They eat other bait fish. Not sure on how they play a role in the eco system on a lake. I have never tried to eat them but have heard they are not very good to eat and have a lot of bones, similiar to a Northern Pike. They also have a slime on them that is very smelly. Hard to get the smell off your boat.

I have caught them trolling using shad, imitation shad, and bucktail jigs. My son caught a 9lb gar this summer. Great fight but I made the mistake of bringing into the boat. Took almost all summer to get the smell out.