So you shot a gar, what now?

[BA]

My son and I are headed out to bowfish for gar.  The place is loaded with them to the point even I might get one. So what do you do with them once you shoot one?  I have caught them on fly tackle and always just let them go.  Not really an option if ya stick one with an fiberglass arrow...I have heard of people eating them.  Any advice?

[Friends call me Pac]

This should help.  

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=078962

[Friends call me Pac]

If you get down on the coast you might want to bowfish for these too.

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=090754

[ishoot4thrills]

Don't eat their eggs, if they have any. They're toxic!

[BA]

Thanks Pac!  That was going to be my next question - what to do with stingrays.  From seeing you pictures, I am sorry I let all those gar go!

[stickbowmaniac]

We eat them all the time down here in Louisiana.They are very good eating.You can make gar balls,fry them or you can pot roast it.We usualy use vise grips to grab the back fin and use a cane knife or machette to clean them.Just start behind the back fin and work your way to the head by chopping right under the skin and scale.After this you can just use a fillet knife to get the meat out.Kind of like taking the backstrap off a deer.Hope this helps.          

[toddster]

bowfish alot for long and short nose gar here in illinois, no gator gar.  Me and brother clean and eat alot of them, good eating.  We have found that making a slit on each side of the head top to bottom, between the scales and one on each side in the back.  Then if we have a few we use a hatchet to go from back to front alont the back to lay it open, then filet out like the link does, a strip of boneless meat on each side.  If we clean alot of them usually do about 30, we use a sawsall and metal blade and lay them open.  wash off with water, but do not freeze in baggy with water (causes the tissue to disolve).

[Chris Shelton]

I hear they are really good eattin!!  We dont really have any here in MD, so I wouldnt know for a fact but . . .

[Van/TX]

Gar is good to eat. I've eaten them.  I'm from Louisiana though so my opinion might not mean much.  You ever ate a fish sandwich at McDonalds?  How do you know you are not eating gar.  They are commercially fished here in Texas ;-)...Van

[wv lungbuster]

I didn't know they were commercially fished Van. We have quite a few in the Ohio River,but I've never ate any cause I can't hit em.

[joebuck]

BA..... i want to see Michelle eat a gar ball!!!

[Tom Anderson]

If you can eat a fish sammich from McD's you can eat pretty much anything...

[BA]

Hey Joebuck, Michele might surprise you! This move back to S.GA even has her listening to country music. We gonna be eating us some gar (if Hinson can hit em)!  I will send you a picture.

[joebuck]

Is Batman's bow working out? he gives a 7 year money back return policy

[BA]

Ahh, Batman's bow....no way he is getting it back!  And I sure am not going to shoot a gar with it - that just wouldn't be right...