Snagging For Gar?

[Tim Smith]

I have seen 2 recent references to snagging for gar on the forum.

I wasn't aware anyone ever tried to do this. The one gar I can remember snagging accidentally got off immediately because the hook didn't stay imbedded in those thick gannoid scales they have.

Can someone enlighten as to how this is done and maybe what the attraction is?

[plexlove]

I have seen 2 recent references to snagging for gar on the forum.

I wasn't aware anyone ever tried to do this. The one gar I can remember snagging accidentally got off immediately because the hook didn't stay imbedded in those thick gannoid scales they have.

Can someone enlighten as to how this is done and maybe what the attraction is?

I snag for gar and fish for them....you snag for them the same way as spoonbill, they usually will roll and get tangled in your line so you have to use heavy duty braid.

You can fish for them using shad or othere bait, live or dead, but make sure you have at lease a 24" wire leader, they will cut right through your line!

Some people also use an unravled nylon rope hooked to a leader and fish topwater with it, the gar will bite it and get it tangled in its teeth.

I dont eat gar, the only reason i fish for them is because they put up a better fight than any other fish i have encountered, even the small ones fight their asses off! Good luck

Oh, and i think snaggin season on gar ends the 15th of may...be careful right now cuz paddlefish are thick and you will snag a lot of them on accident and get ticketed for it like i did!

[Tim Smith]

Snagging for gar is a method of snagging their teeth with a fly or lure. When I fly fish for them on a local stream, I use a streamer pattern that invokes a strike. The streamer material tangles their teeth long enough for the hook to be set. I usually sight fish for them in hot weather when they spend most of their time "porpoising" to the surface. The strike is usually a sideways bite/slash at the minnow streamer imitation. I use synthetic materials on the streamer that make it durable and enhances the tangling of the fly. As a bonus, it works good on smallies and largemouth, so I catch some "non target" fish in the process. Many use a rope fly or lure, I have a spool of brightly colored twine that I have tied on hooks also. The twine tends to tangle the teeth, the hook never sinks in.

Years ago, I used a minnow with a "stinger". Most of the gar were caught on the stinger, they would hit the minnow and release it when they felt the pressure of the line, the trailing stinger treble would snag the jaw.

Gar are not for eating in my case, but they put up a good fight. They are plentiful and grow to 36 to 48 inches in many of the streams around here.

So, that looks like regular "fishing", JD. What Plex is posting sounds like what I know about as "snagging" and it apparently uses the same gear as for paddlefish.

Plex what is this about a season for snagging gar? Is there really a gar snagging season or just a season leading up to paddlefish snagging season?

[jdmidwest]

Snagging for gar is a method of snagging their teeth with a fly or lure. When I fly fish for them on a local stream, I use a streamer pattern that invokes a strike. The streamer material tangles their teeth long enough for the hook to be set. I usually sight fish for them in hot weather when they spend most of their time "porpoising" to the surface. The strike is usually a sideways bite/slash at the minnow streamer imitation. I use synthetic materials on the streamer that make it durable and enhances the tangling of the fly. As a bonus, it works good on smallies and largemouth, so I catch some "non target" fish in the process. Many use a rope fly or lure, I have a spool of brightly colored twine that I have tied on hooks also. The twine tends to tangle the teeth, the hook never sinks in.

Years ago, I used a minnow with a "stinger". Most of the gar were caught on the stinger, they would hit the minnow and release it when they felt the pressure of the line, the trailing stinger treble would snag the jaw.

Gar are not for eating in my case, but they put up a good fight. They are plentiful and grow to 36 to 48 inches in many of the streams around here.

[gotmuddy]

I have never snagged gar but when I was yuounger I used to fish for them on the brazos and navasota river. we fished for alligator gar and used perch for bait.

[jdmidwest]

So, that looks like regular "fishing", JD. What Plex is posting sounds like what I know about as "snagging" and it apparently uses the same gear as for paddlefish.

Plex what is this about a season for snagging gar? Is there really a gar snagging season or just a season leading up to paddlefish snagging season?

Gar are a "rough fish" so anything goes with them. The only one that has some protection is the Alligator Gar in some areas. You can snag them, gig them, bow fish for them, and use hook and line. I don't think, in MO, there is a limited method or closed season for them. I target them in the summer on streams when bass fishing slows down on a hot day, they have invaded some of my clear smallmouth streams over the past decade. They are fun to shoot with a bow also, but they usually die from the encounter.

[Tim Smith]

Gar are a "rough fish" so anything goes with them. The only one that has some protection is the Alligator Gar in some areas. You can snag them, gig them, bow fish for them, and use hook and line. I don't think, in MO, there is a limited method or closed season for them. I target them in the summer on streams when bass fishing slows down on a hot day, they have invaded some of my clear smallmouth streams over the past decade. They are fun to shoot with a bow also, but they usually die from the encounter.

Yeah, JD, that was what I thought.

Aside from alligator gar, the state doesn't really care about gar and doesn't regulate them...

...so there's not really a gar snagging season, just a period of time when you shouldn't be taking paddlefish.

Which, probably is why you got a ticket, Plex. They just saw you as jumping the paddlefish season. Once you racked up the 4th one, they decided to shut you down.

Muddy, those Texas gar are freaks. I remember water skiing there and they were so numerous sometimes when we'd circle back for a fallen skier, they'd be circling like sharks....big ones at 4 and 5 feet long. I've got a couple of scars from that little side-swipe they do with their heads.

Great fish in general. We'll be seeing more and more of them over the years as things warm up.

[jdmidwest]

Yeah, JD, that was what I thought.

Aside from alligator gar, the state doesn't really care about gar and doesn't regulate them...

...so there's not really a gar snagging season, just a period of time when you shouldn't be taking paddlefish.

Which, probably is why you got a ticket, Plex. They just saw you as jumping the paddlefish season. Once you racked up the 4th one, they decided to shut you down.

Muddy, those Texas gar are freaks. I remember water skiing there and they were so numerous sometimes when we'd circle back for a fallen skier, they'd be circling like sharks....big ones at 4 and 5 feet long. I've got a couple of scars from that little side-swipe they do with their heads.

Great fish in general. We'll be seeing more and more of them over the years as things warm up.

Sorry, looks like there is a season for them. But looking at the other post, the season was open when he got ticketed.

MO Non Game Fish Methods

[Tim Smith]

Sorry, looks like there is a season for them. But looking at the other post, the season was open when he got ticketed.

MO Non Game Fish Methods

Ok, thanks.

Looks like they're lumped in with all non-game species...

Nongame fish include bluegill, green sunfish, carp, carpsuckers, suckers, buffalo, drum, gar and all other species other than those defined as game fish or listed as endangered. Nongame fish may be taken as described in the chart.

[ozarkian4life]

I love grabbing gar! we had a few greta evenings this past week on bull shoals, we had a couple that were pushing 40 pounds. personally i just use a 5' heavy duty rod with and abu garcia baitcaster 65# test spider wire with a number 12 treble hook and just cruise along in the boat watching for them along the surface. they put up quite a fight!