Don't know what I'm doing wrong I need some tips. I went out to lavon yesterday brought 4 7' spinning poles and my new 9' casting. Standard rig with free moving 1oz weight bead then hook. I used to circle hooks the rest are j hook. Wade out then cast. Set in pole.holder then wait. Fish were jumping all around me. I had three solid take downs one of which was on the circle hook almost took the pole in the water. I started to feel down on it felt the fish then it threw it. The other strikes I went to set the hook and nothing despite the pole almost touching the ground. I was using fresh shad and bluegill. Not sure if I'm doing anything wrong but I should have had fish yesterday but I go to set the hook and the fish is gone.

We had that same experience a while back on the Brazos. We using bluegills, had solid take downs, fish were on for a few seconds, and then gone. We changed up, and let the fish run with the bait for a while. Got one in, and it ended being a gar. Every fish we landed after was a gar.

With those circle hooks just start reeling and dont set the hook and really the fish should hook themselves.

One other thing, make sure you are not covering the point of the hook with bait. Feeling the hook wont bother the fish at all, make sure the point of the hook is clear so you can stick them clean.

Good luck. Keep at it!

Thanks for the input guys. It was a relaxing thing going out there but I was getting frustrated when the pole almost went in the water and no fish was on it!

Sounds like gar bites to me. Especially on the live bait. As suggested above, let the fish run a bit longer and loosen your drag so the fish can run without taking your rod.

Absolutely gar.

Dang I wish I could have caught a gar that sounds awesome! I'll do that next time j4mel. Thanks guys. Y'all got any spots on lewisville? I hear it's a good lake but I've never been

hi! i been there little ridge part yesterday. i caught 14 sand bass 12-14 inch with blue fox spinner. i just do bass only! if you have time .pm me set up the time for fishing.

There are tons of gar in Lavon some big catfish too. I went out to Brockdale park a while back cause it is close, and saw gar everywhere. They were surfacing and sometimes jumping. I hooked a gar on a crappie jig a while back too, but it threw the jig. They are kinda hard to hook cause they have real boney head. Your more likely to snag one in the side or have one take a deep hook than catch it in the mouth like a normal fish. And if you do catch one be very careful they have lots of teeth and might cut you as well as being a very slimey fish. I snagged one that went about 31" long in a creek once. They flop around like crazy and its hard to get a grip on them. They are quite strong. Here is the one I caught in the creek, had 50lb braid on my reel.

Gar

Dang that'd be fun to catch! Dumb question is there anything way to rig up to not target gar but go for catfish?

Hmmm That many Gar, mightbe time to Bowfish!