There is a local warm water discharge from a power plant that I fish at. I see all kinds of gar, so today I am getting shiners a

[hunt_fish_sleep]

There is a local warm water discharge from a power plant that I fish at. I see all kinds of gar, so today I am getting shiners and fishing exclusively for gar, but I have a dilema. What should I do with them throw them back or kill them and throw them away? Most of my friends tell me to just get rid of them because they are a garbage fish.

[streack]

If you want to, kill them, freeze them, and use them for chum later.

[silsbyj]

I found that chunking them up and soaking the bits in salt and other random ingredients make great catfish bait. If you dont keep em throw them back. I agree that they are trash fish but I have seen a few people get tickets for throwing them on the bank and leaving them.

[Beekeeper]

You might want to check out this link. An old cajun friend of mine used to BBQ them like pork. Not to bad.

http://www.marshbunny.com/recipes/gar.html

[Christian Emter]

I like Streack's idea.

[kolbster]

you might get a ticket for throwing them out, i dont like them but i always throw them back.

[hunt_fish_sleep]

I forgot to stipulate Beekeeper, by no means am I going to eat these nasty fish. I know that the standard response will be "don't knock it till you try it" but that is just what I am going to do.

[ETangler]

If you want to keep them for bait then o.k. if not toss'em back. The look on a dad's face when his child catches a big'un for the first time is great, even if it's a trash fish...

[hunt_fish_sleep]

ETangler, this isn't exactly the kind of fish that a child is going to catch for the first time. Their mouths are too bony and narrow to hook so it takes a very specialized rig. This is a hardcore fisherman's fish, not the kind that some bumbling city slicker is going to accidentally catch.

[Del in KS]

My dear old Uncle Francis Jackson said that while growing up during the Great Depression they would gig Gar fish, boil them in a large pot and feed them to the chickens. Then take the eggs the chickens laid to the local store where they got 5 cents a dozen in trade for groceries. At the rate Obama and the Dem's are going we might need that advice soon. They made the gig by straightening large fishhooks. This was in Sumter CO Florida. The lakes are loaded with Gar.

[Golfing Sportsman]

Just because a gar is of no use to you doesn't mean it has no use. It is a native part of the natural ecosystem and if you are not going to eat it or use it for something else throw it back.

[Beekeeper]

HFS,

As far as fish diets go they eat mainly live prey. This should mean that they would be "cleaner" than bottom feeders like bullhead and channel cat. All a matter of perspective! Have fun catching them, but like the other folks said don't just toss them on the bank...

As for a specialized rig, take a piece of white nylon braided rope about 1 foot long. Tie a knot in one end and wrap a little red ribbon under the knot. Then frazzle out the remaing rope. Tie a length of heavy mono below the knot as a leader, then tie your main line to the leader. Cast the contraption in front of surfacing gar. The gar will strike the "lure" and its teeth will hang up in the frayed rope. Play it down and release it with a jerk on the end of the rope.

[CPT BRAD]

Use em for bait or use a 22 short. Or whatever, I have heard of Cajuns eating them, I have heard of Cajuns eating A LOT of things! Find out if any of the folks where you're from want them, I used to sell big carp for 5 bucks. if not chunk em if not kill em but find some use for them.

[Jim in Mo]

Gar are to the rivers what the Hyena is to African plains. Don't try to catch them if you don't want them. They have a purpose.
If you want a good recipe do this: take the gar and after cleaning, good luck, slice the fish vertically, like you would slice a potato into thin slices and drop in hot oil. Not bad.

[Bigbuck14]

the wardens might see u tosing them and i dont like them but i just throw them back