Fish-Hawk.Net

I want to target some gar pike, but don't even know where to start. Do I use the normal pike tackle, or something completely different, shallow or deep? Never done it before, so I'm always up for a new adventure.

i caught them on 3 inch walleye grubs casting into the shallows

Every time I've caught Gar it was on a slow moving top water lure. Just put it in front of their mouths and wait. then when the Gar bites, leave it and don't set the hook for a couple of minutes. It takes them time to bring the lure from the front of their mouths to the back. Hope that helps.

they bite on just about anything a pike will. they are usually in shallow water and near weeds.

If it's the fish I'm thinking of it's a Long Nose gar, and I've only ever caught one (by mistake too) about twenty years ago.
They have long bony mouths with a lot of small sharp teeth, and if memory serves me, some guy from Orleans holds (or held) the world record.
I caught mine on a small (1 1/2 - 2inch) jointed Rapala but I seem to recall (and here again we rely on my less than perfect memory ) reading about someone using small silk tassels or something similar because the threads get caught up in the fishes teeth and are tough enough to take the abuse.
Whatever, just my nickels worth.
Best of luck, and let us know how it goes.

Esox_Lucius wrote:I seem to recall (and here again we rely on my less than perfect memory ) reading about someone using small silk tassels or something similar because the threads get caught up in the fishes teeth and are tough enough to take the abuse.

I"ve never used them, but...

http://www.geocities.com/garmanjack/lures.html

They seem like frayed nylon rope with weights attached. I hope I never catch a gar - they really freak me out!

I've perfected a live bait rig for them that results in almost 100% successful hookup rate.
I tried the nylon rope method and it works too. The only problem is having to untangle the gar for a good long while.

Those are some crazy rope lures. Has anyone ever seen these at a tackle store, or are they specialty? I like the idea of a live bait rig. We have a lake around here that is supposed to be filled with these fish, so it has peaked my interest. All I have to do is get the boat fixed, and as my fibreglass skills are about as good as my ability to fly the shuttle, I have been lagging on it.