Should We Stop Stocking Non-native Trout? by Don Orth.Alligator Gar is now officially the State Primitive Fish of Arkansas. And Illinois passed a resolution to protect gars in Illinois. The reader will also learn a bit about policy - the Lacey Act, care and feeding of young gar in "Frankengar," Jeremy Wade and Bubba the bowhunter guide from Garzilla in "Gar in the Balance," "Gar Wrangling in Arkansas," and Arkansas’ difficult history with the Alligator Gar. Spitzer even explores the evolutionary relation with the fossil fishapod Tiktaalik roseaeand the gar. In "Messy Nessy Gar Myths" we learn of reports all across North America, but especially in the South where gar are most plentiful, of long, serpentine, land-locked leviathans often posted on Chamber of Commerce websites. In "When Gars Attack," we learn about questionable stories about gar attacks. In Spitzer’s chapter on “Gar and Loathing in Texahoma” we first meet Capt Kirk, the Alligator Gar catch-and-release guide (he hates stupid bow hunters who dump their kill). Capt Kirk eventually assisted with Spitzer’s first landing of a monster gar, six feet and five inches. Texas is now the leader in implementing management plans for the Alligator Gar and other states are following. Researchers investigating feeding habits of gar support the view that consumption of game fishes is minimal. Spitzer writes of fish markets in Arkansas that cannot supply the demand for gar meat which fetches a prices higher than catfish fillets. Section 109.114 stated that "It shall be unlawful for any person to place any gar pike in any waters of the state, and such fish when taken shall be destroyed." Tarzwell (1945) explored the possibility of commercial fishing for rough fish in TVA reservoirs. Too often the gars were simply thought of as a rough fish problem to be solved and not a resource to protect and conserve. Scarnecchia (1992) reported that even by late 1980s it was not even legal to release gar alive in Iowa. Up until recently most states had no limits on harvesting gars. Mark Spitzer reveals the many instances of directed efforts to exterminate gars, including a description of the Electrical Gar Destroyer deployed by the Texas Game Fish and Oyster Commission. Fish and Fishing in Louisiana labeled the gars as voracious pests that “are responsible for the destruction of great numbers of useful and valuable fishes.” Yet this warning went unchallenged for nearly a century and numerous populations of Alligator Gar were depleted. Richardson (1914, p 407) in a paper on breeding habits of fishes in the Illinois River warned that "Certainly if our commercial fisheries are to be properly conserved, stringent measures will have to be taken against these 'weeds' and 'wolves' among fishes." This sentiment was based only on visual observations of adult Shortnose Gar Lepisosteus platostomus and - not based on any scientific evidence of harm. During the twentieth century, gars were viewed as harmful by most anglers and even fisheries managers. Alligator Gar are second only to the Lake Sturgeon as true freshwater leviathans. Hope this helps.In addition to sharing in Spitzer’s many quests to catch a gator gar, we learn the many sad stories of misinformation about the Alligator Gar, gar attacks, and much more. Shouldn’t need big line for the gar 8 lb should be ok for them I wouldn’t use more then 12 lb test though. You get them a lot when fishing for bass. Shocked you haven’t caught a gar fishing for bass. Can get them over by the sink boat as well. For bait small minnows with a 2/0-4/0 hook work well at 35-45 inches with bobber. On the peg with the 3 channels the channel on the left and at the land to the left of the middle channel is loaded with them. Frogs and top water work real well.the little 3/0 crank bait is really good too. For gar I have caught them all over the place. Different depths work I tend to catch them with the 8ft yellow or blue cranks. Crankbaits work real well too at speed 1 or 2. If using a lure the medium spoon 4/0 1 1/4 oz red or yellow spoons work real well with stop and go or lift and drop on speed 2. Occasionally you will get a snook or a red drum but that’s where tarpons are real active. If using float put leader at 45 inches that’s what I have luck with. For bait use 4/0 - 6/0 hooks shiners and shrimp work real well recommend 20 lb setup minimum because they get pretty big and really can fight. Off the sock cast out to the right of that little island as far as you can towards the trees in the distance.
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