What kind of fish are they, the ones with the long bill, man are they ugly.
Bob A.
Longnose gar. The barrels have a mixture of common carp, quillbacks and buffalo. Those are a couple of my buddies boys, and boy they can shoot the fish.
Not sure where you are but do you have any alligator gar? We have long nose by the tons but alligator gar are scarce. The wildlife department here in MS has started a hatchery program to restock the gator gars. They get HUGE! Here is a link to one that was caught North of Vicksburg a few months ago. It was over 300 lbs and 8 ft long. That would have been a scream on a bow.
Some of our alligator hunters here use bow fishing equipment as catch equipment. Here you can use rod and reel, harpoon, bow, or hook and hand line to catch alligator (the big lizard kind not the fish). Last year one fellow shot an 8 foot gator and hit it in the sweet spot between the eyes and it never moved. He said it was very anticlimactic. Here, you must catch the gator and tie is legs and mouth and then tie it to the boat before it is killed.
Anyway, great pics and those young men have it going on.
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"If money can fix it, it ain't broke" The great theologian and my crow hunting partner AW.
Not sure where you are but do you have any alligator gar? We have long nose by the tons but alligator gar are scarce. The wildlife department here in MS has started a hatchery program to restock the gator gars. They get HUGE! Here is a link to one that was caught North of Vicksburg a few months ago. It was over 300 lbs and 8 ft long. That would have been a scream on a bow.
Some of our alligator hunters here use bow fishing equipment as catch equipment. Here you can use rod and reel, harpoon, bow, or hook and hand line to catch alligator (the big lizard kind not the fish). Last year one fellow shot an 8 foot gator and hit it in the sweet spot between the eyes and it never moved. He said it was very anticlimactic. Here, you must catch the gator and tie is legs and mouth and then tie it to the boat before it is killed.
Anyway, great pics and those young men have it going on.
I'm from NW Okla. (see the muddy water LOL) I've shot a mil gar but never an alligator gar. Closest place to me to shoot one would be the Red river tween Okla. and Tex. And your only allowed one per day. We need some rain to get the rivers running so we can get after the gar
-- Edited by doccerny on Friday 15th of July 2011 05:10:03 AM
Outstanding Pics,Doc!!! I love that waterborne assault craft!!We only have carp here to bowfish. Man, those kids look like they are having a blast!!!
Thanks...Those boys will go all day and night if you'll let em. I have to hide the spotlight so we can go home! -- Edited by SHANEDOG on Sunday 17th of July 2011 10:41:12 AM
-- Edited by doccerny on Monday 18th of July 2011 01:27:26 AM
That's a big ole gar! He might strip the cogins out of a spincast reel! A tree shaka for sure!
even though it was caught in a net, could you imagine trying to boat that thing by yourself??
I don't think I would of even attempted to boat it. I would of thrown some half hitches around the bill and head and drug it to shore! LOL We use a cable snare on bigger longnose, and crack em behind the head with a pipe. Those gar will tear up everything in your boat if they're very big.
Just out of curosity, do y'all eat The gar? I have tried them before. Some of the locals will put them in a croker sack and beat them against a tree then "hull" or slip the skin and scales off of carcase. Then they cut/scrape the meat off the bones and make "gar balls" with the flesh. They are well seasoned simular to crab cakes and are pretty good if the cook know what he is are doing. I don't know anyone that tries to filet or cook whole as they have lots of pin bones.
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"If money can fix it, it ain't broke" The great theologian and my crow hunting partner AW.
Just out of curosity, do y'all eat The gar? I have tried them before. Some of the locals will put them in a croker sack and beat them against a tree then "hull" or slip the skin and scales off of carcase. Then they cut/scrape the meat off the bones and make "gar balls" with the flesh. They are well seasoned simular to crab cakes and are pretty good if the cook know what he is are doing. I don't know anyone that tries to filet or cook whole as they have lots of pin bones.
I haven't ever tried them, some people say great some don't like it. I think they would be a good tasting fish because they eat fish. ( you are what ya eat) Most people clean then with a machete. Going from tail to head, chop a 1/2 inch deep down the top of the back. This opens up the armour so you can cut out the backstraps,,no bones. I've also heard to wash the meat off with water but don't let it soak or it will turn to mush. For me to keep one to eat, I'll have to clean him on the boat and throw him in the ice chest. That boat and barrels can be pretty ripe by the end of the trip! We use to use the carp for turtle bait in our traps, but between the price of gas and turtle prices it would be hard to make trapping turtles worth it. That crab (gar) cakes sounds pretty good though. Carp are a very destructive fish for waters, so we still shoot them and make fertilizer out of em.
