gar

[robert321]

I've seen a few threads about people keeping gar. I personally have one swimming around in 150 out in the shop, caught him last year, he's about 16 inches now. Specifically he's a longnose gar.
Something I've noticed when people talk about thier gar is they're unbelievably proud of it (I understand about the cuban gar, it's the others I don't get) these fish swim around the local creeks and lakes. They're considered a trash fish and nuisence by fishermen. People stand on bridges and shoot them as they swim by during spawning, just for the fun of it. The most entertainment I've gotten out of one was when I scared a friend so bad she wouldn't go back in the water for a year after seeing one.
I guess what I'm getting around to is, anybody want one of these? It may be redneck but heck, I could go literally right now down to clear creek with a pair of leather gloves walk up to one and grab a long nose or spotted for you while he's sleeping.
Can someone explain the facination with gar. I'm not trying to sound like an @$$ or anything and it may be that I've spent so long around the "bubba" population, I just can't fathom putting a gar in as a centerpiece for a lunker tank

[Austin]

Sure it's a longnose? Most are florida or floride/spotted hybrids. Pure spotted gar are harder to find. Tropicals and Cuban are more unique, Cuban being the rarest. I have 4 with My tropical being my favorite.

Austin added 1 Minutes and 28 Seconds later...

What I'm getting at is it's about personal likes and certain species. Kinda like saying my Orino or azul are just bass...

[robert321]

pretty sure, couldn't swear it isn't a hybrid of some sort because of where i got it, but it has all the markings of a longnose. It's certainly not a florida gar. I've spent years fishing locally and i've yet to see a florida gar. I've seen alligator gar (recently been classified as endagered and as a result gotten the according regulations) longnose, shortnose and spotted, but never a florida gar.

[Austin]

Post pics

[donkey]

They might be easy to find in your lake but not in your pet store.Guppies and tetras and africans are a dime a dozen so to speak at any pet store but gars are rare and interesting.They definetly get attention by anyone looking at a tank that has a gar in it.Everybody loves a fish with teeth and its fun watching how they can catch a goldfish with their teeth.I really don't understand what your problem could be with them.

[robert321]

I don't have a problem with them, I love feeding mine, I just didn't understand the fuss over them. I've been around people all my life that have creative ways for getting rid of them while fishing then I found this forum and people love them. Anybody want one of them? I'll post a picture of the one I've got as soon as i clean the tank. Its out in the shop and for the most part keeps a coating of algae needing to be scrubbed off

[Austin]

I'd like to see pics, if it is a longnose I'd like one to add to the collection

[Holey_Rock_of_Texas]

here is a pic of my brothers gar he just got a long while back.

http://i585.photobucket.com/albums/ss299/holey_rock_of_texas/0514101410-03-01.jpg

[TheCanuck]

I find a lot of fish are made a fuss about that really arn't that cool.

Pbass
Arowanas - they are pretty cool but not like everyone makes them ( this contributes to people having 5 of them in a 220g or 1 in a 55, which is sad really)
Dats = i personal think these fish are retarded.
gars = i think they are trash fish as well

I also don't find africans that fun either. The fish above are 10x better than africans, but i think they are all popular because they are the "cool" fish to have. I think there are clicks of people that keep these fish, and the thought in there head is more than the actual entertainment of the fish.

I am sure there are some who do truely like these fish, though others just follow the crowd.

I have the most respect for planted tanks, a true work of art.

[robert321]

^ thats an aligator gar, be careful, they've been classified as endagered and have strict laws for taking one now. But she's quite an impressive one

[flamenco-t]

Arowanas - they are pretty cool but not like everyone makes them ( this contributes to people having 5 of them in a 220g or 1 in a 55, which is sad really)


That would be me...:flipa:

I think before you decide to be mature and judge me, you should really get to know my setup rather than assuming that I am an irresponsible fish keeper.

You're not doing any better with a 5 ft morray eel in ANY tank size..

Any tank size is too small for any size fish considering what you took away as far as natural habitat. We're all guilty of that.

Stan

[TheCanuck]

That would be me...:flipa:

I think before you decide to be mature and judge me, you should really get to know my setup rather than assuming that I am an irresponsible fish keeper.

You're not doing any better with a 5 ft morray eel in ANY tank size..

Any tank size is too small for any size fish considering what you took away as far as natural habitat. We're all guilty of that.

Stan


I apologize for the post, i wasn't implying anything.

That post didn't pertain to you at all. I actually just posted numbers. We are all guilty, like you said. Once again i have no problem with you Stan, or how you keep YOUR fish. I just don't like people that shut down other peoples opinions, its rude and wrong. water quality>tank size

[gacericardo]

Gar are awesome. I wouldnt trade mine for anything. HE is one of the best fish I have ever owned. And honestly if you have never owned a Dat you have no clue what you are talking about.

[oscar-lover]

I thought Gars were not native to Texas, i saw one in a lake behind our apartment comples and other dead and rotting atleast 24" long gar in a creek....they both had spots on them.....(not a big gar expert myself :))

[fidel]

Post pics or the gar youve caught

[biggin]

Can someone define a "trash" fish?

As I assume I have more gar then anyone here.... I am just curious what a trash fish is... a food that is not eaten? Gar are eaten everywhere... occasionally even in the US, just like every other fish we have in the pet trade.

Why do fishermen hate them? Long time bad myths about them eating the game fish? Perhaps. But so does every other cat fish and the game fish themselves. What would people think if they found out the prized bowfin is a close relative of gar? Would we throw it on the bank as well?

Why pick on this fish? How about the billions of fish in the mainstream fish trade that are line bred to the point that in some cases they barely represent the original wild caught fish? The fish that we make for our own entertainment?

Why gar? Same reason you have an aquarium and found this forum. We want to. I like my Tropical , Longnose(s), Spotted(s) and Florida(s). (yes I know the difference, unlike those who "know" the difference on sight)

What is the point in this thread then to be half troll like and to cause silly altercations?

It would not be hard to think that you have a longnose, as they are probably the most common gar around followed by the alligator and shortnose. Not sure how many Flordia and or Spotted (only way to tell is via DNA testing), we have here, as I know LA has both I would assume we do as well.

[poel_19]

trash fish, is any fish that's undesired by "game" fishermen who catch non-targeted species

[robert321]

I started this thread just to see if the gar people are keeping as pets are the same as the gar in local waters. I personally have nothing against gar. It's fun to feed and cool to have around.
Fishermen hate gar mostly because they don't know anything about them and it's all based on the "they're mean and eat game fish" they're not mean, and they eat fish just like anything else, they don't care what species fish it is.
I didn't mean to start anything between anyone, just trying to start some conversation. I didn't intend for anything heated.
I was showing the gar to a friend who said its a spotted and finding a wild long nose that's small enough to fit in an aquarium is tough, but heck if i come up with one i'll bring it home and see if anyone is interested in it

[robert321]

typically trash fish are any fish that isn't much for eating, not fun to catch, and can take over a body of water. Carp, drum, buffalo, gar, sometimes bluegill, in florida some of the aquarium trade fish that have gotten loose are considered trash fish, though i've heard that oscar is both fun to fish for and good for eating :confuzeld::hehe: technically a trash fish anything that doesn't have limits regarding catching i.e. bag limit, size limits, methods for catching.

trash fish, is any fish that's undesired by "game" fishermen who catch non-targeted species

[flamenco-t]

Just don't eat gars egg, they are known to be toxic

[Holey_Rock_of_Texas]

i have cuaght an oscar on a fishing pole and they are really fun the catch. lost of power!!!! i do not eat fish so i can not comment on taste lol.

[robert321]

i wouldn't be eating them either, just what i've heard

robert321 added 0 Minutes and 34 Seconds later...

wild oscars are often eaten in south america, just like bass around here

robert321 added 2 Minutes and 43 Seconds later...

and if i find gar eggs, i'm incubating the things what would be cooler than a brood of gar? not sure what you'd do with all of them but heck, I've only seen a few small gar (<a foot) obviously they exist if large ones do, they're just a pain to find

[alta678]

While down in Galveston recently, I enjoyed watching the clouds of baby fish off the edge of a dock. My soon to be son-in-law lives down there in a canal community. There were many tiny baby gar (according to him that's what they were) swimming among the schools of fish fry. It was interesting to watch them catch and eat the other little fish. The gar would catch the fish and then they would have to get them turned around in their mouths the right way to swallow them. Too Cool!!

[robert321]

yeah that sounds like gar, I haven't ever seen gar fry though. I'm somewhat jealous of you

[robert321]

I wasn't sure about it so I went and looked it up.
It is legal to keep wild caught gar, as well as game fish, as long as they are either caught legally and are of legal size, or caught off of private water. Since gar is a non game fish, as long as you catch it legally (which there aren't very many illegal ways to catch a non game fish) you're fine. It gets fishy when you try to sell or barter them. To do that you have to have a $60 license from the parks and wildlife office for selling non game fish. I didn't look into what it takes to sell game fish. But to my understanding as long as the fish was caught off of private water or bred in captivity (i.e. those albino channel cats you see in the LFS) its completely legal.

robert321 added 0 Minutes and 48 Seconds later...

these are state of texas laws, I don't know, and to be honest nor do i paticularaly care about the laws in other states. It is on a state by state basis though

[Holey_Rock_of_Texas]

that is my understanding as well. good info robert