Specifically Targeting Longnose gar on Canyon Lake

[TransPecos]

We have been fishing canyon lake hard this spring. We are fishing from the bank off a gradually sloping clean bottom. We cast out as far as we can and sometimes kayak baits out to 80-100 yards. Usually fishing in 10-20 feet of water.

Over spring break, my 7 year old son hooked and almost landed a gar that was at least 30 pounds on a catfish rig with a live goldfish. Ever since then he has been obsessed with gar. He had me look up the youth angler record for canyon. On rod and reel it is 15.5 pounds. He landed one successfully last weekend that was 12.5 pounds, and now his gar obsession is in high gear.

I have never targeted gar before. We are consistently catching 4-8 pound blues on a slip egg sinker and live goldfish or large minnows fishing on the bottom. The 2 gar hook ups have been mid-day, while we catch most of our cats in the evening.

Help me help my boy break this record. I think the fish are there; what do I need to change up to get him on a 16 plus pound gar? Thanks for your input.

[elliscountyhog]

Make him a rope lure! We catch a ton of needle nose on it

[Colton]

Dang, let me know when you go and I'll be happy to reel in all those 4-8 pound blues!

[TransPecos]

Thanks for the rope lure suggestion. So there is no hook at all?

We started releasing the blues last weekend I have too many fillets!

[elliscountyhog]

I use a hook to tie my line too. Run the hook through the rope and lighter to hook end so hook can not pull out. Then I bend the hook to make a closed circle. Pop it just under the water and don't set the hook when they hit it just reel it in

[dustoffer]

Take a piece of paracord--your choice of color, shred the end and comb it into fine, fine threads. Use it for the basis of your rope lure. Gets all tangled nicely in the gar teeth.

[MadHatter]

Cut up bream, fished as weightless as possible. Slip sinker works as well. IMO, long nose are the most finicky, and can be hard to get a hook in at times.

[TransPecos]

Thanks for the help. We are going to try a rope lure and some cut bait.

We have also done well with Big Marv's cheese punch bait on the cats.

[GarGuy]

FISH SHALLOW! 6-10ft is best and fish with a float. Unlike alligator gar, long slim bait is best. Shad or mullet about 6 inches long 2 o trebble hook right through a shads lips. NO WEIGHT! Let the reel freespool when the gar takes untill he stops. Give it ten seconds, reel up tight and set the hook. Ideally, set the hook when the gar is swimming away. Pull tight before doing so and the leader will slide to the corner of his jaw instead of the teeth absorbing the hook set.

Hope this helps...Steve

[TransPecos]

Thanks Steve. I have shown him some of your pictures from this year and it just made things worse! He says he is catching dinosaurs.

When he lost the first big gar, he had trouble convincing the kids in his class about the fish. He said, "Dad, half of them think it was a barracuda, and the other half think it was a platypus." when he landed the smaller gar, he made me print out 8x10's to take to school on Monday... That'll shut em up.