Look what I found

[dollarbill300]

This is the first gar I have ever seen up close. I was fishing in my brothers marina and this thing was dead and floating. Something bit this thing towards the tail. It was about 3 feet long. I have never seen one before.   

[Missouribassman95]

That's really cool! I've never caught a gar.

[bass or bass ?]

I used to catch lots of them in Florida as a teenager. Real scrappers and the fight is on the surface.

[rgbaseball]

that is something very cool to see!!

[Bankbeater]

We usually see a lot of them in lakes near the river after a flood.  I haven't seen one that large in a long time.

[dolomieu]

I think gar are awesome fish. A lot of bass fisherman hate them, and I've never really figured out why.

I once watched under a light at night, about a 2 in gar chase and eventually catch a little inch-long fry of some sort. The gar T-boned it and just waddled off. Coolest thing ever.

[dollarbill300]

I have a question about these things. Since these are half breeds of an alligator, does that mean there are alligators in this lake. If not, how would a gar population get into this lake?

[florida strain]

I catch a few off them from time to time here.They hit alot off topwater plugs,brighter colors and just chew them up and mess the trebbles up. I have caught some while fishing crappie on a jig color called electric chicken. They are every where here.

[Rebel Angler]

thats pretty awesome

I've never caught one but i hear they're a fight

[unageo09]

See them all the time in the creeks around here. They don't ever bother our baits though. Most of the bigger ones are 3-4 foot long.

[Crabcakes]

I have a question about these things. Since these are half breeds of an alligator, does that mean there are alligators in this lake. If not, how would a gar population get into this lake?

Gar as we know them in the US are a family of fish (Lepisoteidae) with seven species in North and South America. The presence of Gar is not related to alligators and the do not interbreed.

There are other fish referred to as "gar" in  the ocean but those are ususally actually needlefish or houndfish.

[Matt Jungblut]

I fish the Mississippi river all the time and theres tons everywhere.

Here's my best one to date

This 1 went 47 inches.

I was fishing a wing-dam for walleyes and he bit my jointed shad rap

[Jake.]

Since these are half breeds of an alligator

Who told you that?  ;D

[Tin]

Since these are half breeds of an alligator

Who told you that? ;D

LOL

[Dan:]

Since these are half breeds of an alligator

Who told you that? ;D

LOL

ahahahaha, I hope he was kidding!

[Flip4Braid]

Those gar sure are toothy critters.  Nice fight though. 

[dollarbill300]

Obviously, I've gotten wrong info about gar. When I first looked these things up, I read that they were a half breed of an alligator. I've also been told that by people when I ask them about gar.

[bassman31783]

I foul hooked a 3' gar once on purpose with a jerk bait because I hadn't caught anything yet that day.  Very stupid thing to do.  I got it to the boat, the lure was near the tail flopping around, & my bud in the back of the boat said "what are you going to do now Einstein?" and kept fishing.  After much blood (seriously it bleed all over my deck) & close calls from the teeth & the treble hooks in the tail I finally got it off & let it go. 

As for them being part alligator, not true at all.  However they do have the ability to breathe small amounts of air, allowing them to live in waters that are low in oxygen.  Kind of cool if you ask me.   

[Hooligan]

Gar are an amazing fish, often viewed as undesirable because they're most closely associated with low dissolved O2 waters.  They're a unique species that fills a unique niche.  We will catch them from time to time in sandpits around here.  You'll think you've latched on to a really nice fish, and boom, it's a gar.  Yet, when it's a slow day and that's what you get, they're still a riot cause they will scrap with the best of them.

[catchnm]

There's a ton of gar in my favorite honey hole. I avoid catching them though, mainly because I don't want to lose my lure to them which happens frequently. I used to play with them until one made off with a $12 crankbait. 

Lot of guys around here bowfish for them which helps keep their population controlled. Alligator gar can overrun a small lake or oxbow like I fish in often.

[Dan:]

What exactly would be involved in the process that crosses an alligator with a fish?

[CRFisher]

Alligator gar was just featured on River Monsters.  Interesting that they said gar were once in most of the US but were killed off. 

Do people eat them?  I hope they're not bowfishing just to kill the things.

[Sweetwater]

Alligator gar was just featured on River Monsters. Interesting that they said gar were once in most of the US but were killed off.

Do people eat them? I hope they're not bowfishing just to kill the things.

The backstrap is delicious.

http://forum.gon.com/showpost.php?p=4856773&postcount=14

[David T.]

I catch them fairly regularly catfishing, and whenever I am using live minnows.  They are a pain to hook!  You will never catch one unless you give it slack line and run with the bait, and once it stops and starts chewing then you have to swing for the stands!   They fight pretty good, until they get turned.  Usually can get a jump or two out of them.

[heyitskirby]

A dude I work with was talking about bow hunting for gar the other day.  I asked him what he planned on doing with it after he killed it and he tried telling me it was all about the sport. 

What a waste.