World Record - 279 pounds, caught in the Rio Grande River, Texas, in 1951.
Florida State Record - 123 pounds, caught in the Choctowhatchee River, Walton County, in 1995.

This is the largest of all the gar species. Smaller specimens can be distinguished from other gars by the 2 rows of teeth in the upper jaw and their shorter, broader snout. Larger ones don't need an introduction.

Range: Found in the Escambia, Yellow and Choctawhatchee rivers in northwest Florida. They have also been found in the Econfina/Bear Creek area of Bay County.

As with most gars, they feed mainly on fish but have been known to eat ducks and other water birds. They are edible but not fished for their food value. The Alligator Gar's roe (fish eggs) is toxic.

NOTE: Alligator gar may only be taken by a special research permit, due to their limited numbers and the age at which they reproduce.

Here is an excerpt from "Hot to Catch an Alligator Gar" from GarFishing.com
The best time of the year in my experience is July through August. The hotter, the better, and the less rainfall the better. We look for big bends in the river with a deep hole. It is even better if the water above and below the hole is shallow. These gator gar congregate in these deeper holes.

We use cut bait such as carp, buffalo, and large perch. Our 330 Penn reels are spooled with a minimum of 40 lb. test line with a 24" steel leader. We hook the cut bait on a 6/0 treble hook and cast to the deeper part of the channel. The bait is free floating with the spool open and the clicker on.

Note: Each Saturday Florida Fishing Blog will bring you a specific Florida Fish Spotlight. You can see all similar posts by clicking on Fish Spotlight in the right column.

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