Reuven, Garfish (in this case the alligator gar species) are quite different from place to place. A lot of their endurance depends on the water quality and oxygen content where they live. Garfish have the ability to 'bubble-breathe', like a Siamese Fighting Fish. Therefore they can survive in oxygen depleted water (as long as they can stay wet), but they don't have any gusto if you catch one in that condition. The southern canals, swamps, spillways, and ditches are perfect places for them, even though not much else can survive in those waters.
Better (fight-wise) alligator gars live in the bayous and lakes and warm-water rivers in Southern Louisiana and Texas. They have much more oxygen and therefore endurance, and spend much more time chasing prey rather than ambushing critters at close range, like in a swamp. I've caught them while jack-fishing around schools of mullet. They're more like a muskie in conditions like that. Long-nose gars, which inhabit the bayous, are fiesty on light tackle and fly rods, and can reach some decent sizes- 20-30lbs. Short-nosed gars, inhabiting more northerly waters, are much smaller and should be fun on ultralight tackle. The outside of a garfish is armour-plated, and a machete wack hardly leaves a mark. Cleaning has to be done through the belly, and the meat carefully removed from among many bones. Sometimes the meat is mealy, but is good if you mix it with breadcrumbs and cajun seasonings, make patties, and deep-fry them. I had a garfish patty po-boy once, and it was excellent. Needle-nosed garfish are lots of fun on fly rods, as a piece of white yarn or something similar is all that is needed to entangle their teeth and hold on to them. Releasing them unharmed is tricky, though. Garfish are little respected throughout their habitats, like carp and suckers in the mountain states. DonO ----- Original Message ----- From: "Reuven Segal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, February 27, 2006 3:14 PM Subject: RE: [VFB] Giant Gator Gar fishing video > Do they fight well?? Something that huge cannot be a nuisance in my book. > I want one!!!!! > > Do they eat them?? Mount them???? > > R > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Behalf Of Dan Harriman > Sent: Tuesday, 28 February 2006 3:12 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [VFB] Giant Gator Gar fishing video > > > Yup, they are pretty common down here along the Texas > gulf coast. We call them alligator gar. Some folks > like to fish for them, others call them a nuisance > fish. > > I don't fish for them myself. > > Tight lines, > > Dan Harriman > Orange, Texas > > --- Reuven Segal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Has anyone ever seen something like this before?? > > > > http://www.metacafe.com/watch/74245/giant_gator_gar/ > > > > Reuven > > > > > > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 268.1.0/269 - Release Date: 2/24/2006 > >
