The alligator gar is the largest freshwater fish in North America except the sturgeon, growing to lengths of over 9 feet and weighing up to 300 lbs. Its cousins, such as the Longnose and Spotted Gar, do not grow as large but can reach respectable sizes. Unfortunately, the gar is often portrayed as a nuisance, stealing bait and breaking the tackle of anglers targeting more popular species. The truth is that gar make a great sport fish, not only for their size but for their availability and strong fighting abilities.
Finding Gar
Almost any southern lake, river, or stream has a good chance of containing some number of gar within it. In rivers, gar are usually found near deep bends or channels in an area containing large amounts of baitfish such as perch or shad. The same generally applies to lakes and other bodies of water. Large stands of sunken timber adjacent to deeper water seem to hold large number of gar as well. When scouting a location, look for disturbances on the water's surface or for gar cruising along just under the surface. Gar often gulp air at the surface, making themselves easily visible.
Fishing for Gar
When rigging for Alligator Gar or any other gar species, it is important to match the tackle used to the size of he gar being targeted. For smaller Alligator Gar and other small species such as Longnose and Spotted Gar, a regular bass or catfish outfit will suffice. A rig like this might consist of a 6-9ft medium action rod and 10-20 lb line. It is not necessary to use a steel leader for smaller gar, as their teeth generally aren’t large enough to cut through heavy mono. A leader consisting of a foot or two of 50lb monofilament attached to the main line with a swivel will function just fine. At the end of this leader, attach a 2/0-7/0 hook or a 2/0-5/0 treble hook. The hook of choice needs to be as sharp as possible so as to effectively penetrate the gar's mouth, which is exceptionally tough. Bait should be alive of fresh dead fish or some sort, with perch, shad, shiner minnows, small carp, and goldfish being excellent choices. Match the size of the hook to the bait used, using a larger hook for a larger bait and smaller hook for a smaller bait.
For the true brutes over 4ft in length, tackle should be geared a little differently. Large surf fishing set ups and even smaller big game fishing reels like a Penn Senator 3/0 or 4/0 matched with a stout rod will be necessary to tame these monster. Rods should be capable of casting heavy baits and handling lines up to 50 lb test. Use at least 30lb line, braided or monofilament, when targeting the monsters. For hooks, look for live bait hooks by Owner or Gamakatsu in sizes up to 10/0 or large treble hooks up to 12/0 size. A steel leader is a must, with a short length of hardwire or coated steel cable being ideal. Big baits tend to attract monster gar the best, so use something the size of your hand or bigger if your after the big ones, matching your hook size to the bait you choose.
Gar often feed very near the surface, so adding a float about 3 feet above your bait or free lining it with no weight attached is a good technique. The hardest part of landing a gar is hooking it, so it is important to know how to go about setting the hook when a gar takes the bait. Since gar often feed in groups, when one takes a bait it usually swims some distance to get away from the competition before actually eating the bait. Because of their long, dense snout, it is important to wait until the gar has the bait in the back of its mouth before the hook is set. When the fish picks up the bait, have your reel in free-spool so that line can be taken with no resistance. Allow the gar to run for around 30 seconds or until it pauses in its run to set the hook, whichever comes first.
Once you've successfully hooked the gar, get ready for a spectacular fight with all the hallmarks of more glamorous species. Gar will often jump multiple time when hooked, and make long, strong runs that will test your tackle to its limits. Use extreme caution when handling gar, especially large Alligator Gar, as their teeth can inflict significant damage to any body part that gets near them.
All things considered, gar do not deserve their reputation as useless bait stealers or trash fish. They are an interesting and ancient fish that is worthy of being pursued by anglers. Few other fish in freshwater grow to such massive size and can provide the angling challenge that gar can. They are the freshwater game fish of many angler's dreams, and a challenging adversary for those who pursue them.
Ethan Rice - I am currently a sophomore history major at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. My hobbies include hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and of ...
Join the Conversation