Catching Long Nose Gar with Live bait

[Run2jeepn]

A spot I fish pretty much daily has a big amount of Long nose Gar. I like to set up a pole for them while I Bass fish... My Problem is my hook up ratio is low.

 

My Rig is: 65lb Braid to a Steal leader. I place the Bobber to get my depth anywhere from 1ft to 2ft down. I use a Circle Hook and a Treble hook as a trailer. Then use live Shad or Bluegill has my bait. 

 

Getting Gar to hit it and run is no problem. Close to 100% hits.. I let them run stop, run again, stop again run.. etc.. Tried Setting the hook hard at different times. Tried Just getting a tight tension.. All seems good till about 5ft from getting them in. They seem to just let go. I'm only able to get maybe 1 out of 10 on land.

 

Any tips?  I've tried Rope Lures... Can't ever get them to hit them. I've spent weeks and many hours on them before giving up. Live bait is all they will hit.

[TnRiver46]

Jerkbait 

 

[Choporoz]

I've stopped throwing lipless when I see those telltale gliding 'humps'.  Some days I can't keep them off...and they aren't much fun to have in a kayak with me.

[Woody B]

Nice gar.  In the past I've had them hit stuff but I've never been able to keep one hooked.  I've never targeted them, but there's longnoses in Lake Norman and Lake Wylie.  (Maybe more lakes I fish)

[TnRiver46]

They peel off all your line and jump like crazy, it’s a wild ride. And they bite nearly everything they see. They are some of the most fun you can have 

 

[soflabasser]

I have caught longnose gar over 50 inches long on swimbaits, they are a fun fish to catch.

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, soflabasser said:

I have caught longnose gar over 50 inches long on swimbaits, they are a fun fish to catch.

I think 46” is the biggest I’ve got but I hath seen thee white whale moby dick of a gar that looks over 50” surface repeatedly 

 

he’s on the hit list! 

[soflabasser]

I have caught a couple big longnose gar, and they all gave a great fight for their size. They fought harder than any double digit bass I have caught. 

22 hours ago, Run2jeepn said:

Any tips?  I've tried Rope Lures... Can't ever get them to hit them. I've spent weeks and many hours on them before giving up. Live bait it all they will hit.

Try fishing with a swimbait that imitates the baitfish in the area. Make sure your hooks are sharp, since gars are masters at shaking the hook off.

[Bluebasser86]

A single, small hook is a better choice for gar, just have to let them run for a long time, they'll most likely swallow the hook. Even guys that target giant gator gar use very small hooks. I use straight braid to help drive the hooks and their teeth won't cut it so you don't need to use a leader. 

 

You might also look at something like a rope fly if you're really wanting to try for them. 

[Run2jeepn]

On 7/20/2022 at 7:22 PM, Bluebasser86 said:

A single, small hook is a better choice for gar, just have to let them run for a long time, they'll most likely swallow the hook. Even guys that target giant gator gar use very small hooks. I use straight braid to help drive the hooks and their teeth won't cut it so you don't need to use a leader. 

 

You might also look at something like a rope fly if you're really wanting to try for them. 

 

What Size Bait would be to big for a smaller hook? I've been hooking them here... would I be better hooking them through the nose with a smaller hook? I try to use the smaller size bluegill or Shade. What ever I catch with rod and reel. Till I replace the cast net.

Not my pic, found on google

[Captain Phil]

Why would anyone want to purposely catch gar?  Just kidding...   Here on the Harris Chain we have tons of them.  Some of them are huge.  I caught one on a spinnerbait in Kissimmee that was so big I was afraid to bring it in the boat.  No one that I know fishes for them here.  You would have the entire fishery to yourself. 

[Bluebasser86]

12 hours ago, Run2jeepn said:

 

What Size Bait would be to big for a smaller hook? I've been hooking them here... would I be better hooking them through the nose with a smaller hook? I try to use the smaller size bluegill or Shade. What ever I catch with rod and reel. Till I replace the cast net.

Not my pic, found on google

Small baitfish or chunks of larger baitfish work best, like 3-4 inch bluegills or shad. A small, stout #1 or 1/0 hook will be plenty. Straight braid and a stout rod will help drive the hook. 

[Run2jeepn]

11 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Small baitfish or chunks of larger baitfish work best, like 3-4 inch bluegills or shad. A small, stout #1 or 1/0 hook will be plenty. Straight braid and a stout rod will help drive the hook. 

Never tired cut bait for longnose... I'll give it a try this morning.

[TnRiver46]

I caught a nice one this weekend with a dead bluegill about the size of  the one in the picture. 
 

look how it “hooked” itself 

[thediscochef]

On 7/19/2022 at 4:13 PM, TnRiver46 said:

Jerkbait 

 

This is a proper assessment in good taste; see below

It's not a joke though - the kvdj300 I used in that picture had hooks wrapped around the snout - it wasn't actually hooked. I have also caught them on chatterbait with the hook coming up through the bottom jaw. I have come to assume longnose gar hookups as luck-based possibly more than any other species. But there are always ways to increase your percentages. Like using a jerkbait.

[TnRiver46]

6 hours ago, thediscochef said:

This is a proper assessment in good taste; see below

It's not a joke though - the kvdj300 I used in that picture had hooks wrapped around the snout - it wasn't actually hooked. I have also caught them on chatterbait with the hook coming up through the bottom jaw. I have come to assume longnose gar hookups as luck-based possibly more than any other species. But there are always ways to increase your percentages. Like using a jerkbait.

That’s a beast!!!

[Bluebasser86]

That's a huge longnose. I caught my rod and reel PB on a 4" chartreuse grub. Next to a 6' 8" rod and 30 sized reel for size reference. 

Tried to weigh her because I think it might have beat the state record, but instead she thanked me by biting the heck out of me and flopping back into the water.

[thediscochef]

On 8/1/2022 at 5:49 AM, TnRiver46 said:

That’s a beast!!!

Thank you sir

You caught some lookers that's for sure 

 

This longnose isn't quite the water body record for that spot, which is about 28lbs. I didn't get an exact weight, no proper equipment. I would estimate about 18-22lbs. She kept jumping, I was like "aww she thinks she's a bass" ?