Alligator Gar!?!

[ViperCLKGTR]

I've raised Gar I know how they act and they're habitats saying that I can not land one! I found a spot which I will keep secret that when you sit and wait you'll see over 20 to 30 pops every 10 minutes. Nothing but Spotted and Gators all day long. I've tried everything under the sun and can not land one! Hits every now and then but a few almost to the surface but never on to land. Today was the last straw my buddy and me got there set-up and I tried something a little different casted out a Super-Dupper I never used one for Gar before but it works for just about any fish out there so why not? Right before my first cast I watched 3 spotted at about 18-24" pop within four feet of me and then a Gator about 3' pop right under me so I was excited five minutes in a notice a nibble while reeling and let her sit, another nibble and gave her some line then it took off and I set hard about 30 seconds later started reeling in and it fought a little gave a extra "sure" set again and started reeling without a fight as it got closer I noticied I had a 3 1/2' Gator about as big around as a football on my line we were both freaking out because we have been so far Garless since last summer about 6 inches from the surface I began to raise him out of the water while saying "he's got something up his sleeve no way it was that easy" and in slow mothin it seems he looked at me and did what I call the "Gar spit"(When you have them on live in your tank and after eating a fish they cough up what's left in their throat) and said "Hey b**ch here's your f***ing lure back!" and spit it out! Looked at me and just swam off like "HaHa GOTCHA!"

What do I need to land a Gator? I've tried Lambo spinners which Spotted loves but can never seem to hook which is what every one usually says to use!?! I NEED HELP! LMAO!

 

[latshki]

a couple years ago I was in cuba and their was some mangroves with king gars all around 3 - 4ft mark and I had all of the same problems
until a few days later I went on a guide for bonefish and we did that until the wind picked up too much
so we went to a bridge to fish these gar
first thing we did was rig our line with a steel leader and a big circle hook
the guide caught a tang in a net for bait so we cut a chunk off
and put it on the hook
and aparently the trick was to reel in quick while keeping the rod up high and the bait on the surface
that day I caught over 40 gar with my biggest being 5ft and 27lbs

good luck and I hope that helps!

 

[SpJc11]

try frog like lures

 

[catman]

Using lure u can fray up some nylon rope and attach it to the hooks so that when the gar bite their teeth get caught in it.

 

[Vapor315]

I'll agree with the circle hook and leader idea I have used it many times for gar with great success. The trick is wait till you see them pop or sight the fish and cast 4ft or more in front of them and then reel it in over then and then let it sink 80% of the time they will hit it. After they take it let them swim away and work the bait down to their mouth and the circle hook will automatically lodge itself in the corner of the mouth. Good luck with trying and for bait use cut up pieces of shiners or sunfish.

 

[c_croslin]

I like to use what is called a bleeder leader, it is a red steel leader about 1 1/2 foot with a long shank hook. I put on a whole live bluegill (depending on gar size) no weight, just throw it out there and let it hit and take off when it stops running set the hook hard. It works for me me here in texas so good luck.

 

[Passionate 4 pikes]

Anything that looks like a fish and floats will work they will bit everything. the trick is to set the hook hard i think. this coming from somebody who has only caught one gar. (have had 50 + good bites though)

 

[likestofish]

If using bait let them take the bait and run fo a while to make sure its actually got a good hold of it before setting the hook.

 

[MultispeciesTamer]

Use small live gills and as said wait to the fish swallows it and or stops running. Use circle or barbless hooks. Also a nylon rope fly works good it you have a fly rod or you could make a nylon rope popper and use a spinning rod should get lots of the smaller gar on lures.