biggest gar??

[tomcat]

how many of you have successfully caught and released a gar while musky fishing? has anyone landed one 45" or bigger? sorry for the non musky post...just trying to pass some time in the winter..

[J Routt]

Haven't myself, but I know of one person that had a 50" (just over, but can't remember length) that weighed 12 lbs.

Bill James (Chief of Indiana Fisheries) told me of one they electroshocked that was right at the 50 mark as well that was right at the 12 lbs weight too.

[imob34]

never while musky fishing, but river fishing for walleye in the spring i've hooked up to to a few big gar one was just over 50" it's a show when you hook up to a big one in shallow water they spend more time in the air than the water

[Mike Hulbert]

I have caught a few gar in my life...nastly little things...but there was ONE that I tried my hardest to catch...this thing was HUGE...I honestly believe it was bigger (longer) than any musky I have ever seen, anywhere...

I was fishing with my good friend Diesel when this HUGE gar came smoking in on my bait. It went around 3 or 4 times on the figure 8, but she never snapped at the lure. This thing was huge...I would say it was closer to 60 inches than 50 inches. Dan saw the whole thing unfold and he couldn't believe it himself...this thing was a freak of nature. I hate these nasty fish but this perticular one I tried to catch...it was just huge.

[Flipper]

I was out on our pier on Tippy a few years back early in the morning and saw a huge female I assume with several males all around her. This fish was fat and at least 5 feet long. They were rolling around in the shallow water near shore. I have been around the lake my entire life and never seen one that huge. I ran into the house to get my bow to put it on the wall as a lake oddity and never saw it again. I think there are some really big gar out there.

[rustyman]

I shot a 50.4" gar bowfishing. Next big one I get I'm going to eat it, I've heard the meat is really good. I've foul hooked another nice one that swiped at my spinner and hooked its belly. I'd post a pic but not sure how. I've got some pics on flickr, search rustyman351 if you want to see them.

[tomcat]

the biggest i have landed is probably 31" or 32". caught on a small mepps. i brought this topic up because i had a HUGE gar chasing a bait a few years back that estimated 54" to 57" long. just huge. Indiana seems to have a solid population of gar over 40" for sure...