As well as others whom hail from the extreme westward end of PA.
My Q is of Gar fishing…Did a google and found a single web page with VERY limited info as to gar fishing in PA,Basically It shows that Erie and the Ohio River water shed is about the only hope of getting to hook one of these prehistoric beasts…A friend and I are interested in making a weekend jaunt to try this with flies…
What are the odds of hooking one of these beast’s?..where might the best population density lie for these fish?
OK, So it’s actually 2 q’s…lol…but inquiring minds need to know…lol
Thanks for any info “light” you guy’s might be able to shed on this subject.
Bill;
Strange that you should post this right now. I caught a Gar in the Duck River Thursday. It hit an olive orange tailed #10 soft hackle cast to the spot where it was rising. Not much of a fight though, sort of like hauling in a small log.
There are spotted gar in a couple public park lakes near my home and they average 2.5 to 3 feet in length. I’ve hooked into them a couple times and they really put up a fight right up to the point were they threw the flies. Found a website were they created a fly that gets tangled in tthere teeth. The body of the fly is basicly a short piece of unraveled rope and you don’t even need a hook!. The flies immitate bait fish like mnnows and such. Google "Gar Flies.
Gar are a species I have never targeted in Ohio, nor can I remember catching them here in my 57 short years. I checked the ODNR website and only forund this regarding the Longnose Gar:
"Habitat and Habits
Found in Lake Erie and the Ohio River, and their larger, slower tributary rivers and streams. Prefers the clearest water of slow-flowing streams, backwaters, and harbors and bays of Lake Erie."
On the other hand, here is some good information to be found on Joe Cornwall’s website, with a link to the Gar Angling Sporting Society (GASS):
I remember catching lots of them in the tailwaters of the Kankakee River when I was stationed at Scott AFB in Bellville, IL back in the 70’s. They would take our baits when we were fishing for channel cats below the spillway using bluegills for bait (10# ++ cats).
Bill,
I am at the same experience/knowledge level for gar as Joe. I couldn’t have pointed you in a better direction than he already has. Good luck!
Mike
Perhaps the Ohio river system is not supporting all that much of a population of Gar after all…Cause according to the article you buckeye boys should have regular run In’s with em…Maybe I’ll be able to sway the friend into targeting Gator Gar in Fla. !!! &Snook,Baby Tarpon…and whatever else may cruise in the canals down there…