Do gar run off other fish?

[Bonefish]

Hold the fish up and cut the rope with scissors down each side of the gar's mouth and the rope comes completely untangled...fish unharmed.

[Danny]

Hey Bonefish.... Sometime maybe I can talk you into coming down to KY Lake and doing some gar fishing with me!! This time of year is perfect. I love catching Gar. My Mom and Dad used to kill them when they caught them in the river. I never liked that, but I remember, gosh I must have been about 4 maybe 5, and we were fishing on a sandy beach at Dam 48. That Dam is now gone, but my Mom caught a long nose gar that was in excess of 4 feet. At that time the only fishing I had ever seen on TV was saltwater fishing. I was running around yelling about it being a sword fish!! That absolutely had to be one of my favorite moments of my youth. There were a lot of funny times when we had our small aluminum V bottom, about 14-16 feet. We had a cabin on the Ohio, and would row out to the edge of the channel. Then we would fish, primarily for channel cats, but we would occasionally get a gar. It always created quite a stir and laugh as we tried to get that fish unhooked and back out of our "LITTLE" boat, which certainly got littler when a gar was in it!! LMAO

Great memories, thanks to all!!!!!


Danny

[Bonefish]

Danny, I live in Lexington, and I hate to say it but I hardly get to far away from this place these days because I have horses in training right now and trying to sell my home to rebuild down by Herrington. I appreciate the offer and will defiantly keep you in mind when I get the chance to come your way. I have fished the KY Lake a couple of times and have had a great time each trip. Herrington and the KY River are very active with gar right now.

[RoadToad]

Herrington and the KY River are very active with gar right now.

How long does this activity typically last?

[Bonefish]

They will feed July through September and the surface. You can also use small crappie minnows. Sometimes they will hit those before anything else. If you can find them where they are schooled on the surface, most likey they are feeding on small minnows.

[RoadToad]

They will feed July through September and the surface. You can also use small crappie minnows. Sometimes they will hit those before anything else. If you can find them where they are schooled on the surface, most likey they are feeding on small minnows.

Thanks. So in late September or October, I'll be heading back on my own after stripers! But I think next time I'll put in down by Gratz. This ramp was hell to get to, even with 4WD. And yeah, there were minnows of some sort schooled all around. I was using a small white fluke on a 3/8 oz jig, and when the bait got back to the boat, there would be minnows schooled all around it, following it in.

[Bonefish]

Starting now, the river will be full of minnows and by September as the water cools, the bass will be attacking them and that's when crank bait, spinnerbait and topwater fishing gets good on the river.

[Danny]

Grumpy,

I won't argue with you, that's for sure. I am pretty sure you whooped up on me pretty darn well on the last fishing trip we took!!! LOL

Those little whirlybugs, well that was the first time I caught a fish under them. Couldn't believe it really. I was just fishing as I trolled past the bugs.

On the gar, if you say so, I will believe you, but I have just caught so many bass around the gar. I am sure it is like Etec said, I think they injure some minnows and the bass clean up what is left.

But like I said, I love catching the gar too!!! I honestly think a long nosed gar will fight harder than any of the other fish I catch on a normal basis. I just keep fighting my instinct to get those wire leaders just to fish for those beasts. I guess the main reason I won't do it is because I hate trying to get my hook back!!! LMAO. I've some great stories of fishing the river as a kid and the gar we caught.

Danny

[Grumpy]

Danny,

You can disagree any time you want, that's what discussion is all about. Who put a whomping on whom doesn't have anything to do with it. I remember how you so graciosly showed me around KY Lake and put a whomping on me at the same time (smile).

However, we may be splitting hairs about catching Bass "where the Gar are running." I know what Etecranger is talking about and we have had this discussion before, but I still say I have never caught Bass RIGHT AMONG WHERE THE GAR ARE SCHOOLING or chasing shad. It is possible, when the Gar are busting shad, to move a little ways away and find/catch Bass or other fish. I do believe that "gar run off other fish" but that doesn't maen that the other fish go a long ways from where the Gar are. It is the same way with the Whirlygigs--move a little ways away from where they are dancing and you can catch fish (sometimes).

Grumpy

[EtecRanger205]

I disagree, I have fish with Grumpy and he know the spot of which I am discribing on Nolin. But the only time fishing gets good is when the gar are in this cove and feeding. They tend to puch the shad around and the bass will be on the outsides ambushing the shad. I caught my limit within 45 minutes last night, and the gar were moving the shad. Just don't throuw a trap or a white spinner bait. Good luck

[mhall]

A friend of mine took me fishing on the Kentucky River today right below lock #2 at Lockport. He's had great success there in the past, but we were got skunked pretty good. He caught a small drum, and I caught a longnose gar on a Rat'l Trap. We got lots of strikes on simple 3/8 ounce jigs with 3" white grubs, but just couldn't hook up. The guy at the grocery store said nobody had been catching much the past few days, mainly because "the gar are running," which he said runs off the other fish. This makes sense, because we saw what we thought were fish jumping all over the place, but in hindsight I'm thinking it may have been gar "gulping." Any thoughts?

I've seen gar run bass clean out of town many times, I myself am a firm believer. I've got a milk run of secondary points that I run in early spring at Cumberland for smallmouth. They are sure bets every year. I've nailed them on it one morning go back the next and if the gar move in you can pull up the trolling motor and forget it. Seen it too many times to be a fluke.

[Chubminnow]

I agree with Mhall...if you're seeing Gar present in the water you're fishing, you may as well pull up the trolling motor and head to another spot. You might still be able to catch fish with Gar present but I think more often than not the rule of thumb is if Gar are present then move on to greener pastures.