180 lb gar hoto

[peter]

Check out this photo of a 180 lb gar caught in Texas.
My.....

http://www.fishin.com/forums2/showthread.php?t=67917

Peter

[DJD]

Wonder if these are the same guys that shot that 380# Gar? You can look it up on Snopes.com

[smashdn]

Is that a 30 foot jonboat?

[know1]

It's a shame that it's legal to bowfish for alligator gar in Texas, IMO.

I just think of them more as a sportfish than a rough fish to be shot. Plus, doesn't it take them a long time to grow to that size?

[mhall]

It's a shame that it's legal to bowfish for alligator gar in Texas, IMO.

I just think of them more as a sportfish than a rough fish to be shot. Plus, doesn't it take them a long time to grow to that size?

No actually they grow quite fast and are a detriment, (spelling), to some fisheries. Thus the reason almost all states consider them a trash fish and actually encourage bow fisherman to take them. They are getting so thick in Cumberland it's ridiculous. Earlier this year all over the lake there were spots it looked like I could have walked across their backs to shore. Shoot the tar out of'em boys. As Uncle Ted would say, ''Whack'em, Pack'em and Stack'em''.

[know1]

No actually they grow quite fast and are a detriment, (spelling), to some fisheries. Thus the reason almost all states consider them a trash fish and actually encourage bow fisherman to take them. They are getting so thick in Cumberland it's ridiculous. Earlier this year all over the lake there were spots it looked like I could have walked across their backs to shore. Shoot the tar out of'em boys. As Uncle Ted would say, ''Whack'em, Pack'em and Stack'em''.

I agree with a lot of what you say, but I was specifically talking about ALLIGATOR gar...which aren't in Cumberland.

[nonamesleft47]

Know1 is right, alligator and longnose gar are two different things. Longnose gar are what we have here, not alligator gar. The longnose are pests, we catch some big ones in the Ohio and Kentucky rivers, I almost always throw them up on the bank and take them home, either to eat or to ferilize the flowers. Yes, you can eat them, actually they are pretty good. Just need a good set of wire shears.

I don't understand this either, I personally have a problem with killing fish older than I am, especially if I'm not going to eat it. I was looking through a catalog the other day and saw a DVD that was about bow fishing. Two guys with about 10 alligator gar stacked up in front of them. Every one of those fish were probably older than the guys that shot them and take forever to replace into the fishery.

[mhall]

I agree with a lot of what you say, but I was specifically talking about ALLIGATOR gar...which aren't in Cumberland.

That's true Michael those are the long nose in Cumberland aren't they? Hey why did you change your user name??

[know1]

That's true Michael those are the long nose in Cumberland aren't they? Hey why did you change your user name??

Just thought it was time to change.

[LoweBow]

The Gator Gar in that photo was shot by me during a bowfishing trip to Texas in April of this year. It was cleaned (w/ the help of a machette) and eaten. Gar is quite good. This gar was take in the same stretch of river that the video from the "Gar Guys" was made, that was mentioned earlier. There is no shortage of giant gator gar in this river as we easily saw over 150 fish that would go 100# lbs. during our trip.
My boat is a 2070 Xpress.
We spent 8 days in Texas and racked up almost 4000 miles on the truck shooting 4 lakes and 2 river systems. It was the best trip of my huntinig/fishing life! We took giant alligator gar, longnose, buffs, carp, and cooler of cats and talapia one night. Great trip.

[LoweBow]

It's a shame that it's legal to bowfish for alligator gar in Texas, IMO.

I just think of them more as a sportfish than a rough fish to be shot. Plus, doesn't it take them a long time to grow to that size?

The commercial fisherman that pole line these fish take more of them than bowfishermen will see in a year. Yes, they are a great sportfish that is watched very closely by fisheries biologists in the Southern States.
The BAA (Bowfishing Association of America) donates money each year to study and help stock gator gar in many southern states. I don't know of any other fishing association that puts $$ towards the gator gar.

Landing one of these fish w/ rod and real, or by archery is quite an accomplishment. That fish wore my ass out. As long as it's a legal method of harvest and the biologists agree it's not detrimental I'm fine doing it my way. When scientific data shows otherwise, I'll stop.

[know1]

The commercial fisherman that pole line these fish take more of them than bowfishermen will see in a year. Yes, they are a great sportfish that is watched very closely by fisheries biologists in the Southern States.
The BAA (Bowfishing Association of America) donates money each year to study and help stock gator gar in many southern states. I don't know of any other fishing association that puts $$ towards the gator gar.

Landing one of these fish w/ rod and real, or by archery is quite an accomplishment. That fish wore my ass out. As long as it's a legal method of harvest and the biologists agree it's not detrimental I'm fine doing it my way. When scientific data shows otherwise, I'll stop.

I'm definitely not questioning your right to take them with a bow at all. I'm just giving an opinion - admittedly fairly uninformed - that it seems odd to allow bowfishing for them.