Need Alligator Gar?

[BassBest]

Do we really need this species re-populated? I'm almost on both sides of the fence here, got a foot down on the "no" side. Here is a resourceful video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB43cJ_yuoY

[twise7]

I thought the EXACT same thing when I first heard about the KDFW re-stocking this species. Do we "really' need these things back in our waters? It seems that in order for a predator fish to sustain, on average of 6 to 7 feet in length and 150 lbs, they're going to have to eat a LOT of other fish on a DAILY basis.

Sure, if the alligator gar choose to dine on the asian or silver carp then I'm all about it...but we all know they will eat anything and everything they can get their teeth on. Which means yet one more thing for our sport fish to have to compete with in order to survive. I fully support our KDFW officers and officials, but I have to disagree with re-stocking the alligator gar.

[artcarney_agr]

I thought the EXACT same thing when I first heard about the KDFW re-stocking this species. Do we "really' need these things back in our waters? It seems that in order for a predator fish to sustain, on average of 6 to 7 feet in length and 150 lbs, they're going to have to eat a LOT of other fish on a DAILY basis.

Sure, if the alligator gar choose to dine on the asian or silver carp then I'm all about it...but we all know they will eat anything and everything they can get their teeth on. Which means yet one more thing for our sport fish to have to compete with in order to survive. I fully support our KDFW officers and officials, but I have to disagree with re-stocking the alligator gar.

Cheese and rice! There is no shortage of forage with the overrun of gizzard shad and the recent bloom of asian carp. Give the KDFWR a little credit, they know what they are doing!

[Tyme2fish]

Here's what I do know. There is no way on God's green earth that I am ever going to pull a 6' plus alligator gar into my boat.

I think I'd rather play Russian roulette with a clip loaded automatic pistol.

[Rudypoo4444]

I thought the EXACT same thing when I first heard about the KDFW re-stocking this species. Do we "really' need these things back in our waters? It seems that in order for a predator fish to sustain, on average of 6 to 7 feet in length and 150 lbs, they're going to have to eat a LOT of other fish on a DAILY basis.

Sure, if the alligator gar choose to dine on the asian or silver carp then I'm all about it...but we all know they will eat anything and everything they can get their teeth on. Which means yet one more thing for our sport fish to have to compete with in order to survive. I fully support our KDFW officers and officials, but I have to disagree with re-stocking the alligator gar.

With the growth/maturity rate of alligator gar, do you really think they are going to even put a dent in the bass population? Lets be realistic, there are plenty of bass in KY waters that alligator gar are never going to touch their numbers. They grow too slow and reproduce even slower.

[eddie_m]

I've seen these before. When I was a kid, I saw 3-4 from a bridge at an oxbow lake in Louisiana. They are frickin' amazing. These were about 5 feet long. I think it would be SO COOL to catch a prehistoric giant (but NOT pull it into my boat!). Also, these are in all the famous southern lakes like Toledo Bend, Okochobee (spelling?), and pretty much any lake from south Texas to Florida. It doesn't seem to have hurt their bass population much.

[flyfish]

I'm with Rudy, these fish aren't known for their reproduction and won't pose a problem for our waters. Maybe they'll prey on the clouds of asian carp fingerlings I see in the rivers.

For all my fellow bowfishermen out there, maybe now we won't have to drive to TX and LA to shoot these monsters!

[BigPoppy]

I joined the army in 1976, Good Old Ft. Polk, you are with in spitting distace down there to some kind of water, when they called it the sportsmans paradise, They knew what they were saying I caught at least 20 different kinds of fish. I saw some of the big gars that would run 7 to 10 feet, I even caught chain pickeril in a creek that was 20 feet wide by a bridge and then only a few feet wide just yards away. Gator gar are preditors and they can and will feed on anything they can catch, and now for the "but" they are cold blooded, which means when cold weather hits they slow way down. to be a real threat to sport fish they would have to be stocked in huge numbers. and the big ones we see on the boob tube are 30 to a hundered years of age are they scary looking, without a doubt. a danger to habitats, I would have to say no. but over the years I caught a few and they are like tarpons on one day and logs the next. To top it off the gars were here a long time not flown in from overseas, but if by chance you get to hang one on a line, have a long pair of pliers or a sharp knife to cut the line you DO NOT THUMB LIP THESE BAD BOYS!

[BassBest]

With the growth/maturity rate of alligator gar, do you really think they are going to even put a dent in the bass population? Lets be realistic, there are plenty of bass in KY waters that alligator gar are never going to touch their numbers. They grow too slow and reproduce even slower.

You're thinking solely about our generation. Think about have hundreds of alligator over 10 ft long and a couple hundred #'s 20 yrs from now, or even 40 yrs or however long they will survive. They will feed on bass, let's just hope rough fish take up most of the menu.

[BassBest]

It sounds like they are less threatening to gamefish as the other gar we have, but knowing the seniority of the other gar we already have here makes adding another sound like a bad idea.

[HURRICANEBOB]

Anything that eats Asian Carp would be okay by me.

I wonder. When these things get to be say 7-8 foot long, will that tend to reduce the number of people jet skiiing on the Ohio River? Water-skiing? Skinny-dipping?

Hey, maybe in a couple years, KY can do a new bend on "Jaws".

[walkeraviator]

You guys should watch teh monster fish episode where he fishes teh trinity river for these things. It is really entertaining. Having fished the guadalupe river in south TX, I can tell you that these things get really big, but do little to hurt bass populations. I caught large numbers of good size largemouth out of that river not a 100 yards from where a guy stakes out cut bait to the bank to fish for big gator gar...