Longnose Gar

[Ratherbfishing]

Yesterday a buddy and I went down to a bridge spanning the Sangamon River. We were surprised to see over a hundred longnose gar dispersed mostly in "pods" throughout the upstream side of the bridge. Although it wouldn't have been a complete surprise to see a gar or two, to discover that many was quite unusual. They were almost completely motionless and at a glance, one could easily have mistaken them for stacks of wood. Do gar migrate? This was our only guess for why there were so many in a place that usually holds very few.

[cast_and_destroy]

They've been known to move inshore to shallow water or upstream t spawn in pools.They spawn in the spring though.

Depending on the weather they might just be lethargic. There's a lot of them where i fish.

[WV Mojo]

I've been reading about fly fishing for them, looking forward to trying it next summer. I know a spot thats loaded with them.

[Bankbeater]

They tend to get in a lot of lakes and ponds around here when the river floods. They seem to like lipless baits.

[moguy1973]

I've been reading about fly fishing for them, looking forward to trying it next summer. I know a spot thats loaded with them.

Don't even really need a hook to fly fish for them. Just a short 3-4" length of nylon rope (the white kind that gets all frizzy when it unravels) and comb it out to make it look like a streamer. The rope strands get tangled in their teeth. From what I've heard they put up a heck of a fight for about 30 seconds before becoming a log on the end of your line.

[Bluebasser86]

They don't really migrate but they move to deeper water during the cold water months and they school up really thick like you described. There's probably a deep pool close by that they're wintering in.

[SirSnookalot]

I don't know if they migrate or not, but you may be surprised where some are caught. This was caught on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale and it isn't the first I've read about.

[Bluebasser86]

I don't know if they migrate or not, but you may be surprised where some are caught. This was caught on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale and it isn't the first I've read about.

I wonder if they can do that because they can breath air out of water? Strictly freshwater fish don't last long in saltwater otherwise.

[craww]

Thats pretty crazy snook! Freshwater eel will move out to sea also.

[SirSnookalot]

I know the reverse is true for a few species, snook, tarpon, jack crevelles and some snappers can tolerate brackish and freshwater, I'm sure there are others that I'm not aware of. I have seen a few times in pure freshwater canals small needlefish.

[EvanT123]

I from Ny and we get a striper run for a few weeks a year and you would be surprised what makes its way up here. Sea lions and possibly a bull shark. I think we would all be surprised how quickly animals and fish can adapt.

[alexczarn]

In Australia, the black bream http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_black_bream can live in freshwater or salt. I have caught them both off beaches and in totally fresh water.

Granted the ones in the sea taste a lot better, probably their diet.

[The Dark Knight]

I think I'd be too busy keeping an eye out for the crocs if I were fishing in Australia... I'm a Florida guy and I am reasonably comfortable with gators, but your critters are bigger and meaner.

This year I caught a +3 foot gar on a jointed rapala, lost a 4 footer on a shallow diving shad rap, caught and lost a few others on soft plastic swimbaits such as the storm wild eye shad, the D.O.A. C.A.L, and yum minnows.

[alexczarn]

I think I'd be too busy keeping an eye out for the crocs if I were fishing in Australia... I'm a Florida guy and I am reasonably comfortable with gators, but your critters are bigger and meaner.

Not down south where I live.