Gar lures

[Slade Carroll]

What are the best lures for gar what type hard baits and soft baits work and what craft lures like hot dogs work would shrimp on a treble hook work how do I make the rope lure that catches gar if you know any crankbaits that gar would go after tell me the color that would get there attention thanks

[CroakHunter]

Catch some creek chubs or shad or bluegills and turn them into cut bait. Let the gar eat it for a long time and set the hook as hard as possible. You need super sharp strong hooks and a steel leader or really heavy mono. Not only are their teeth sharp their scales are like armor and are very abrasive as well. They have super hard mouths. We fish for them in the summer and our bite to land ratio is very low. I prefer to shoot them with a bow. 

[Bluebasser86]

Gar will hit about anything that gets close to them. I sight cast to them with cheap hard plastic minnow baits. About impossible to hook with treble hooks but every once in awhile I'll land one. Mainly they're just fun to get that first jump or two before they throw the hooks. 

 

Natural baits, they like fish, alive or dead, but they're experts at stealing baits. You have to let them swim forever until they actually swallow the hook or you'll never land one. It takes time and practice to feel when they've swallowed the bait instead of just holding it and swimming with it. 

 

Rope baits you can just tie frayed rope onto a hook shank or jighead, with or without a hook, so it looks a bit like a minnow in the water. Doesn't have to be pretty, they'll still bite it. You just have to make sure there's enough material to hold them when they bite. 

[SDoolittle]

[All about da bass]

Anything shiny. They like flash, vibration, wild colors.

1 hour ago, S. Doolittle said:

I've done that before. You won't loose a fish on those ropes.

[desmobob]

Those rope lures look easy to make... interesting.  Gar will really hold on to one of those all the way to the boat?  Is it hard to get the rope lure off their teeth to release them?

 

There are lots of big Spotted Gar in the lake I fish and I've had dozens of them hit various bass baits but have never landed one.  I usually throw whatever I happen to have on at the moment when I see one and it seems like they are always game to take it.  They usually come off almost immediately.

 

A fishing buddy of mine hooked one with a 5wt fly rod in a small river one day and he fought it for a long time.  He finally got it to his feet and I was just getting out my camera when it thrashed hard, broke the tippet and got away.  We were both very disappointed to miss that photo opportunity!

 

Tight lines,

Bob

[Maxximus Redneckus]

The rope gets  tangled in their teeth(hope) is how they get caught 

[Bluebasser86]

Once they bite there is no way for them to release it as the rope gets wrapped in their teeth. Sometimes you have to cut it out it gets so wrapped up but it's easy to make several of them before a trip or take extra rope to make them on the water. 

[N Florida Mike]

A small chunk of cut bluegill works best for me. At night. The catfish may get there first though.?

[Abuss55]

Those rope lures work really well I like to use a 1/4 oz Joe's fly, the seem to prefer the black and red or brown where I fish for em during the summer, I don't know why but I have a pretty good hook up ratio with the inline spinners with a treble hook on the back. Like everyone said they are just a blast to fight, very aerobatic and they'll try to throw the hook on you every chance they get. I got this one that Joe's Fly