When sight fishing for Gar, keep your finger on the trigger of a spinning reel and be ready to cast to a sighted Gar fast! Cruise the s

horeline, looking for Gar just under the surface and for surfacing fish. Cast just beyond the Gar and in front of him. Bring your lure back right in front of his face. A slow or medium retrieve works best.

   If a Gar follows, but won’t take the bait, stop the retrieve and let the lure sink. Then give it a slight jerk and continue reeling a little faster. This can sometimes trigger a strike from the Gar. You can also blind cast to an area that you suspect holds Gar. When you get a strike, DO NOT SET THE HOOK! There are no hooks to set and doing so will often jerk the lure out of his mouth before it has a chance to work. Just keep a slight drag on the reel, and hold on! They will often jump clear out of the water and will come alive at the sight of your boat.

   Gar can be landed with a large landing net, or released at boat side with the GarJack. Remember, these fish have razor sharp teeth. Use caution!

   Try to keep the lure off the bottom. It will pick up everything it touches. Mud, dirt and trash. If the lure does get dirty, reel it up close to the tip of your rod and slap it hard on the surface of the water. This will clean most of the mud off. If the lure gets real dirty, you can wash it in warm, soapy water and let it dry overnight. When it is dry, brush it out with a stiff brush. Fiber or wire will work just fine. It is a good idea to keep your lure in the zip lock bag it comes in. This will help prevent it from getting tangled with your other lures and hooks.

    Thanks a lot and Good Fishing!

       Jack