no way...its skin can be used to make things???

I think native americans used the skin for making battle armor. We never kill these fish, few people have ever seen one of these fish in the wild. If we are not careful these great beasts will not be around for much longer. This is a very misunderstood creature that needs some regulation soon or the really big ones will be no more.I think you will see this fish on the endangered list if they are not protected in the near future.

I would have liked to let it live too,
at the same time,
I don't like things like that with teeth,
in the water I'm in. what if you happen to be skinny dipping

actually I have scuba dived in Florida and found
myself sharing water with barracuda before and
if your not cool, it's enough to make you poop your pants...

Awesome Steve! Glad to hear you let them live! I wish more people did the same.

Someday when I'm up too it I hope go out on a big fish trip with you. Just out of curiousity, if you can answer on the forum, are your rates by the day or what?

That looks like a short nose gar to me.

sorry but thats not a gator that is a spotted channel gar but i must say a good one too i bet he taste good with gravy an rice

This is a Gator Gar. Do some research guys and you will figure out spotted or shortnose gar are usually less than 5 LBS.

Nice catch, but did YOU catch it or was it one of those other guys in the pic?

I'd also like to know how he actually didn't get away?The tips of everyone's fingers are on his/it's belly for God's sakes!!!

That would be a shame!!! I'd much rather see a pic of a gar, instead of (even a record) bass!!!Bass are everywhere, caught by everybody...Gar are rare creatures and that is just another reason why they are so unique/rare, peace!!!

Sabine...Capt Steve guided those guys to that fish...therefore I am pretty sure he could catch it... Steve Barnes catches and releases more big fish than anyone I have ever seen, a true fisherman and conservationist... Great job Steve.

Excuse me...Doormatz that is

Heck, that picture weights 5 pounds.

I don't think you understood my reply so I'll make it clear for you!!!

I was asking the "author" of this thread whether HE caught it or SOMEONE ELSE caught it!!!

Bull Sh*t 215 lbs

If you want to catch gar then come down to south Louisiana in the Atchafalaya Basin. I�m sick of all these gars we have down here. Everyone else down here is sick of them too. They even had a garfish bow fishing tournament to get rid of them. Gars are trash fish and they eat bass, bream, crappie and anything else they can get. When all the other fish died from Hurricane Andrew, most of the gars survived because they come up for air. I for one would be glad to see this species gone from here.