[catfishpena]

I fish at a spillway with lots of gar. I hook a bream in the tail region and run the leader through the gills and mouth to a 3-way swivel. When I catch a cat the hook is set nicely. I do have a lot of misses though. Is it possible that these misses are gar grabbing the bream but not the hook? Could I do things better? I appreciate the input.

 

[Desperado]

Sounds like that is what is going on. There really isn't much you can do about I believe. I bowfish the gar and try to thin them out of my areas....LOL

 

[Txboy]

I got lucky once and had a gar just swallow the hook hole and i reeled him in

In fact after we cleaned him i got my hook back that went out and caught more fish

 

[abilene]

Catfishpena, the only way that I know of to keep the gars from getting your bait is to fish where they ain't. Otherwise, you just have to put up with them. Using a bait that they don't care for could help, but they like the same things catfish like. And that includes shallow water coves, creeks and spillways. A place like you're fishing concenrates fish and that's good, but the gars will be concentrated also.
You can be sure by placing the toe of a pair of pantyhose over the bait. The needle teeth will hang in the nylon mesh. They are kind of fun to catch, better than nothing I guess. I know there are people that advocate releasing them but around here folks hate them so much, they throw them back up on the bank for **** feed. They ain't nothing but a big nusiance.
If they ain't too big, they will move out if the big cats move in. Big catfish will eat them, I've found them in their bellies.

 

[catfishpena]

I appreciate the input. Is there a better way to hook bream?

 

[Kutter]

Darn it Abilene, I had everything linded up in my head to reply and you went and beat me to it. EVERYTHING you said was what I was getting read to post.

STOP, THEIF! LOL

 

[abilene]

Hey Kutter! It looks like you were a little late on that one, 33 minutes to be exact. You know what they say, the early bird gets the worm. What I want to know is, who the hell wants worms? Fleas are bad enough. By the way, how are things down at the ding dong factory? I'll let you tell him that hooking a gill in the body is about as solid a place as you can find, unless he wants to use two hooks...or maybe some duct tape.

 

[Kutter]

Jackie, I'm just glad you changed your avitar pic. The old one always looked to me like you were standing next to some freaky looking green mule. Well, after a few glasses of homemade wine, it did.

 

[Rockin' Blues]

i generally hook them right behid the dorcell fin

 

[james]

i also fish a spillway which has a few gar never had them mess with my shad unless i tap it ontop of the water but they just snap at it never been able to hook one anyone know whats a good bait or way to catch them?

 

[Hannibal Mike]

I know this'll sound funny, but I was using cut fresh shad for cats and kept getting gar! (normal ok) What is strange, is that the 2/0 or 3/0 circle hook was rotating around and hooking the gar in the soft spot of their lower jaw (it is the throat area between the right and left sides of the lower jaw bone). This might have been a one time event, but I caught several gar that took the shad and ran. Of course I did not hook up every time, but I have never "hooked" so many gar without them swallowing the bait. Hooked them right in the middle of the lower jaw. Hannibal Mike (long nose and spotted gar) Love to catch and release the alligator gar someday, but I'll need to go south for that.

 

[Ohio_River_Rat]

I actually caught a gar on a sea cirle hook i fought it all the way to the dock and it managed to shake the hook.