Public Enemy #1

[Drawdown]

Amazing this much freak out has gone on over a SINGLE alligator gar.

 

TL;DR in China officials have begun draining an entire 30-acre lake just to capture a single alligator gar, ostensibly because they’re worried it’ll attack humans. The specimen in question is supposed to be less than 30 inches long. But it’s become quite the sensation on Chinese social media.

 

https://apple.news/ApqaZ0F0GR8yPqiIwCXGNvg 

[gim]

Lol this is the same country that recently wiped the Chinese Paddlefish off the face of the planet because of their own pollution and damming of rivers.

[casts_by_fly]

you'd think electrofishing would have been a better solution, maybe after a partial draining.  

[BayouSlide]

If alligator gar were a threat to human life, nobody would dare fish in South Louisiana ?

 

 

[Drawdown]

6 hours ago, BayouSlide said:

If alligator gar were a threat to human life, nobody would dare fish in South Louisiana ?

 

 

That’s what I’m thinking! Barracuda they are not.

[GRiver]

16 hours ago, BayouSlide said:

If alligator gar were a threat to human life, nobody would dare fish in South Louisiana ?

Same here in central Fl on the St John’s …. 

[Woody B]

From what I've read Alligator Gar were nearly wiped out in the US years ago because some thought they would attack humans.  

 

We've got a few longnose Gar around here but I don't think there's any 'gator Gars in NC.  I think it would be cool to catch one.  

[Captain Phil]

37 minutes ago, GRiver said:

Same here in central Fl on the St John’s …. 

 

Some of the largest gars I have ever seen are on the St. John's river.  Once I was fishing where the Wekiva and the St. John's meet just north of the City of Sanford.   The water was very clear that day.  I happened to look down into the water when I saw a group of huge fish under my boat.  At first I thought they were tarpon. They turned out to be gigantic gar.  We have some big gar in the Harris Chain, but nothing near the size of the river fish.  Nobody that I know fishes for them.  Maybe they should?

[Drawdown]

4 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

 

Some of the largest gars I have ever seen are on the St. John's river.  Once I was fishing where the Wekiva and the St. John's meet just north of the City of Sanford.   The water was very clear that day.  I happened to look down into the water when I saw a group of huge fish under my boat.  At first I thought they were tarpon. They turned out to be gigantic gar.  We have some big gar in the Harris Chain, but nothing near the size of the river fish.  Nobody that I know fishes for them.  Maybe they should?

I’m guessing y’all don’t have any carp problems or overpopulation of catfish down there. ?

[Captain Phil]

38 minutes ago, Drawdown said:

I’m guessing y’all don’t have any carp problems or overpopulation of catfish down there. ?

 

The only carp problems we have had locally were grass carp that were stocked to control hydrilla.  I have seen them grow to 40 pounds.  Stocking them was a huge problem as the fish ate everything that grew in the lakes.   Thankfully, they have removed most of them.  What is amazing to me is how few people in Florida fish for catfish.  For a number of years, the State record catfish was taken from a local creek, so I know the cat fish population must be healthy.  

[GRiver]

11 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

Nobody that I know fishes for them.  Maybe they should?

A friend of mine does, he swears the back strap on gar taste a lot like lobster. He grills or steams them chunks it and dips them in butter. Says you have to take tin snips to cut down the back bone and peel it back, then take out the back strap.

He called it country boy lobster, I’ve never heard of it, but since he told me about , I’ve heard it redneck lobster or, poor boy lobster.

[Captain Phil]

13 hours ago, GRiver said:

A friend of mine does, he swears the back strap on gar taste a lot like lobster.

 

When I was fishing the Everglades and South Florida canals I would often talk with bank fishermen who would ask me if I caught anything?  Some of them would take my gars and mudfish.  I have seen Seminoles spearing those same fish.  I assume they were eating them? In the Boy Scouts they taught us you could eat gars.   I never tried them myself.  Fish caught out of the Everglades and Okeechobee taste like mud to me.  If you cook them in a pot of hot oil, it takes away much of the bad taste.   Years ago, we used to soak them in milk for a few days before cooking. 

[Drawdown]

@Captain Phil wonder if a livewell/cooler full of ice would help?

[Gabjob]

not a surprise in China ?