Just another perfect day fishing for one of the worlds oldest fish species in the heart of Texas on the trinity river.
We caught half a dozen all around 5-6 foot on rod and reel treating each one with the respect they deserve.
We had 2 chances at monster gar over 7 foot but didn't make it happen today, sometimes its about the journey and the time on the water and how you spend it.
This trip was one of my favorites in a while its great that alligator gar are being put into the spotlight on YouTube and elsewhere.
Alligator gar have been on the planet for over 100 million years they are pretty much the perfect fish species they can live in fresh and salt water, can survive in extremely low oxygen content water by using a primitive lung to breath.
They primarily feed on roughfish, carp, buffalo, perch, talapia, native suckers and seem to have a taste for non native species such at talapia and common carp. they promote healthy water ways by playing the role as a top level predators reducing the number of sick, weak, and unhealthy genes from the prey species populous.
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Pretty much the perfect fish species?

good job, thanks for posting

show me a natural habitat with water it couldn't live in.

That's a lot of garden fertilizer.

which would be illegal in Texas


http://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoo...ing-regulations
"Waste of fish
It is unlawful to leave edible fish or bait fish taken from the public waters of the state to die without the intent to retain the fish for consumption or bait."
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/PW/htm/PW.66.htm
"Sec. 66.011. LEAVING FISH TO DIE. A person commits an offense if the person leaves edible fish or bait fish taken from the public waters of this state to die without the intent to retain the fish for consumption or bait."

Trash fish. Not a game animal per TPWD. Read the rules as they are currently written and not the way you want them to read.

wrong "unlawful to leave edible fish or bait fish" since when are gamefish baitfish?

congrats!

Not a game fish. Regulated NON-game species. And anything requiring an ax or machete to clean is not edible. I mean sure I guess you can eat anything but there are better non-trash fish alternatives.

Cool stuff. Not sure why everyone is on the man. Sure I missed something along the way in another post

People don't like gars, but I'm also on the side of letting the big ones go on about their business. They're becoming increasingly rare and it doesn't fit my personal set of hunting/fishing ethics to just toss one to die on the rocks for no good reason. If you want to eat it, great. Some people swear by them, but I am not one of those people.

They really are impressive animals if you can get past their relative grossness.

To each his own.

Cameron, shame on you...... That post was void of sarcasm or humor.....probably a first for any post of yours I've ever read.... Improve or get banned.

I must be depressed or something...you do raise a good point.

Not illegal. Nobody said they were leaving it anywhere. He said fertilizer, that means taking it home and using it for a purpose, not dumping it on the ramp. Take your "these fish are sacred" bs to the fishing forum where the rest of the snowflakes like yourself like to argue.

read the laws bud using any edible fish in Texas for fertilizer is illegal.

Fish is really great fertilizer. If u were to take fish home put it in your compost pile. It would turn into one of the best organic fertilizers ever. You know full circle type stuff.

No sir... you are incorect. Law has 0 to do with edibility. You may legaly leave carp and gar, as well as tilapia(actually illegal to let tilapia go most places)
If not bowfishing would be shut down most places cause 99% of the ppl doing it would be getting tickets all the time.

Gar is a very specialized fish to clean beyond the level the government exspects sombody to do. Not saying ypu cant eat it, heard ppl love it... but when you need tin snips to get to the meat its not goung to be common

What if I shoot them with a bow and feed them to the coons by the bone pile? Im not wasting it and its being eaten.

That's like saying I can't use MY deer meat at my house anyway I see fit. It's mine if I want to fertilize my garden with back strap, I will. It is being "consumed" and not wasted. The laws don't say I must EAT every piece of edible meat on my deer.

The law you are quoting is for the dumping of fish at ramps or in other public places. Know what you are talking about before you ride in on a white steed to save the poor gar.

I hate coons also. Could I feed it to them then shoot them too? What do I feed the coons to? Trotline bait for gar?

The circle of life