Fish-Hawk.Net

I was out last night, and while we caught a good snack of walleye and had to throw a few oversized ones back, we had trouble hooking a Gar Pike that kept following us.

While I won't normally go out targeting Gar (Yet anyway) I would like to get one in the boat atleast once just for a picture and release.

Last night, a 3 footer was following our boat for about a half hour....I had him take my minnow twice and my buddy once. We litterally just saw the thing right under the boat and reeled our lines up right in front of him and he slowly took it. All 3 times we let him take it for a second and tried setting the hook. Both of my attempts it let go instantly. My buddy says it gave him a pull back but then spit it out.


Are their mouths just that tough, or should we let him start to swallow it? (Normally I wouldn't do that...I hate to have to dig in with pliers when they swallow the hooks)

Any Help?

Their mouths are just that tough. I would suggest sharpening your hooks to enusure that they're needle sharp, and use heavy enough line so that you can set the hook hard. I would also suggest you use barbless hooks (or pinch down the barbs) so that it's easier to remove the hook, especially if it's gone through cartiledge or bone.

I have a Gar pike in my goldfish pond. I like him very much.
However, I seem to be losing goldfish?!?

LOL!

No idea how to hook one but have been trying for years! Let us know how you make out!

I've seen where people do use minnows for them.....and they do let them swallow it.....not cool by my books really......

I'd suggest you back away from it...and throw a reactionary bait at it....when it slashes at your bait give em a good hookset......like a 5 pound largie under a dock hookset.... ...ram that hook home....

Their mouth is full of teeth and solid bone/cartilage.



RJ

RJ wrote:
I'd suggest you back away from it...and throw a reactionary bait at it....

RJ

RJ, what do you mean by "reactionary bait"? Could you PM me if preferred?

Thanks!

Crankbait...Spinner....etc.

Sharp Hooks!

Thanks!

Gar tend to strike your bait fast then run with it before they actually eat it. Try waiting a few extra seconds and giving it some line you may have a better chance of getting the hook set closer to the flesh of the mouth. thats how i caught mine.

A lure that i use that has been quite effective for me is the classic jointed rapala, in orange. I retrive it slow enough that the tail section never really goes under water but the head just starts to dive. Make sure your hooks are RAZOR sharp, no stretch line and a stiff rod to drive er' home. Actually managed to catch one on Gulp! this weekend while looking for walleyes in pools on a small river. The river is rotten with them these last two weeks, i have pictures and film of them stacked like firewood.

My "GOTO" for gar is a simple original jointed rapala, orange. Retrieved very slow so that the tails section never fully goes underwater and the head section stays below the surface. No stretch braid, heavy rod and a hook sharpener are essential tools.