After 40+ Years Of Fishing The Rock, I Finally.........

[gitnby]

Caught a gar! Son of a gun took my redfin and almost didn't give it back!

Really didn't want to mess with him, so I shook him at the boat, and just as the lure came out of his mouth, the line snapped.

[powerdive]

I've not caught one on TR, but I did see a small one hooked on a shallow jugline up the White from the Kings last year.

[Sam]

Congrats on catching something different. I catch gar fairly often because I troll a lot. They often hit and don't get hooked, but when they do get stuck you can tell it's a gar by the weird kind of fight they put up. Your rod tip dips a foot or more at a time, yank, yank, yank - because gar fish shake their head from side to side and bow their whole body when hooked.

My grandpa showed me how to catch gar on purpose in the James River before Tablerock Dam was built. Cut a piece of 1/2" white cotton rope about 2" long. Fray out one end so the fibers are all loose and tie your line tight around the other end. Get that "lure" wet to cast it, then throw out and work it along like a minnow just below the surface. There's no hook, but when a gar bites its' teeth will get tangled in the cotton fibers.

[Bill Babler]

Sam, I've heard that old trick, but never tried it. We caught one this year on a fin. He was small. I have also caught several dropshotting a crawler, but it is really unusual.

About 5 yrs. ago Phil and I caught 4 or 5 up longCreek winter Crappie fishing. We did not get a single one to the boat. We were fly fishing and they were hitting our small white streamers. They would sky rocket just like tarpon when hooked. They either cut us off of broke us off everytime. Good Stuff.

[Feathers and Fins]

Gar can put up a heck of a fight and they are mighty tasty critters as well.

[ryan]

When I first moved to Springfield I fished Tablerock in the spring. I bought myself a custom painted rouge from fin and feather (on my college income). Whacked em probably had 23-24lbs including a spot that went over 5lbs. Hooked about a 3ft long gar that fought like a billfish. Ended up taking my prize rouge man was I disappointed. Still hate those things!!!

[Hunter91]

Caught one last year dropshotting. He actually was never hooked but wrapped up in the line between the hook and weight. In Louisiana, a lot of people eat them. I have tried them before and they are not terrible just the preparation is extensive.

[Sac River Jim]

ive caught em on a wht maibou jig white bass fishing down below galena when i was a kid. scared me half to death when i seen all those teeth. LOL!!!