I don't see why you should have a problem, they are still active in VA.

I caught my first gar, ever, about a month ago at a dam.  I caught him with a Bandit 300, Rootbeer color.  It might of been a fluke catching him with the bass crank because I wasn't expecting him.  I don't know where you fish, but in the warmer waters near dams around here, gar break the surface almost all day.  You'll rarely get a bite using cranks though.  Some of the guys I fish with use live shiners and large minnows for gar.  

Cheers!

bass109, I've caught more longnose on a spinnerbait run just under the surface than all other baits combined. But that's warm weather. Don't know about winter. I can count on one hand the number I've caught in winter months. You've got me thinking about now.

Cheers,

GK

hey, try that lipless crank attached to the spinnerbait arm you posted in the tackle section.