BigBendFishing.Net

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po2JUlQwE-o

I thought this video of cleaning long-nosed gar was interesting. Now I'm just waiting for one of ya'll to eat one and report on it.

You've never eaten one???

I cleaned and cooked one about 10 years ago- not bad but not worth the effort for me.

They're not bad, kinda chewey. Dad nailed the critter to a post, cut him up the middle with tin snips, and shucked the meat out. Lotta werk!

Flavor is good. Very mild. Texture is like a tough crawfish. I fried the one I tried. I wish I had made a gumbo. I believe the meat is better suited for soups and gumbo. Give them a try. About 40" is a good size to get nice size tenderloins. Be careful when cleaning.

Just don't mess with Gar eggs they are the most toxic poison to humans from an animal in North America.

crappielimits wrote:Just don't mess with Gar eggs they are the most toxic poison to humans from an animal in North America.

Yes that was news to me from the video. I think that might be the most important message from this. At the very least, I wouldn't want my knife to slice through any eggs and touch the meat.

I made a tool like a letter opener with a place on the back to hit with a hammer. I would start with the neck and chisel down the belly to the tail and hull out the meat by pulling open the sides. The fish was tied with a rope to a long spike driven through the head and hung on a limb. The meat was boneless, chewy and tasteless but pretty good. I'd be a little leery of mercury.

GAR-bage

countrycorners wrote:GAR-bage

Classic

I once ate some gar cooked by a Seminole (native American, not FSU grad) named Swamp Owl. He gutted the fish and then laid them directly on some hot coals in an open fire. When they were done, he just split them down the back and you then pulled the meat out. It's been quite a few years ago but my recollection is that it was very good. Plus, much easier than trying to clean the fish.

Man, it would have to be life or death before I would be eating a gar.

Interesting that some folks have tried them, but I'll pass.

EJ

Out of respect for nature, I have attempted to eat almost everything that I have killed - purposely or not - and gar ranks below golden shiners (delicately tasty, but so many bones it was like biting into a pin cushion), but above saltwater hardhead catfish (flavorless). The main problem with gar is that they just stink so much that I could not keep them on a stringer while wade-fishing.

Relatedly, I remain amazed that so many saltwater anglers consider gaftopsail catfish (NOT hardheads) a trash fish. Very tasty!

Gary, my objection to gaftops is not the taste or cleaning them. Storing them in my yak is impossible.

I eat fish every week and strongly believe in doing my part to improve the fishery. Improving a fishery can be done by returning fish with superior genetics or removing undesirable fish of all legal species. Removing gar without wasting them can only help the bass, crappie and panfish. Removing sailcats should help most of the inshore species. If you have ever fished below the dam on Talquin, the gar will drive you crazy. The first ones are fun. Then it gets old quickly.

I don't know if its legal. But, gar filets make great catfish bait and will also catch an occasional striper. Can someone tell me if its legal to use them for cut bait on a rod & reel?

Someone gave me a sample of one about a month ago. I think I got the greasy taste out of my mouth about a week ago. Tasted good initially, but the after taste was nasty. I agree GARbage!

I'll have to remember that after the zombie apocalypse, when I'm surviving off what I can catch or kill. Until then, I'll stick with what I already know