My biggest gar to date...

[Eagle Eye]

I used a perch head on a J hook with a healthy dose of luck (Im a fishing noob..can you tell?)

The trick, as it turned out, was to let her (it was a she with tons of eggs) run with it several times. I think she was skeptical at first...like the others before her. If I had tried to set the hook soon after she took the bait, she would have likely spit it out... I let her run for some time... the story went like this....

She grabbed the bait right next to the bank in 2 ft of water.. she took off... stopped and chewed on it.... took off again.... chewed.... took off again.... I was about out of line so I decided to start bringing her home. She had swallowed it and that set the hook deep in the throat. She did not fight me much, she tried to turn a couple of times (i could see her in the clear'ish water) but i was able to turn her and bring her in without much of a fight.

The difficulties started once i got her to the bank. She snapped the line but it got caught up in roots and old fishing line on the bank. She was stuck there... but I had no way to get her on shore.... I sure as hell was not jumping in or reaching to grab her. Buddy came over and hooked her with a treble hook just in case she got loose...we then took the stringer and made a slipknot in it....we got the rope over the nose after several tries and were able to lift her out that way.... exciting as hell.... buddy put a knife through the skull..twice.. but she squirmed for another 20mins after that..freaky.

fun times.... I want to use steel leader next time

 

[Master Carper]

I have my best luck using large brooder minnows for bait...

For line, I double 20 lb. braided spider wire for a leader, and use Cajun Red 14 lb. test as my main line...

Hooks - I use size 10 treble hooks...

Small 1/16 oz. sinkers and the smallest foam cork I can get by with...

 

[Eagle Eye]

I have my best luck using large brooder minnows for bait...

For line, I double 20 lb. braided spider wire for a leader, and use Cajun Red 14 lb. test as my main line...

Hooks - I use size 10 treble hooks...

Small 1/16 oz. sinkers and the smallest foam cork I can get by with...

Thanks for the tips!
I can't wait to get back out...

 

[dennishoddy]

I was throw netting shad to bait some jugs with this evening. The little gar 6"-8" were everywhere in the cove. Netted a couple accidently, and had to cut them apart to get them out of the net. Never seen any that small.

 

[B Gordon]

I can't find where the question has been asked yet so I will have a go.

So, how do you go about fishing for (and catching) gar specifically, as opposed to catching them by accident when fishing for other fish?
Details please.
Also, what sort of places do you fish where gar are located?
I would be interested in trying to go gar fishing as long as it is someplace accessible from shore, since I don't have a boat.
My wife has been bugging me to take her fishing and I suspect she would prefer gar fishing during the day to night fishing for catfish below Keystone lake.

Personally I have caught a few gar but they were accidental catches when I was fishing for something else.
As best I remember gar seem to have one good sizzling run in them and then are worn out.

 

[Master Carper]

B Gordon,

me personally, I gar fish from the bank and I sight fish for gar. More often than not, if you can see a gar, you can catch it. Once you spot one, cast your bait about ten feet in front of it, then the gar will slowly move towards your float and then slow dive like a submarine. When your float starts to slowly drift away, feed line out so the gar does not feel any resistance. When it stops, it will reposition the bait in its mouth, and then slowly move off again. I always wait for the third run and then set the hook. More often than not, you don't actually "hook" a gar, but instead, the line gets caught around that toothy snout...