The issue of gars keeps popping up. These "teeth with a tail" predators no doubt scoop up staggering numbers of panfish. Other than "ugliest fish" contests, citation weigh-ins, and mounting (reserved only for the biggest of the big), I've never heard of any use for gars. Consequently, they're rarely landed & even more rarely kept. Since they travel in schools including 3 and 4-footers, small gars are shielded from other predators. Effectively, gars are subject to no natural predator and are fished very very lightly.

In my efforts to foster healthy environments for crappies, I am no longer gar-tolerant. When I hook one, I try to land it. All gars landed are subsequently removed from the body of water and placed where they will feed the buzzard population.

Yesterday, several gars hit my minnows and were hooked briefly before breaking off or straightening the hook. If (like yesterday) the speck fishing is off & I wanted to hook and land gars, 8# line and soft wire # 2 Aberdeen hooks need to be replaced--but what would work best? I'm thinking treble hooks of some type, anyone had experience with this? Will gars go after crank baits? Other suggestions?