I was not even supposed to go out tonight.... but the weather turned out better than expected this evening. The kids got to bed early and my wife was tired after a long day at work and was going to bed early. The rest of the week between weather and activities seemed iffy for an evening out so I tackled up and went out to a new catfish spot I am working on. Late last week I caught some average to above average specimens so I thought I would giver a go again and see if anything bigger was around.
When I got there I cast out some bait for the for the cats with some frozen mackerel I have brought along, while I am waiting I do my standard reconnaissance seeing what else is around. I caught some eye reflections and some motion and my first thought was walleye. I take a time out to land a cat that has bitten. A below average specimen but a nice tug of war. He goes back in quickly (no pics of cats anymore unless they are interesting, I got way to many as it is).
I put the cat fishing on hold and I rig up my extra rod with a hula popper and start working the area. I see more eye reflection and more movement. I start catching glimpses of the fish I am targeting and they are not walleye I finally make out that they are Gar. My excitement level hits the roof.
I have done a lot of research and I know my best odds are with a minnow or a rope lure but I have neither with me. They have not been hitting by popper so I am thinking a lure at night may not be my best option. I had bought some nice sticky sharp trebles specially for Gar but I have not brought them with me. My odds and end kit does not have any trebbles. Argh! I got a dozen types of hooks from 22 to 5/0 but no trebles. Say it aint so! Thinking quickly I work a treble of a scatter rap I had in my lure pack and tie it on, and setup with a spring bobber I have handy. Remembering that Jimmy uses chunks of cut bait I use some of the mackerel I was using for the cats. Now the frozen bait was beginning to thaw so I was getting mushy chunks. I tried the head first.
There was a nice slow and steady current so I cast for my for a nice drift. After a number of drifts and follows The first fish bit. It started to run, I set the hook, felt the weight and then the fish let go.... Zing goes the hook and bait passed my head..... I start the process all over again, I get a number of soft takes but again, and again, zing passed by head with the hook on the set attempt.
The fish are beginning to move on and I am not seeing them as much anymore. Looking around I spot some reeds that look "Gar"-ish and cast out towards them. Sure enough I start to get follows out of the reeds. One more take and failed hook set and I am on my last piece of mushy bait. The only I can get it on the trebble is to bury it and fold over the bait, and push though the barbs. Not much of a gap but it was all I had.
I started my last drift and the bobber stopped.... I see the fish and I can not tell if he has taken the bait; There was no run, the bobber bobbed but did not go down.... I waited and then the bobber changed direction going against the drift. I real in the slack, set the hook and feel the weight. This time no zing! The fish is on..... Not wanting to loose it, I horsed it in and got it into the net way to early, it was way too lively.
I was lucky that the hook popped out on its own after a while.
I was too excited to get a measure on this guy but my net opening from top to bottom is 19 inches. I would this guy close to 30 inches but could be less.
Cool story ! \happy you got your first gar.
