Here's a pic of the gar my fishing buddy Clarence caught yesterday on a favorite local creek. HE CAUGHT IT WITH HIS BARE HANDS! Now I grant you, alligator gar are by no means the dangerous apex predator that most folks take them to be, but still? What in the world enticed him into grabbing hold of this thing as it swam upstream I'll never know. It pitched a terrible fit. Slapped the begeezers out of him numerous times as he held it up for the picture, It was released immediately after the pic was shot. The boy ain't right, but he makes for some entertaining fishing trips.

I caught a small spotted gar two years ago by hand. It was swimming up a shallow portion of the creek and I was able to grab it's tail. The fish was small but still gave my arm a work out much less keeping it from biting me. I could only imagine the fight your friend had.

LOL....no kidding.

"Now I grant you, alligator gar are by no means the dangerous apex predator that most folks take them to be, but still?"

This is a longnose gar and the best way is to just grab them around the mouth and hold on!! lol...

Nicely done btw.

Correct.

Yeah! You dumbarse! Hey wait a minute ......that's me.

Well I kinda thought that might be the case and even checked the TPWD reference pages. I came to the alligator gar decision...incorrectly based on a few pictures and I guess the fact that most of these longnose gar I've seen over the years haven't been this big, But yes, I stand corrected.

He does look a half bubble off plumb.....LOL

Alligator gar or long nose, It still has a lot of teeth to contend with, and they are both quite powerful! Either one could easily slap the snot out of ya!

Rudy

It amazes me what we humans will do just for the heck of it.

When I was about 10, we were seining the creek on my grandparent's land. I got excited when I grabbed a fish. When I lifted it out of the water I saw all those teeth. I dropped it, scrambled up the bank, and that was the end of my seining creek career!

Hee-Hee....and don't let the smile on his face fool you......It did.

It's all good, most peeps call any kind of Gar "Alligator Gar". Not trying to minimize what was accomplished! Noodling for Longnose Gar is impressive, like others have said, they will still tail whip the fire out of you when holding them. lol..

I Think Clarence needs to enter the Tawakoni Noodling Tournament. https://www.facebook.com/tawakoninoodling
http://www.tawakoninoodlingtournament.com/

Ken, you are right. He has expressed a strong desire to do some noodling ever since they legalized it in Texas. I'll pass the info on to him.

Ken, you are right. He has expressed a strong desire to do some noodling ever since they legalized it in Texas. I'll pass the info on to him.

It's not the tail that bothers me on those - it's the other end.
Like rows of little razor blades. They don't cut real deep but boy howdy do they ever cut!