Kid fishn' and on a Gar mission

This is one of my boys! Caught about thirty bream on the Ocmulgee at Hwy 83 last week and a few little bass, then came across schooling gar. We threw cut bream on the bottom and had two take the bait, snapped line at the boat. Did some reading and will rig some 40lb mono leaders, folks seem to stay away from steel leaders, and there is a common technique to let the fish take the bait for 60-seconds with no drag before setting the hook. Tips anyone? My little angler wants to catch some gar. They were beautiful and had black spots. Largest was three feet long it was a real thrill.

Great post! Sorry. I dont have any experience with gar

Don't know about Gar, but the pickerel I used to catch in NC would dive straight to the bottom when caught,,,, I believe they're all related,,,,

30-50lb mono leader and the smallest, strongest hook you have. Cut or live bream is good but I've found they can't resist a live shiner. Then let it run with the bait with the bail open for 60 seconds or as long as you can then set the hook. And hang on ! Hope this helps. Good luck!

not an expert, but they make a spinnerbait with a nylon rope trailer that is un-raveled, the gar will strike and the fray will get caught in his teeth..google "gar rope spinnerbaits"..keep pressure --no slack and reel him in......use some leather gloves to handle them......

Steel leaders work great and this technique works. Take one 12" leader and two 6" leaders and connect the two 6"leaders to make an upside down Y. Connect two #2 treble hooks to the two ends of the 6" steel leaders. Now take a live bream and hook the bream in the tail and mouth. Attach a large enough float to float it (around 1.5-2 foot under float) and wait for the gar to take it. I like catching them on artificial's and the old Smithwick wooden devil horse works great too for site fishing. When you see one just toss a devil horse just a little way pass their head and twitch it. Just about 99% of the time they will go for it. Another technique is nylon rope cut and unraveled. There are several youtube videos that show how to make this lure and there are places that sell them already made.

We used to catch them on Jackson and we always thought they were trash fish. Recently I've seen several videos of people eating them and they have a beautiful, white backstrap that almost looks like lobster meat. Cleaning them involves tin snips and a machette I have to try it.

I know they really like crappie jigs. I've never eaten one but a bunch of my buddies swear it's good. They say it tastes like lobster and they go gig them at night off an airboat. The Seminoles and Miccosukee Indians down here just put the whole fish in a camp fire till it splits open.

one time my kids threw banana peels at some schooling gar and they attacked them right away - maybe they look like a wounded fish when they are in the water, I don't know.

Gars are cool though - I like "primitive" looking fish like gar and bowfin.