Despite their stupendous fighting ability, gar fish have earned little respect from Arkansas anglers. In fact, that’s probably a bit of an understatement. Venomous snakes and rabid skunks get as much respect as gar, and when one of these toothy terrors is brought alongside a boat, the typical reaction is to smash its head with a paddle and toss it back for the cannibals. Most fishermen despise gar.
No one can deny, however, that gar are noteworthy opponents on rod and reel, and now is one of the best times to target them. These powerful fish race and jump like tail-hooked tarpon, and landing a true heavyweight is one of freshwater fishing’s most exciting challenges.
Four species of gar inhabit The Natural State’s waters. The most common and widespread is the longnose gar, which is found throughout most of the eastern U.S. It’s abundant in many of the state’s large streams and reservoirs and frequently weighs 10 to 15 pounds. Real monsters may be 30, 40, even 50 pounds. This gar’s long, slender “needle nose” sets it apart from other species.
The spotted gar has an affinity for the quiet, weedy waters of lowland lakes. Most are small, 2 to 3 pounds average, but the world-record gar from Lake Seminole, Florida, tipped the scales at 28.5 pounds. Unlike most other species, the spotted gar has distinct spots on the head, body and all fins.
The shortnose gar tolerates muddy, turbid waters better than most other gar and, as a result, is common in our larger rivers. Oxbows, reservoirs and other quiet waters also provide the shortnose a home. This is the smallest gar species, rarely over 2 feet and 3 to 5 pounds. The broad, stubby snout distinguishes it from the longnose. To separate it from the spotted gar, count the scales along the lateral line — 58 or less on the spotted, 60 or more on the shortnose.
The largest of the gar is the alligator gar, a fish that commonly weighs 100 to 150 pounds and reaches a documented 9 feet, 9 inches in length and 302 pounds. This fish inhabits large rivers, lakes, bays and coastal marine waters from central Texas to western Florida and north to southern Illinois, but nowhere is the gator gar common. The fish is unmistakable, deriving its popular name from the short, broad snout similar in appearance to that of an alligator.
August, September and other hot months serve up gar fishing at its finest. In good waters, you’ll have little trouble finding fish. They’re usually near the surface and rolling noisily, especially near dawn and dusk and at night. A lunglike air bladder allows them to gulp air to aid the gills in breathing.
Gar inhabit all types of waters, from small creeks to giant impoundments, but the best fishing is in oxbow lakes, bayous and sluggish delta rivers. When you’re on the water, look for these predators in the same areas you might pick for catfishing. River hot spots include lock-and-dam tailwaters, outside stream bends, sandbar/river channel edges, quiet backwater pools and the mouths of in-
flowing tributaries. On lakes, key your efforts in shallow reaches near the edges of woody and weedy cover.
If you want to catch 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. For the smaller, more common gar, a durable rod and reel with 15- to 25-pound-test line may be adequate. Most serious gar anglers also use several feet of steel leader as insurance against the gar’s sharp teeth and violent thrashing.
Fishing topwater plugs is the ultimate form of gar-fishing fun, but to be successful, the angler must be endowed with an extraordinary measure of patience. The angler sights a gar on the surface, then casts a baitfish-
imitation plug a few feet in front of it, allowing the lure to remain motionless except for an occasional twitch. If actively feeding, the gar will soon propel itself toward the bait with a furtive flick of its fins. There will be no headlong dash for the plug as you might expect. Instead, the gar will move very slowly, thinking itself disguised as a stick or log.
Do not move the lure when you see the gar swimming toward it. If the bait remains still, the gar will swim forward until the lure is alongside and very near its head.
This is where the fun really begins. The gar will remain stock-still as long as the lure remains motionless. But give it just the slightest wiggle and … bam! The gar gives a sudden, convulsive, sideways jerk of its head and grabs the intended prey between its jaws. In the next instant, the angler tries to set the hook with several hard upward thrusts of his rod. If he’s lucky, one of the trebles will be driven into the bony snout, and the gar will take to the air in a dazzling show of aerobatics. If not, the angler targets another gar and prepares for another round of fun.
Another successful gar-fishing tactic employs a 4- to 6-inch length of 3/8-inch nylon rope attached to a wire leader. The fibers on the loose end of the rope are unraveled, bucktail style. This “lure” is then cast near surfacing gar, which seem to find it irresistible. When one strikes, the nylon threads tangle in its teeth, holding it securely while the angler plays it in — if he’s lucky. No hooks are required, and it really works.
Another clever technique uses a lasso of sorts. A noose of thin, strong wire is made, and a baitfish is impaled with the wire so it’s strung on the loop. The idea is to get the gar to thrust its bill through the loop or to seize the wire while trying to get the fish. A quick yank then snares it by the bill, and the excitement begins.
When you tell folks you’ve been gar fishing, they’re gonna look at you like you’re some kind of alien. If they do, just smile and act nonchalant. Remember, the folks pointing fingers and laughing won’t be crowding your favorite gar holes. And most good gar fishermen would just as soon keep it that way.