Last week I finally landed a gar on an artificial. The fact that it got hooked on a DD22 still amazes me, but it happened.

 

And the best part, it was when Ronnie Moore with Bassmaster was taking pictures, so the whole thing is documented!

 

 

You are just Too Cool ~

Nice catch.

A-Jay

 

Nice! They're really thick around here. I had a day a couple years ago I caught 3 the same day, 2 of them while burning a Bull Shad. They're a fun fight though.

Plenty around me too but never been able to hook one. They grab the bait but mouths are to hard I suppose. 

 

Pretty cool

Thats strange how gar are difficult to hook on artificial in certain parts of the country yet easy in South Florida.

1 hour ago, soflabasser said:

Thats strange how gar are difficult to hook on artificial in certain parts of the country yet easy in South Florida.

Different species

2 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Nice! They're really thick around here. I had a day a couple years ago I caught 3 the same day, 2 of them while burning a Bull Shad. They're a fun fight though.

I have hooked several giants on my 6" bull shad but they always come off

That gar looks like a longnose gar, have caught plenty of them  up to +50 inches on artificial lures.

2 hours ago, soflabasser said:

Thats strange how gar are difficult to hook on artificial in certain parts of the country yet easy in South Florida.

They seemed more aggressive there too. Any time I got a bait even close to a gar they were chasing it down and attacking instead of stalking like they do here. Just like you're saying, I think the only ones I didn't hook up with were the ones that were smacking at my frog. All the ones that hit a bait with trebles got stuck and landed. Granted, a majority of them were Florida or spotted gar that are much easier to hook, it was still odd hooking and landing so many gar. Whatever kind they were, they loved a little white X-rap.

How awesome was that @everythingthatswims! Love the pics too. Great job.

 

I honestly would probably have to change some undergarments if I caught that!

Gars are cool . Unfortunately a lot of dunderheads  around here toss them on the bank to die . 

20 hours ago, everythingthatswims said:

Last week I finally landed a gar on an artificial. The fact that it got hooked on a DD22 still amazes me, but it happened.

 

And the best part, it was when Ronnie Moore with Bassmaster was taking pictures, so the whole thing is documented!

 

 

love the way they jump and fight, hate them when I'm crappie fishing!

2 hours ago, scaleface said:

Gars are cool . Unfortunately a lot of dunderheads  around here toss them on the bank to die . 

 

We have the same problem in South Florida since many people don't consider a gar a ''sport fish'' even though the longnose gar can easily weigh +20 pounds and outfight any largemouth bass.

15 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

They seemed more aggressive there too. Any time I got a bait even close to a gar they were chasing it down and attacking instead of stalking like they do here. Just like you're saying, I think the only ones I didn't hook up with were the ones that were smacking at my frog. All the ones that hit a bait with trebles got stuck and landed. Granted, a majority of them were Florida or spotted gar that are much easier to hook, it was still odd hooking and landing so many gar. Whatever kind they were, they loved a little white X-rap.

 

Yes the gars love the x-raps down here.Other good lures to catch gars are topwaters, other types of jerkbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, flukes, hollow belly frogs, etc. The longnose gar get much bigger than the Florida gar and you can target this fish in northern Broward/West Palm Beach area.