There are 2 ways I have found to catch gar. If using a hook, you will need any type of minnow/shad. The key here is to let the fish swallow the hook. You will have to be real patient and not set the hook. Just let him take the bait and keep going with no resistance. Use a hook that will rust, when u land him cut the line.
The other post was about rope lures. Take a piece of nylon rope, ty a knot towards what will be the head, then fray out the back of the rope. No hook is on the bait, they just get their teeth stuck in the wad of rope.
I have caught them on jigs too. The only thing was when they got by shore they opened their mouth and were gone. No hook will stick in a gars mouth.
caught a couple of gar on cut bream on main channel points past railroad bridge from clarksville and for anyone who is interested cauught some nice crappie on 1st pillon @ knew bridge {clark.} side.
Without specifically targeting them I have caught several on Blue/Chrome rattletraps. Yes, they will stay hooked, now getting them released has proven interesting.
Hey gar fishing is a hoot especially those bigguns,heres a easy trick to use,take a bucktail or any lure you can cast,cut a v shaped piece of silk cloth or nylon cloth and attach it to the rear of lure when he hits it his teeth get stuck and you have Gar On! Good luck!
I have caught several in the James River with live white perch using the same single hook rig most of you guys use for cat fishing. When I was on vacation a couple of weeks ago at rudds creek I let go a brim when he was half dead after using him for catfishing. As he half floated and half swam away from the bank I watched a Gar push him around with his long nose. It looked like a marlin the way the bill comes out of the water when its chasing a trolled bait in the ocean.
Well their heck on a cast net, good for killing and steeling bait. And they do seem to hang around cats and stripers. Have caught them almost every way but deep and have run out of bait because of them in the river. They also fraying leaders. Nothing against them, other than time and money.