Here's a couple of links to a slideshow and some video footage of my recent Trinity River Texas Alligator Gar fishing trip.
slide show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GojThvVkmVI
Dragging the beastie onto shore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mD1cZ_3nYg&feature=related
Just boated the 6 footer. The adrenaline rush has pumped me up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5SUy-XtOvw&feature=related
Getting acquainted with my 6 foot fishy friend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6OxCpJ-8pk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vn6x2vnA8Y&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
There's a few more on my YouTube page.
Steve-O
it does not matter in particular, but that was catch and release, right? it's still alive and (sort of) kicking? can you eat those things? and vise versa?
I can only imagine the fun those Gar provide!!
remember, now, they have to eat a certain volume to maintain that body weight. if they get hungry enough, i'd bet that any form of protein would do..... ;D
x2 on Alan's post - I was also wondering whether you could catch-and-release these.
I understood they were caught on trebles and struck only after a fairly long wait, meaning (I assume) they're gut-hooked.
If they're anything like pike, they're probably best smoked.
Cheers, Justin
i saw photos of a guy reviving a shark on one of the texas sharkfishing boards. pretty wild stuff.
Yep, all that were landed swam away healthy with the guide assuring me the hooks rust out or dissolve internally. More than a few LDR's (long distance releases) ::) ;D :'(
I regret not taking some more fish specific closeups and loads more shots in general. For instance, the bait and the bait cooler. A medium sized igloo cooler with 6 carp in it sliced into 3 pieces each. These were all bow shot carp in the 8 pound range with some small mouth buffalo mixed in. A bait would way up to two pounds - like casting a meatloaf. Ker-SPLOOSH!! Then wait for a customer. 5 to 20 minutes with a 5- 15 minutes take before the hookset.
The gator gar is the apex predator in the river....ie-they eat what they want too. ;D Fish, waterfowl, small animals and fools make up this predators' diet.
Supposedly good eating but I have salmon and halibut in my freezer. ;D
I caught one rather large snapping turtle but lifted it slowly enough to dislodge the 5/0 treble hook without embedding it. Its head was like the size of a brown baseball with a beak and beady eyes.
Only the 7 foot gar needed reviving for a few minutes in the current. The others took off readily including the 6 footer that left while I was holding it. SWOOSH! Gone.
The 6 foot fish ready to go.
(http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/4223/garzillatrinityrivertri.jpg)
The fish releasing itself from me. Plus me on an adrenaline rush. :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwDZFkjKqHk
PS- we caught one fish that his previous clients had caught the week before. It had the self made custom braided wire leader, crimp and swivel hanging out of its gill plate where the line had parted at the knot. The crimp was already oxidized deeper grey than bright aluminum. So the fish was still hungry and dumb enough to have seconds on the carp-a-la-hook entree.
Great stuff Steve-O - the detail's great (and the photo's a cracker).
Quote5-15 minutes take before the hookset.
You must have the patience of a saint.
And bow-shooting your bait?! The story just gets better and better...
Cheers mate, Justin
The guide's friendly competitor guide saves his bow shot carp for bait and shares. I did not shoot any fish.(nor do I) Sorry if the story implied that. I had to swallow the fact that our bait was the lowly carp which is my main targeted species here in Utah and I release most unless the Game Officer says not to. Had that happen. They happen to be the big boys here in any waters and have no limits, season, slot size as a non-game fish. And as such have no pressure, grow big and bend the rod with gusto!
Stevo,,,I've always thought Carp were Great Fun to catch !!!
Snagged2- right ON! they are my target species here in Utah.....the biggest rod benders around.....plus a few decent cats.
So on this trip it kinda hurt to see them bow shot, frozen and chop sawed into three pieces when we opened the bait cooler the first day. Oh well, that's fishing....the big baits are needed for these big boys.
Steve-o