# Gar in saltwater??



## Rockpile Angler

Anybody ever caught a Gar in saltwater, My friend swears up and down that he caught a 3 ft gar at Factory Point the other day, I dont know.
What do yall think.


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## 05 grand slam

its a houndfish not a gar


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## Rockpile Angler

That would make since, do they get that big?


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## Mdt1992

yeah ive seen em 3 ft or so. pretty aggressive fish


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## Tom Powers

They are fun to catch if you can get a good hookset. The will scream the drag and jump like crazy. . . poor man's marlin. . . . bull island billfish. . . fastest fish on the flats. . .


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## basstardo

They're a hoot when you're bored while cobia fishing. We used to take a short piece of rope about 4 inches long, and undo the braid to make it a bunch of strings at the end with about a 1/2" of still braided rope tape up after running a hook through it. More or less a poor man's skirt on a hook. Usually if the hook didn't get them, which is most of the time, the rope would get tangled in their teeth and they're basically hooked at that point by the rope. Like Tom said, they will peel drag and taildance like crazy for you. Got a couple in the 3.5-4 foot range and it was a BLAST on light tackle.


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## saltycwboy

I have seen and hooked alligator gar in saltwater back home in Texas. I didnt land it but I saw it swim by our boat, and I snagged it with a lure on my penn 430 and he spooled me in seconds.


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## Wilber

Catch one on a fly rod and you will have a fun time.But watch out, if you are fishing from a kayak they tend to jump in the boat with you.


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## ASK4Fish

*alligator gar in saltwater...*

i have seen them in saltwater around little creek back in the marina dockage, and at lynnhaven pier, usually following a big storm with lower salinity levels in the water. but have researched that they are in fact very tolerant of salty waters, and are not uncommon in the lower bay area especially when you get closer to a freshwater source. same with blue catfish and sturgeon, generally accepted as freshwater fish but may travel quite a way into saltier waters.


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## Tom Powers

I am pretty sure that folks are seeing houndfish. At least that is what I am talking about. It is a saltwater fish.










not a long nose gar










or alligator gar


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## ASK4Fish

HABITAT AND BIOLOGY: Longnose gars inhabit rivers and reservoirs, large streams, and swamps. They seem to prefer flowing water, and during the spring spawning season, we have observed large numbers of gravid adults congregated in tailwater areas below every lock and dam in the Mobile basin. This species also ventures into brackish and even salt water, where it is infrequently landed by anglers. 

ctd from nat geo on alligator gar

Gars inhabit lakes, bayous, and bays and are able to tolerate brackish and even salt water. But these toothy giants prefer large, slow-moving rivers, particularly those with wide floodplains, where shallow waters provide hatchlings with some protection from predators

i can assure you i have seen these fish personally in salt water


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## sand flea

Definitely a houndfish. One note: they _staaaank_.


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## Tom Powers

Ask4fish, I am not debating that long nose gars might be out there somewhere. . . but the fish that we see on Poquoson flats (i.e. just north of Back river), bluefish rock, 9 foot shoals, etc when folks are chumming for cobia is hound fish as shown in the first picture above. As basstardo said it is common practice to "target" them when cobia fishing.

And yes the do staaank and their flesh looks green when you foul hook them. But they are fun to do C&R with light tackle. I have yet to have the nerve to try and eat one.

One of the other really distinctive features is their really big eyes. They definitely feed by sight.

Another way that is really cool to catch them is to use a surface plug. They will scare the beegeebees out of you when they bust that plug and haul butt across the water.

Another hint if you are targeting them. use a 12 to 18 inch steel leader.

Tom


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## ASK4Fish

when someone says gar, i assume the freshwater variety, not a needlefish/houndfish which are extremely common, if they asked that it was unheard of that makes the question of a freshwater variety even greater, anyone catching a houndfish would not find that uncommon...


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## basstardo

Tom Powers said:


> I have yet to have the nerve to try and eat one.
> Tom


Unless you're a dog and you like to chew on bones, don't even bother. They're just like their freshwater cousins on the inside. Although I can't vouch for the taste of the meat, I can say that it is full of bones.


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## derekmalpass

is there anywhere in poquoson that is accessable by land to fish for these fellas? they look like alot of fun.


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## basstardo

I've seen em around Messick Point in the lights at night.


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## lynnpier06

*gar*

yo andrew, remember when we were like 14 and we saw an actual freshwater gar while we were fishin those jetties behind ships cabin


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## JAM

Then whats this that I caught in Buxton in one of my trout holes.. Scroll down half way through the page and you will see a 10 pound Fresh Water Gar.. JAM 

http://fishmilitia.com/jam/?paged=2


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## Tom Powers

Jam, That is probably a hound fish. Look at the tail in this photo. 










See how it is split at the end like the fish in my top photo and and not rounded like a gar.


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## JAM

*Further down on the page*

thats just a marsh marlin.. Catch them all the time .. Spotted Gar is further up onthe page..July 30 Report Has it.. Wish I could just upload the pic but it won't let me ..JAM


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## Tom Powers

just go to where the pict is. Right click on it and choose copy image location.

Then come to this page and type in the following:

[_img_]paste image location here[_/img_]

removing the _ marks in the above line. and you should be set.

Tom


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## JAM

*Don't work for me Tom*

nm


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## 05 grand slam

try looking a little harder and reading next time tom.










thats pritty cool jam


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## JAM

Sight Casted him with my trout rod. He was all over it, got him to the Yak and released him after I got a few shots.. Came home and looked him up on the web.. And there he was Spotted Gar.. He was harassing my Specks in a Trout hole behind Avon.. Bout 10 pounds or so..Never seen one before.. I guess ya can catch anything out there ya never know.. JAM


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