I do like Nimrod does when it comes to gar. I use tin snips to make a cut along the back so I can remove the two backstraps similar to a deer. Cut up into bite size pieces and fry along with the rest of the fish. A good tip is if you keep a gar from hot muddy water expect it to taste like hot muddy water. Catch one out of a clear cold body of water and it is way better in my opinion.