To subdue a big gar, 20 pounds or more, it’s imperative to use heavy tackle: 30- to 80-pound-test line, a stout rod and a sturdy reel with an excellent drag. On lakes, fish in shallow reaches near the edges of woody and weedy cover. Flowing water hotspots include lock and dam tailwaters, outside stream bends, sandbar/river channel abuttals, quiet backwater pools and the mouths of in-flowing tributaries.

Gar inhabit all types of waters from small creeks to giant impoundments, but some of the best fishing is in oxbow lakes, bayous and sluggish delta rivers. A lung-like air bladder allows them to gulp air to aid the gills in breathing. They’re usually rolling noisily near the surface, especially near dawn and dusk and at night. In good waters, you’ll have little trouble finding fish. The hot summer months serve up gar fishing at its finest.

Landing a true heavyweight is one of freshwater fishing’s most exciting challenges.īesides the monstrous alligator gar and little Florida gar, which are restricted to a few small areas of the country, anglers can pursue longnose, shortnose and spotted gar, which are widespread and abundant in waters from Canada to Mexico. Gar are powerful fish and jump like tail-hooked tarpon when hooked.

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