a few on bouncers after trolling. I have never seen a gar before.....mean looking.


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## StuckAtHome (Apr 29, 2004)

Thats state record size, 50.5 inches and 14.72 pounds.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

I agree, if it really weighed more then 15 lbs, perhaps it was a muskie....ha ha
I caught a 48" LN gar one time and it was a nice hjealthy thick fish that weighed right at 10 lbs and Mellon took a 49" LN from the Ohio with a big belly and it was right at 14 lbs, for the record, a trophy LN gar is considered 48" or bigger here in Ohio. Nice job!!

Salmonid


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## CoolWater (Apr 11, 2004)

Awesome catch! Does my heart good to see a thread about a native 'rough fish' that doesn't end with it getting destroyed without purpose. Seems too many gar stories end that way. I would definately say that would be considered trophy size for Ohio - and maybe you released a state record fish.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

I have fished Alum a LOT and never caught a gar. I have never heard of a gar being caught there. I have also never seen one. I am betting you caught a musky and a real nice one to. Congratulations on your catch.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

It was probably a muskie man! Good job, nice muskie at that!


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## st.slippy (Oct 3, 2008)

A 49" anything is awesome!! So congrats on that!! You have to remember the state record saugeye was caught at Antrim, far bigger than the previous, and what do you think people said to him. I agree though, probably a muskie


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## lawrence1 (Jul 2, 2008)

I'm sure the OP can tell the difference between a Gar and a Muskie. 

Nice catch.


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## marinescco (Aug 21, 2007)

Any pic's? It would help if we could tell if it was a Gar or not. But I agree, anything that big would have to be a Muskie. A Gar that size would most likely have to come out of a big river with heavy water flow.


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## symba (May 23, 2008)

So what bait did this massive creature hit?


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## Raybo92255 (Feb 10, 2007)

I have seen schools of really big gar in Hoover many times; there is a specific habitat (deep water near mid-reservoir humps ... those that know Hoover likely know where I'm talking about) where I have seen them congregate often during the day in the summer just under the surface... I don't fish for them but they are there ... don't doubt there are some big boys in Alum also. In fact, I couldn't beleive my eyes the first time I saw so many large Longnose gar in a reservoir ... I've never got them to hit anything and never made a strong effort to target them as I prefer saugeye/crappies but I have seen them several times I've been in that area of Hoover in the past several years.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Never seen a longnose in Alum...or the actual creek North of Westerville Dam for that matter. When Alum Reservoir was built in '74, the stream below was in pretty terrible condition. Any gar that should have been in it were probably long gone. The OEPA reported gar being back in alum in '86.

Thus,

I highly doubt he caught a gar. I also highly doubt there are gar in Alum Reservoir. Plenty in hoover, that's for sure.


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## DaleM (Apr 5, 2004)

There are Gar in Alum. I've both caught and seen them there. A few years ago we watched several smaller gar in the cove beside The New Galena boat ramp. I've also seen them North of 36/37. 
I agree though he most likely caught a Musky if it was that big.


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## Scientific Angler (Jul 12, 2007)

There are definately gar in Alum. I've seen them as well. I have also seen a 48'' gar before but that was when I was working on the Ohio river. The weight was just an estimate guys. I wouldn't get to hung up on it. Nice catch man.


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Nice catch...I've seen 48'-50" gar in Ohio weigh from 9# to almost 15#. Most weigh about 11# or 12#. Probably handled about 10 or 12 that size this yr. Neat fish..Bet that was a suprise when he came to the surface.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Well that's nice to know!


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

my wife and i were on one of our first dates, i took her fishing in the scioto river near chillicothe. about 11 pm i hooked into what i hoped was a nice shovelhead. turned out to be a gar. it was 55 inches and nearly 20 lbs (estimated weight, had no scale). at the time i was unaware of the state record so i didnt get a picture with it or anything other then a witness and a measurement. i would have released it alive regardless but i wish i had gotten a pic. so they def get that big and i cant imagine someone mistaking a musky for a gar.


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## marinescco (Aug 21, 2007)

I know that there are Gar that big in Ohio, I just figured they would be in the main flows of the river, not in a reservoir. But I am also not the brightest crayon in the box!


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## BigBen (Oct 7, 2008)

There are huge gar below Hoover. Not at that so called "honey hole" (the first hole below hoover), but the second one below College Rd.. I didn't know that they got big like that, until I was wading one day and saw a HUGE flash from the side of one darting off into the depths.


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## pomial (Sep 5, 2008)

Nice catch!!!!


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## andesangler (Feb 21, 2009)

Gar or musky, it's a catch of a lifetime at that size. I'm trying to imagine all those teeth...

andesangler


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