How to Catch Gar

Gar are an amazing species, one which looks prehistoric in nature, grows large enough to destroy light tackle, and has a set of teeth that look like they could take your arm off. Very few anglers eat gar (their scales are like armor and their eggs are poisonous so care is required when cleaning) and that mouth full of teeth is extraordinarily difficult to penetrate with a hook, making these some of the toughest fish around to catch on rod and reel. All of that said, gar are still a rather thrilling catch. After all, who wouldn’t want to do battle with an aquatic dinosaur?

Gar are found in just about every estuary and river system feeding the Gulf, and while they’re essentially a freshwater species, can often be found in surprisingly salty brackish waters. Often, you’ll know gar are in an area because you’ll see them roll on the surface and occasionally, stick that big toothy snout right out of the water.

Gar eat small fish and shad or cut fish work as baits. On rare occasions they also strike lures, but this is the exception rather than the rule. So, how will you catch ’em? First off, it’s best to use relatively small but thick hooks to pierce the boney jaws and hold fast without bending open. Some anglers favor treble hooks for the job, though as a matter of catch-and-release best practices, conscientious anglers will stick with singles. When targeting gar in specific the use of a wire trace between the hook and leader is also a good idea; if they get their teeth around mono, it’s game over.

When you see gar rolling a simple bobber rig suspending the bait just a foot or so below the surface can be a good bet. In areas they’re known to frequent most anglers will fish a line on bottom and a suspended line at the same time. Either way, the critical thing to keep in mind is that gar don’t usually eat a bait right off the bat. They’ll instead chomp down on it with those killer jaws and wait to be sure it’s dead (even with cut bait) before actually taking it all the way into their mouth. That means you need to be patient before setting the hook. A five-count isn’t long enough, and tough though it may be to hold back, give them a solid 10 seconds before setting the hook.

One final bit of advice: whenever you’re handling a gar, put on a pair of thick, rugged gloves. The teeth stick out to the side of the fish’s jaws and they don’t even have to bite you to draw blood, so trying to land and control one with unprotected hands you’ll end up bloodied as likely as not.

Lenny Rudow