Catching A DINOSAUR Alligator Gar From Kayak

[SharkBait >*)\\\><(]

Catching an alligator gar near 100 pounds on the trinity river near crockett Tx from my 9 foot malibu mini x kayak. i was using cut carp for bait, the rod/reel used was a shimano trevalla jigging rod rated for up to 200# braid with a shimano tyrnos 16 loaded with 100# braid. the fish swam away healthy to fight another day, alligator gar are some of the oldest fish on the planet with fossils records showing them living during the cretaceous period..the Trinity river is a crazy environment i have fallen in love with i will be making another trip soon.



found this big catfish with a bite taken out of it, as i took this pic i look over and see a 8 foot gar 5 feet from the kayak at the surface looking at me..ended up hooking it for about a minute..

[btbrich2110]

Loved the video great shots!! Nice Gar!!

[tinhmaster]

nice video and picture. Are there a lot of gar in that river?

[Heatstroke]

Nice!!! They sure was rollin this past Thursday and Saturday... Never could get one to take the bait though.

[Earth's End Kayaker]

Congrats!...What a beast!!!
I prefer the rod & reel/ catch & release of these elderly majestic dinosaur fish, as you did.
You handled him awesome. Thanks for sharing!



EEK

[Mythman]

Great catch, congrats!

[Sharpest]

What kind of terminal tackle did you use?

[SharkBait >*)\\\><(]

a 200# swivel
3 feet of 105# single strand wire
a single big J hook, have been using Owner Jobu lately for gar and shark...
and a popping float(same thing you fish shrimp under in the bay) as you can see in the pics/video, i just let it slide up and down the leader..when you cast the bait sinks to about 3 feet below the surface..i was using big chunks of carp(buffalo) for bait..i hae been told they will pick baits up off the bottom but it hasnt worked for me yet..seemed to have more luck just feeding my floats back on the current instead of casting..

the guys in the bag on the left are gar candy..each bait i turned into three chunks..may just cut them in half next time in search of the big gar...all the guides use 100 pound braid..
happy to answer any questions about gar fishing the trinity, i am still on a steep learning curve but will get them figured out soon enough

i will take a pic of what i have tied onto my rods still as far as terminal tackle

[LOOKN4REDS]

Did some searching on line. Big gar apparently are found in most of the TexAs watersheds. There is a state record from the Nueces but did not see mention of the Guadalupe. Would seem that large gar could me anywhere in the river systems. I would think the coastal limits would be conducive to large gar as the more temperate water would support a lot of bait. But of course I have been wrong many times before. Maybe some serious gar hunters can educate is a bit.

Great job on a huge fish Henry. Keep'm coming!

[treysdaddy]

Awesome. I'm amazed at the jumping power so late in the fight. What a beast! Great video!

[Jigawatt]

I hate to be the snitch here, but someone is stealing your bait.

[Heatstroke]

nice video and picture. Are there a lot of gar in that river?

yep

[Duweezy]

Keep on keepin' on SB!

[Tagdog]

There must be some big ones in Lake Corpus Christi. A couple years ago a guy took a 300 pounder with his bow. It took him 45 minutes to pull it in. The article is online if you Google it. I personally would not have killed it. But, maybe the guy ate it.

[Tagdog]

Nice pictures! I can't see video. For some reason it's not showing up on my Ipad.

[hookdem]

Dats a Gator!

[Fishinintx]

Lol I had to go back and see the bait thief. Didn't even notice the first time. Most of the southern lakes have alligator gar. Choke canyon, nieces, trinity, rayburn and Toledo bend have allys.

[Volkswatson]

I hate to be the snitch here, but someone is stealing your bait.

Ha! That's funny, just saw what u meant!!

[Snipershrk]

Awesome. The bait thief seemed pretty ballsy as well.

[Forever Fishing]

That's bad ass. Congratulations!



Love the Mini-X!

[SharkBait >*)\\\><(]

That's bad ass. Congratulations!



Love the Mini-X!

mini-x for the win!



lots of people where asking so here it is, this is my rig for gar..its an owner jobu J hook, 3 feet of 105 # single strand wire, and a 200# swivel with a sliding float in the middle...i was using chunks of carp about he size of my hand and floating them back in the current, sometimes it would take an hour or two to get a bite even when i could see them rolling at the surface, i would be plenty comfortable fishing the same leader offshore for monster shark..

[cliftonio]

I hate to be the snitch here, but someone is stealing your bait.

Ha! That's funny, just saw what u meant!!

I think stealing is too harsh. I say he was just "sampling" for freshness!

Nice monster!

[DumpTruck]

Awesome! Alligator gar really are like dinosaurs. We don't have them around here, but we were messing with them in Florida last summer. They are the only fish I have ever seen that when bumped in the side with a lure or bait, they just turn around to see what's there. They don't spook easy. Apex brutes.

[Warthog]

Great report and video! I've been wanting to get in on some monster gator gar action for a while, and it looks like you've found them. Thanks for the tips on terminal tackle and technique.

[Fish soup]

I made the same trip last June and ended up with three gar, 60-80#. Nothing huge, by gar standards, but still a great fight. It was my first time there and, like you, I loved the TR...was on the water for about 8 hours and didn't see another soul all day. I saw a few REALLY big gar; they seemed almost gentle in a way. I was hoping to hook a monster and glad I didn't all at the same time...there is something a little unnerving about water with zero clarity.

I love your video; it's like you can actually hear your heart racing.

I had actually put the trip on the "back burner" but after watching your vid, I'm planning another river trip before the summer is over.

Great job!!