What is the trick to keeping them off your shiners?  They are on my shiners like flys on you know what.  Maybe I am in the wrong areas but it seems like everywhere I go they get me.

Im surprised bass fisherman don't loath them.  They always seem to be chasing bait fish that bass would be interested in.  Not to mention all the expensive shiners they take.

I was in Lake Monroe the other day and everywhere I went it was like a gar surface feeding frenzy.  Couldnt get bit by anything BUT gar.

There is not much you can do except move to a different spot.

Fishing with DR lures and plastics might be a better option in gar infested water.

I feel your pain all the lakes I fish have plenty of Gar in them. Really the only thing you can do is go elsewhere, or dont use live bait just like the other guy said. Sometimes it helps to weight the shiner and fish it down deeper because the Gar stay near the surface most of the time.

Carry a bow and stick every d**n one of them that messes with your bait.

Carry a bow and stick every d**n one of them that messes with your bait.

I've gotten ticked at them before and put a rig out with a small hook and a dead minow on it. They swallow the hook and then you can actually catch them. I bash em on the head then toss em back for the gators.

Sounds like trash-fish tournament time. Clear out some of these gars, give some bass some breathing room and have a contest while your at it.

Put a split shot on the line: enough to get the shiner off the surface or C-rig the shiner without a float. As you kill the gar you more than likely harm the fishery, as predation is needed as much as forage is for a healthy bass fishery.