6 Tips to Catch Alligator Gar

Are you interested in learning how to catch alligator gar? Do you want to test your fishing skills by catching large fish? Alligator gar fishing can be challenging as it is hard to target. In this article, we discuss tips to help you successfully catch alligator gar.
1. Bowfishing
Bowfishing has proven to be an effective method for catching alligator gar. With a bow and arrow, anglers skillfully target alligator gar and hit it in the water. It must be stated that bowfishing is only possible in clear and shallow waters.
One of the advantages of bow fishing is that it doesn’t require expensive or advanced fishing gear. If you have a bow and arrow at home or a family member has an old one that hasn’t been used for quite a while, you can start fishing for alligator gar with it.
Bowfishing requires you to spot the fish and take a good shot remembering to take refraction into consideration.

2. Fly Fishing

Fly fishing is another fishing method anglers use when catching alligator gar. Fly fishing requires more skills and more experienced anglers are found using fly fishing. It involves casting your flies and retrieving them until a fish bites and gets hooked.

Anglers usually cast frayed rope-like streamer flies to gars that are on the surface of the water. When the gar strikes, the threads of the fly will get tangled in its teeth which will get it caught with the need for a hook.

3. Topwater Fishing

Topwater fishing is another fishing method anglers use when fishing for alligator gar. It involves using a topwater lure to attract the attention of the fish.

A baitfish imitation plug is cast in front of the gar on the surface of the water. Keep the lure still as the gar moves slowly towards the bait.

When the alligator gar is close to the lure, twitch the lure to keep the fish interested and it will go for the topwater lure. Then be prepared for a real fight on your hands.

Topwater fishing can be very effective when fishing for alligator gars as you will often find them close to the water’s surface preying on schools of baitfish.

4. Jug Fishing

Another fishing method used by anglers to catch alligator gar is jug fishing. Suspended lines from floating jugs are used when jug fishing for alligators. Jug fishing is classified as an unlimited-class tackle fishing method. Anglers use many jugs when fishing for alligators and in most states, the law is that anglers can use up to twenty jugs.

Jug fishing, using juglines, is most common in the southern states. It involves a simple setup where lines are tied to jugs and weights are added to the line to keep the jug in one location.

There are regulations regarding jug fishing such as the number of jugs, the dates, and times when jug fishing is allowed, as well as if it’s even allowed. Alligator gar and catfish are some fish caught using jug fishing.

5. Trotlines

Trotlines are also used when fishing for alligator gar. Trotlines are heavy fishing lines with short, baited branch lines that suspend at intervals using clips or swivels with a hook at the free end of each snood.

Weights are often used at the end of snoods when setting up a trotline to keep them below the water’s surface. However, trotlines are not legal in all states, and you must know the fishing laws in the state you fish for before using them.

6. Limblines

Another fishing method used by anglers when fishing for alligator gar is to use limblines. Limblines are fishing lines that hang from the limb of an overhanging tree. This setup is used to make it easy to catch an alligator gar and control it.

Conclusion
Fishing for alligator gar can be exciting and challenging. They grow to be very large yet can be hard to target. There are many fishing methods used by anglers when fishing for alligator gar. Some are jug fishing, bow fishing, topwater fishing, fly fishing, trotlines, and limblines.
In this article, we discussed tips and fishing methods to help you successfully catch alligator gar.