OK, I know that the Ottawa River is known as a hot spot for Gar (at least that's what the Ontario Out of Doors article claims) but what I want to know is why after 3 years am I just now starting to see these things??
I caught my second one in two weeks tonight. The first one measured 38" and tonight's was 41". The one I got tonight crushed a White Big-O and I mean literally crushed it.....his teeth were stuck in the lure and I'm sure that was the only thing that prevented him from shaking free as the trebles were not in very well at all.
Just to add a little fuel to the mono versus Power Pro debate, I was spooled up with 30lb Power Pro on a Shimano Symetre reel and a 7 foot medium heavy Fenwick rod....
But I digress.....the thing that has me puzzled is that everything I've read about Gar says that they are not an aggressive fish, that you basically have to wait upwards of a minute to a minute and a half before setting the hook (to let the bait get past that beak full of teeth and down it's throat) and that if you do hook one they fight like hell.... Well, the part about the fight is on the money, but the other tid bits couldn't be further from the truth. I set the hook on neither fish that I got, they did all of the work by hammering my lures as soon as they hit the water.....like I said, I'm puzzled, but I'd LOVE to hear from anyone who has some experience with Gar so I know if I've just been lucky twice over, or if this behaviour is somewhat more common that what I've been lead to believe.
Thanks
Karack
What is up with all the Gar around Shirley's Bay???
Please tell me you got a photo of that gator!!!!!!!!!.....I have never caught one...I've seen them at shirlys bay....I was told that they will not bite....you are proving them all wrong...congrads on that monster....heck the way you are going you will be the only one with the limit of Gar 
....congrats again 
....congrats again Sorry Big-O, but I don't have a picture 
I've already ruined one digital camera wading (or should I say falling) and I left my disposable in my tackle box in the van......I did have a witness though as there was a guy who offered me $20 for the fish....I declined of course but I did sell him my spare Big-O
K.
I've already ruined one digital camera wading (or should I say falling) and I left my disposable in my tackle box in the van......I did have a witness though as there was a guy who offered me $20 for the fish....I declined of course but I did sell him my spare Big-O
K.
But, but, but............but I got the $20 for the big-o 
I can replace the one that the Gar destroyed AND the one that I sold and get a third on top of that
I should have been a business man
I didn't have the heart to tell the guy that I have a horse shoe shoved up my butt and that the chances of him catching another Gar there tonight were basically zero.........
K.
I can replace the one that the Gar destroyed AND the one that I sold and get a third on top of that
I should have been a business man
I didn't have the heart to tell the guy that I have a horse shoe shoved up my butt and that the chances of him catching another Gar there tonight were basically zero.........
K.
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AverageAngler
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Never seen them, but going to go out! I would love to catch one of these"
DINOSOURS!"
Cheers'
-AA-
DINOSOURS!"
Cheers'
-AA-
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Guest
Like any fish, Gar will get aggressive when they want to eat. In fact, they have a natural reaction to attack baits when they hit the water. Therefore, the best way to fish for them is to sight fish them, and throw baits right beside them to try to trigger a strike. This particular fish has a natural instinct to attack when something lands beside it.
Now, being an advocate for "fish safety", I don't recommend using the "swallow" technique. It puts both the fish and the angler at risk. If you've ever seen a gar, you don't need to be putting your mitts any closer to those jaws than you need to. Furthermore, there is no need to unnecessarily subject the fish to that kind of risk.
Dave
Now, being an advocate for "fish safety", I don't recommend using the "swallow" technique. It puts both the fish and the angler at risk. If you've ever seen a gar, you don't need to be putting your mitts any closer to those jaws than you need to.
Furthermore, there is no need to unnecessarily subject the fish to that kind of risk. Dave
Last edited by Guest on Thu Jul 08, 2004 1:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
yeh we did a tern a mint at aylmer last weekend and we saw maybe a 1000 gar.....one must have been 40 lbs...they kept nailing our top water
thingys...
on the caution thing:
not only do they haev teeth aplenty ..they have been known to hurl themselves around a lot and can jump 6ft out o0f the water so
HEADS UUUUUUUUUP!!!!
thingys...
on the caution thing:
not only do they haev teeth aplenty ..they have been known to hurl themselves around a lot and can jump 6ft out o0f the water so
HEADS UUUUUUUUUP!!!!
Hey Kingman - I can do better than just talking in generalities I'll give you the exact infoKingmann wrote: Karack, how much water were you in, what time of day and were you fishing over shale, rocky or sandy bottom. I would love to locate some of these but as of yet they have completely eluded me.
I was fishing at Shirley's Bay, just off to the left of the boat launch (if you are standing on the shore looking out into the water) around the point just in front of the big weed bed. I was standing in about 4 - 4 1/2 feet of water with my back to the weedbed, tossing out into the river. As for the bottom, I'd call it rocky but with some sandy parts. It was just after 8 PM
The first one I caught, I was basically at the same place, but I was standing half way between the little point and that weed bed in about 3 feet of water, throwing my spinnerbait to the weedline. I caught this guy around 7:00 PM if memory serves.
I hope this helps
Karack