Small Creek Gar Fishing

Longnose gar on the West Harpeth River in Tennessee.

[@johnclark7231]

This is a great video and shows good sportsmanship for these often misunderstood fish. I live in WV and our small streams and rivers are packed full of these fish. Never used cut bait but I keep hearing about many people using it. I'll have to try it the next time out. Again, good video.

[@Mkato320]

wish there were gar in creeks like that in my area, nice vod

[@BlackCountryPiker]

Great little video 👍

[@jeffrogambier]

cool vid man, i wish we had gar up here, keep'em comin

[@MrNeilcster]

Great video young man!

[@summertimeken]

I caught about a 3 foot long one today in the Harpeth in Franklin. Didn't want to catch him lol... nice vid, bud!

[@austinhernandez2716]

I love catching gar. They're a challenge and they put up a good fight. "pretty easy" wtf you're so lucky

[@knolltop314]

an oldie, but a goodie

[@SouthernWoods220]

good job, never caught one on hook and line but managed to shoot quite a few of them

[@tonymcrae6510]

Man I never catch them that small. Need one like that for my big fish tank. I honestly don't know where to fish in middle Tennessee

[@AllDayFishing_]

nice dude i fish in the same river, produces very good largemouth, smallies, rock bass and more. nice vid

[@EhmagawdKate]

Nice vid, great fish! I would love to see you try for bass as I need more tips for bigger ones (bait, hook tricks, etc)

[@WorldWideFishingwithAlex]

wow that looks really fun :)

[@UncleSteveFishing]

This is the kind of fishing vid I like: you go from seeing the *actual* cut bait on the *actual* hook and see how long it *actually* take to get the prize. :^) (Even though you hid the strike behind a weed.) Well a guy who used to work down at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park at Seven Spring (Whitehall) said that it's a bank fishing gar hole fishing there. I guess I need to go down and find out.

[@dunngonefishing]

Nice on the catch and release!

[@yourmaker13]

great vid

[@Neonatas]

Thats wicked awesome dude ! Im from Sweden, but am on my way to the us to fish and gar is one of my target fish =)

[@TheFishingfreak12]

Man! I wish i lived in an area where there was gar!

[@safishingtexas]

Nice vid bro I find them piled up like that in the creeks here in Texas always fun to catch. I think my biggest is about 5 or 6 ft

[@tnfcballer2]

Huckleberry Trail in horshoebend is the place where the harpeth runs behind. That's where I fish. Ty for the tip

[@smokymountainoutdoorsman1991]

Gar are awesome fish. I've hooked some nice ones up at Barkley Dam. how deep is that creek where you're at?

[@CatmanOutdoors]

@thelochness2000 Dang! Is it near a lake or larger river where the flatheads could migrate up into the small creek?

[@dddd111159]

So after they take the bait it looks like you let 'em run with it awhile before you set the hook. I see a lot of gar on canoe trips in TX, but never catch them. I'm using lures though. I'll try cut perch next time. Really good video.

[@highgrove4514]

place looks cool man

[@MdBassin747]

i hooked one the other day while on my boat in the potomac river in washington dc.... it was a spotted gar. it bit a lure, a spro aruku shad in red crawfish color. he must have been 40 inches and i didnt want to put him in the boat so i just kept it in the water until it got off lol

[@CatmanOutdoors]

@Cooloioi If you get a small bluegill, hook it live below the dorsal fin and it could catch you a very nice bass or pike... I don't have any pike experience but I caught nice pond largemouth with live bluegill when the same bass were very finicky about lures.

[@diceros69]

I was @ Big Cypress in SoFlorida and had a bunch of gar bit my bait & floater, but non hooked.... need to figure our my hook situation.

[@RickyBobby2234]

Nice video man. Is there anywhere else you locate the gar besides in that creek?

[@goon1874]

Hey bro try to go again and make a video of catching em. Really nice fish and nice pole

[@fijitodd1]

was this the section of the Harpeth in Dickson Co? Been spending some time up there and was wondering if there was anything in that section worth fishing for.

[@CatmanOutdoors]

Just about any creek, lake or river around here. In creeks like this, they prefer the deep calm pools. In slow rivers or lakes where it is usually deep and calm, they like certain "pockets" or areas not too far from shore and I'm not sure what makes them prefer their spots but I have seen them very concentrated in certain areas within casting distance from the shore on a big river and lake.

[@realbigdawg91]

that was cool

[@BoomSticksAndFishTricks]

@catman529outdoors Well, I'm not sure why you can't either. And bluegills and sunfish, oh man, everything loves them!!! So I usually live with some live suckers, and I cast a rattling rapala around the minnow to get the fish attention.

[@CatmanOutdoors]

@dddd111159 Depends on the size of the hook and the bait, but usually I have to let them run a long time. They take the bait, chew on it, swim a little while, stop and chew on it, swim a little while, and repeat until they have swallowed it. If you set the hook too early, you might get lucky and hook it, but they usually spit it out. Treble hooks usually increase your chance of hooking one in the mouth. I once caught one with a rooster tail... that was fun.

[@BoomSticksAndFishTricks]

@catman529outdoors Well, I guess that makes sense. I occasionally fish for bluegill if the pike or bass arent biting. So, good luck!! Tight lines!

[@SeanKearneyFILM]

Medium sized circle hooks and very strong braided line (or leaders) reduce visibility without compromising strength, and circle hooks lower mortality and injuries to the fish as well. That is at least what I have learned is most effective when fishing for gar.

[@CatmanOutdoors]

@adamitshelanu Yup, it's always best getting the whole deal on film from cast to fish... but doesn't always happen that way. This time of year they sit near the surface pretty often, so you can spot one, cast beyond it, and reel your bait right in front of its nose. Small piece of cut bait, medium sized hook or a small treble hook. They are tough to actually hook, but I seemed to get lucky this time. Watch the teeth, they are super sharp

[@BamaBrian79]

What do you think is the best hook to use and what lb line to catch them?I caught one the other day but after several failed attempts,i think i could've had a better hook on.

[@PennsylvaniaPickers]

nice video, i didnt know there were gar in tennnessee

[@nref55]

Nice fishing, around 3 or 4 feet they are perfect eating size!

[@CatmanOutdoors]

@advertizement123 the cars weren't biting that day, hooked into one old chevy s10 but it got away...

[@EhmagawdKate]

Going out to Lake Michigan this summer, fishing for Coho and steelhead, any tips?

[@BoomSticksAndFishTricks]

Doesn't that get boring just dragging em over the top of the water? Or do you get the ocasional big one?

[@rayblevins6252]

Lord Cat this has been a hot minute

[@CatmanOutdoors]

@xlxshanexlx No, the bass and baitfish were plentiful in this same hole where I caught the gar. They are native and have coexisted with the bass for a long time... people don't like them because they often steal the bait when the angler is trying to catch a different species.

[@AllDayFishing_]

i fish in the harpeth and i always catch a lot of fish but the one i cannot catch is the gar i see them all the time and try tons of different lures and i still can't find a way to catch them what would you suggest?

[@504who504dat]

Ahh see i was wondering b.c i always tried to set a hook and little did i get lol. nice set up but can you get a better video like a stand. that creek looks nice and love to see the strikes! great video tho!

[@CatmanOutdoors]

@Cooloioi That's too bad... bluegills and sunfish are so plentiful and make an excellent live bait, I wonder why it's illegal to use them. In tennessee it is legal but you you can't harvest them with a cast net like you would other baitfish... gotta catch them with a hook and line.

[@CatmanOutdoors]

@thelochness2000 bullhead maybe, not likely flathead. There could be a tiny flathead in there but not that I know of. I know a guy who's caught a bullhead in this hole before.

[@CatmanOutdoors]

@Cooloioi it's a small creek so you have to find the bigger holes for the bigger fish. The first fish put up a pretty good fight but the second was obviously a baby. They don't get big in this hole.. I was just fishing for fun.

[@XFSMrCodyAllen]

Nice video. But why the fairy wand?

[@KARMAAAA66]

quick question...iv never fished for gar but at 0:26 u said he has it in his mouth so why dident u set the hook then??

[@KARMAAAA66]

ohh nice idea i wonder if that works for muskie

[@CatmanOutdoors]

@tnfcballer2 This is the West harpeth river. A lot of the Harpeth has gar but some holes are better than others... if it's not too personal, message me the street you live on and I'll see if I have been to that stretch of the harpeth and let you know if it would be worth gar fishing. If you ever see them on the surface in the summer, just cast a small piece of baitfish past their snout and reel it up right to their snout. Gets em every time... just wait a long time for them to swallow it.

[@burgelikesdick]

nice man how you find the spot

[@bandhornfishingnerd1]

how many pieces did u get out of one bluegill?

[@julianking5207]

once u eat one I bet ull never throw another one back

[@TheFishslayer2000]

the gar @ 2:50 i would love to put in my fish tank lol do you ever eat the fish you catch because i have heard that gar are good fish to eat.

[@2013juanito]

what do you use as bait man

[@jspat49]

this is kinda a stupid question but what would happen if u went swimming in there??

[@shadowoftheangler3105]

name of ur stick ? i think we got the same :) its very strong stick for that fishing size ;)

[@22ratshot]

What kind of hooks do you use and what size?

[@CatmanOutdoors]

Most of the time the hook will just pull right out from their jaws because it's all bones and teeth. Sometimes, I get lucky and the hook sets in the narrow fleshy part in their jaw, but usually they spit the hook easily. So I wait for them to start to swallow it to set the hook inside their mouth instead.

[@tnfcballer2]

Where exactly is this? The harpeth is right behind my house and I really wanna catch Gar

[@BoomSticksAndFishTricks]

@catman529outdoors It's not legal in Minnesota for all I know. But I do have that occasional 10-15 pounder come and snatch at my crappies when I reel them in. Same with sunfish.

[@bjbarrera7222]

mullet is the shit to use for big ass gar.

[@TheNorwegenangler]

cool a aligatorpike

[@gman-vv5ib]

i've tried catching them in early may to mid may they don't go after anything and there in creeks like this can anyone give me some tips?

[@yaufwong6382]

Good

[@BamaBrian79]

or it might have been that i tried to hook him before he swallowed it and the hook wouldnt set good enough and he would get off..He would take it and pull it around awhile before he would try to eat the bait

[@wdlongboarding]

Are gar hard to catch? Or are they as easy as bass?

[@CatmanOutdoors]

They are probably more aggressive than bass, but tougher to hook, because of the bony mouth. If you get lucky you hook them through the very center portion of the snout, or right in the corner of the mouth. Otherwise you wait for them to swallow the bait and they get throat hooked or you don't wait long enough and they usually spit the hook out.

[@CatmanOutdoors]

It's not the Harpeth or in Dickson co, but is a tributary to the harpeth.

[@advertizement123]

at first i though the title said small greek car fishing

[@randyowen1883]

Where is the fishing spot.

[@christianhurd1463]

i went and hooked 7 gar today that was 6 feet long

[@CatmanOutdoors]

@zecnaspwn Not necessary for these little ones.. never caught a gar over 6 lb and never had one bite the line off. I've even had the line wrapped around the snout tangled in the teeth with the hook not even set in the mouth, and landed the fish. Can't say much about bigger gar, might want a leader for the big ones.

[@buggyblah]

@catman529outdoors haha we catch em while catfishin by accident in the potomac in VA, but by no means are they killin any other species out, cuz they've been here longer than all the others ahha

[@kissy656]

We're is this pond

[@blaze5053]

i have tried to catch them. but they never touch my bait!!!

[@ExtremelyApples1235]

blaze5053 use a smaller fish

[@nicksmith3746]

Are they good to eat?

[@ClashofClansWithKyle]

not really, because they are made mostly of bone.

[@amandanguyen9579]

Yes they are. It doesn't have small bones in the meat. The eggs however are toxic.

[@richardginzales9087]

+Gaming with Kyle no they are not made mostly of bones at all... they are badass eating.

[@dogwater2327]

Gaming with Kyle no I eat gar and it's the best fish I have ever tasted

[@gonzalez100695able]

They have a back strap that is white flesh and taste like walleye or bowfin. They're all in the same family i believe. (Correct me if I'm wrong)

[@CatmanOutdoors]

@jspat49 The fish would all scatter and you'd wish you had a deeper hole to swim in... lol

[@etube242]

We don't really have invasives here. And if you came where I live you would understand the problem. There is a major overpopulation and the adult striper and bass are starting to thin because of them.

[@MegaOzozozoz]

why ar the worth that much do u know?

[@dustinjohannsen7916]

What bait did you say you use ?

[@goon1874]

Sunfish basically a perch. Cut the perch or bluegill in halfs and put a piece on about the size of a meatball and then boom you'll catch gar

[@504who504dat]

man there is a ton of them spawning next to my house in this TINY POND. im gonna go catch them with some hotdogs and set them in the bigger lakes near by

[@CatmanOutdoors]

Nothing in particular, smaller hooks are better, and make sure it's sharp so you can try and penetrate the jaws. Otherwise you have to let them swallow it and then they get a hook in their throat and you lose a hook.

[@pharrsecurityuser7105]

Do you guy see someone in the right side corner

[@claytonneblett1672]

I thought gar didn't bite. And not far from west harpeth river. I live in White Bluff and fish Jones Creek all the time

[@funguy1121]

i caught a gar on a dollar store crank bait in the themes river =} i also use ugly stick rods they r ugly but best.

[@shiftyhaloguy]

completely different to the gar fish where i live

[@albertmata3397]

what did you use as bait?

[@Bullshittt]

If I watched the first 30 seconds of the video u would know 😂😂😂👏🏽. DA

[@CatmanOutdoors]

Of course they will eat baby bass... so will bigger bass, and a lot of other predator fish. Just the circle of life. I love catching bass but I don't see them as the only important fish and don't see a need to kill other fish that eat them. Now using gar for bait - never heard of it, does it work well? Must be tough to cut up.

[@MummEMonTHeStarr]

Wow i have the exact model of Ugly Stik ._.

[@CatmanOutdoors]

If they eat all of the other fish, there wouldn't be any other fish to catch, would there? I doubt you'd be fishing in your waters if there were only gar. I think that since they have always coexisted here with the other fish species, the ecosystem is pretty balanced and the reason you don't like them is because they often get to your bait before your target fish does. That is frustrating but no reason to kill them. Invasive fish are a different story.

[@poper0225]

Ugly stick, but what reel?

[@otis6791]

I've hooked a whole lot more than I've landed. They're notorious for not getting a good hook set in that bone snout. And don't try to lip them! Yikes!

[@CatmanOutdoors]

Actually, gar are native and they don't seem to deplete anything here.

[@PennsylvaniaPickers]

@PennsylvaniaPickers Tennessee*

[@CatmanOutdoors]

@dallascowboysfan3456 Why would I do that? I have no desire to eat them or use their meat for anything, and they are not invasive. They are released unharmed.

[@SeanKearneyFILM]

Very well said. It's purely ignorant to believe gar are harmful to any north american ecosystem, for they have been on earth longer than most modern fish. Also, they couldn't eat "all the other fish" even if they tried! Their diet consists of mostly shad, white or yellow perch, shinners, minnows, drum, carp, buffalo, worms and crayfish, and other fish or invertebrates. Gar are very important to the food chain and you should definitely refrain from killing or maiming gar