Interesting photo from Arkansas River Flood Recover

[Faulkner]

As the US Army Corps of Engineers with local emergency management teams in recovery from the recent flooding on the Arkansas River of historic proportions, we have run across many unique and interesting sights.

These longnose (sometimes called needle nose) gar were caught up in this fence that was on top of a lock and dam that was completely submerged. They are not exactly rare on the Arkansas River, but I've not seen one since I was a kid when I used to fish the river at night with my dad.

By the way, the smell is pretty bad.

 

[sureshotbob]

They are one ugly fish. Are they any good to eat when freshly caught ?

 

[dockmurgw]

They are a cool fish. Lake Champlain is chock full of them. Shine the flashlight in the water at night and their eyes light up like an animals eyes. Best way to catch them is with a piece of rope tied to the end of your line, they bite it and it gets all tangled up in their teeth...fun to catch, never tried to eat one...just let them go.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Lotta bones, like carp. I don't know anyone who eats 'em, but I'm sure there's hillbillies down here that do . . .

They are one ugly fish. Are they any good to eat when freshly caught ?

 

[pawngal]

2 of the lakes in the Okoboji chain of lakes are called Upper Gar and Lower Gar. I've seen old pictures of some monster longnose gar caught here but have not seen any recent reports of them.

Eat them?? Maybe if they are smoked.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Eat them?? Maybe if they are smoked.

More like: Eat Them? Only if you've been smoking something funny!

Ivan

 

[Rustyt1953]

More like: Eat Them? Only if you've been smoking something funny!

Not even then.

 

[tops]

They are a cool fish. Lake Champlain is chock full of them. Shine the flashlight in the water at night and their eyes light up like an animals eyes. Best way to catch them is with a piece of rope tied to the end of your line, they bite it and it gets all tangled up in their teeth...fun to catch, never tried to eat one...just let them go.

I have caught them at the coast. At night they will come to the end of the pier in the lights and I would tie on the line a piece of braided white rope that get real fuzzy when it unravels. I would put a split shot on the line so it would have enough weight to cast. I agree that they are fun to catch and I always turned them loose. Larry

 

[mtgianni]

A D Livingston has some recipes.
[ame]https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Fish-Game-Cookbook-Livingston/dp/0811704289[/ame]
Amazon link.

 

[SteveA]

We had a large influx of SE Asians here back in the '80s working at the packing plant. We'd catch them gar on fly rods with frayed cord in the river and those folks would be waiting on the river bank for us to throw them the fish. I think they'd either smoke or pickle them. Never tried it myself.

 

[Rustyt1953]

By the way, the smell is pretty bad.

The first think I thought when I saw the pic was: "I wish I had the Febreze concession!"

 

[SC_Mike]

Those things stink when alive.

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

GAR'S

Yeah, they can sure play the devil with your line, but put up a good fight when caught. Never knew anyone who ate them.

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

Recipe for cooking gar. Clean them and place on a 1x6 pine board. Place in the oven and bake for 3 hours. Remove from oven and
throw the fish away and eat the board.