the rope lure

[mariner]

has anyone ever tried thishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_eIIH1X27k
it is a lure for gar

[pignjig]

I have a video from the 90s that shows a local older gentleman fishing for gar with that lure. He claims, in the video, that he actually invented it. He even had a slotted contraption that he used to take the gar off the lure. From what I saw, it does work. He caught several nice sized fish with it- Snags those toothy critters but good, eh?

-Pig

[mariner]

well i think they bite it and just hold on but i dont know

[pignjig]

The gar tears the shizzle into it and all those teeth and snoutage get wrapped up in the fibers. If I can figure out how to copy the video to my PC I'll post it. It's pretty amazing. The older dude didn't use a hook at all so as not to get any other species. Every gar he got was completely ensnared at its mouth by the fibers.

[mariner]

he said the hook was for if a bass or something bit it

[texasbasser]

I have, but killed alot of gar on accident so I NEVER use them anymore, for the gars sake.

TB

[pignjig]

Tex- what have you found causes the gar to die with that technique?

[texasbasser]

Originally Posted by pignjig

Tex- what have you found causes the gar to die with that technique?

The gars teeth become entangled in the fibers of the rope, and sometimes you just cannot get them all out. I stopped using them after catching two gar that took about 30 minutes to get them out, and as you know the fish is dead by then. Also, you cannot just cut the line and let them swim off, because they will starve to death not able to open their mouths to eat.

The method I use now, is just freelining a small minnow or shad. When a gar takes the bait, open up your bail or spool on your reel and let them take line, while counting to 100. Then start fighting it.

TB