First Bowfin

[Fishnerd360]

Where I live bowfin aren’t common, more rare, yet I was lucky enough to catch one over an hour from my house. Put up a big fight even snapped my line which is meant for heavy fish. Hoping to catch my first gar too, saw 1 today, but he was only a baby. What are the best lures/baits for gar?

 

[Magnus_Bane]

Where I live bowfin aren’t common, more rare, yet I was lucky enough to catch one over an hour from my house. Put up a big fight even snapped my line which is meant for heavy fish. Hoping to catch my first gar too, saw 1 today, but he was only a baby. What are the best lures/baits for gar?

View attachment 1424060

Personally I find a jointed, hard plastic, swim bait works best for me along with a piece of chewed gum stuck onto the back hook. The gum just helps to give ya an extra second to set the hook as their teeth tend to get stuck in it for a short moment. Just don't use soft plastic bait unless ya want to throw them away afterwards, a gar will rip soft plastics apart like they're nothing.

 

[Kelly_Aquatics]

nice catch very rare here too I have heard jigs with a tangled rope trailer works good honestly though a minnow under a bobber will do the trick if you just want to catch one but I get bored bait fishing so I like lures although maybe stay away from top water as they usually only eat fish