Record Gar Should Be Killed

[John Sam Rayburn]

This guy figured out a way to fish for a living by targeting world records.

Good for him, but he should kill these Gar instead of releasing them.

Killing Gar has been a solid Southern Tradition for at least 100 years.

Garzilla: Angler, fishing guy recount epic battle

Art Weston, of Union, Kentucky has tangled with plenty of trophy-class alligator gar over the years but none to compare with the piscatorial titan that came calling mid-morning on Sept.

lufkindailynews.com

 

[jrbfishn]

Some traditions need to end. Killing trophy gar just for tradition is one of them.
To be honest, there are a few places where gar, at least some species, are over abundant. Killing some gar is understandable. That was not the case. And despite what some think, they don't eat people.

If it ain't harmful and you don't need it, don't kill it. Or it won't be there when you do need it.

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[BRD@66]

My simpleton brother keeps 3 gars in his backyard pond.

 

[Moonpie]

Why kill it? It’s harmless.
Ol’ muddy water garfish is ugly.

 

[Coon]

I also wonder why you say he should kill it. Aren't those big ones protected now?

 

[Txdweeb]

Why kill it? That fish has lived more than most people it’s basically a living dinosaur just like a sturgeon. I get the whole catch a release that’s the ideal thing he did.

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

While we're at it, let's kill off all the buffalo...wait...already been done, with only a handful left.

Then, yeah, let's kill off all the Passenger Pigeons, wait again, already been done. Zero left...

What about not killing off?

 

[Vaquero]

A gar ain't coming up in my face.
Boar hog that size? Probably happen.
I chose.

 

[John Sam Rayburn]

Some traditions need to end. Killing trophy gar just for tradition is one of them.

The purpose of killing all Gar is so there will be less Gar in our lakes.

 

[FireInTheWire]

The purpose of killing all commies is so there will be less commies.

FIFY

 

[deemus]

They eat gamefish is why I kill them. Bigger the gar, the worse it is on gamefish populations.

They are voracious eaters.

ETA - I don’t kill the small ones.

 

[Eastexasrick]

If you are going to kill them, story.

I was fishing a drop-off about 60 feet from the shoreline. I fowl hooked a gar it turned out to be 4 footer. Got it up to the boat, and did not want to lose a nice new gamakatsu hook so my fishing buddy and I rolled it into the boat to extract it. A couple of brothers were crappie fishing in the brush by the bank in a johnboat. They started waving and shouting at us. It was clear they were interested in the gar. I trolled over and they asked what was to become of the gar. They offered a trade the gar for a stringer of nice barn door crappie. I agreed and we shared a cold one with them while they told us how they prepared gar. I knew the brothers liked carp and bowfin, but gar is right up there on the menu.

 

[baboon]

If you are going to kill them, story.

I was fishing a drop-off about 60 feet from the shoreline. I fowl hooked a gar it turned out to be 4 footer. Got it up to the boat, and did not want to lose a nice new gamakatsu hook so my fishing buddy and I rolled it into the boat to extract it. A couple of brothers were crappie fishing in the brush by the bank in a johnboat. They started waving and shouting at us. It was clear they were interested in the gar. I trolled over and they asked what was to become of the gar. They offered a trade the gar for a stringer of nice barn door crappie. I agreed and we shared a cold one with them while they told us how they prepared gar. I knew the brothers liked carp and bowfin, but gar is right up there on the menu.

Mexican market manager I worked with, became friends with & wade fished with said its good eating. He said the way to catch them was to draw out some nylon rope & cast it. Their teeth get tangled in it & you pull them in.

 

[jrbfishn]

The purpose of killing all Gar is so there will be less Gar in our lakes.

Theybplay an important part in the water ecosystem.
Yes, they eat game fish. Sometimes. But mostly they eat shad. It is easy and packed with oily goodness. The gamefish eat them too. Most of the game fish that gar eat are the sick and weak. Just like most predators. They expend less enerdy to get food that way. I have seen gar and gamefish swimming together, including Bluegills, and none of them are afraid of the gar. Or other gamefish. They can swim too.
By themeating the sick and weak gamefish, as well as big gamefish eating smaller ones, they keep the water clean. Otherwise those fish die and rot in the water.
And yes, Bass will eat smaller Bass. Same with Crappie. White and Yellow Bass. And trust me on this, Bass will eat Crappie. FAST. I have seen a 5-6 pound Bass eat a 1 pound Crappie. It was gone in a flash. I have won Bass tounaments by targeting the areas around my favorite slab Crappie spots.
Much like the areas of the world that purposly killed off vultures. Only to find that it killed an entire ecosystem as well as increase human diseases.
Not to mention that large gar scales make wonderule small to medium game size arrow heads. They are hard as a rock and easily shaped. And gar have hundreds of them.
Finally, unless you are just really squeamish, properly prepared, Gar are some damned fine eating. I have known some that prefer them over other wish.


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[1911'S 4 Me]

I have eaten gar. Hard to get to but eatable and not bad.
Cut it out like backstrap, fry it up.

 

[baboon]

Theybplay an important part in the water ecosystem.
Yes, they eat game fish. Sometimes. But mostly they eat shad. It is easy and packed with oily goodness. The gamefish eat them too. Most of the game fish that gar eat are the sick and weak. Just like most predators. They expend less enerdy to get food that way. I have seen gar and gamefish swimming together, including Bluegills, and none of them are afraid of the gar. Or other gamefish. They can swim too.
By themeating the sick and weak gamefish, as well as big gamefish eating smaller ones, they keep the water clean. Otherwise those fish die and rot in the water.
And yes, Bass will eat smaller Bass. Same with Crappie. White and Yellow Bass. And trust me on this, Bass will eat Crappie. FAST. I have seen a 5-6 pound Bass eat a 1 pound Crappie. It was gone in a flash. I have won Bass tounaments by targeting the areas around my favorite slab Crappie spots.
Much like the areas of the world that purposly killed off vultures. Only to find that it killed an entire ecosystem as well as increase human diseases.
Not to mention that large gar scales make wonderule small to medium game size arrow heads. They are hard as a rock and easily shaped. And gar have hundreds of them.
Finally, unless you are just really squeamish, properly prepared, Gar are some damned fine eating. I have known some that prefer them over other wish.


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One of the guys out here says crappie are only good for catfish bait.

 

[seeker_two]

No one has answered this question.....Why should this gar be allowed to live?

 

[black_ice]

No one has answered this question.....Why should this gar be allowed to live?

It’s the fisherman’s choice and that’s all there is to it.

I personally wouldn’t kill a gar that big.


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[jrbfishn]

Bass is fun to catch, especially on a medium light, light or ultra light rod. I throw them back.
Crappie,,you can catch a bunch at times and they are big enough to give you a really nice fish fry with a very mild tasteing fish. Typically though, I use them to add to etouffee.
My prefered eating fish is Bluegill. Hand size or a little bigger. There is a reason every other fish eats them. They are really good!
Properly smoked Gat backstrap by someone that knows how is pretty damn tasty too. The rest is pressure cooked, ground and made into fish cakes. I prefer it smoked.
Gar, even Aligator Gar, do not attack people. We are simply not on the menu. They have been here for millions of years. So why now would they suddenly pose a threat to the various "game fish" now that they haven't before? The answer, they don't. And they pose no threat to humans.

So,,,,the question is not "why didn't they kill it?". But "why would they?"
Ignorance and fear?

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[baboon]

No one has answered this question.....Why should this gar be allowed to live?

Really it boils down to conservation. And so someone else gets the thrill of catching it at a later time.