North Pine Dam 02/03

[Freeeedom]

Boating was not really an option due to the crappy forecast , so headed out to the dam for some bait collecting. Took a while to berley up the gar, managed 31 in the end, mostly small to medium size. Put out a couple of earthworms under floats just in case while I fished the gar. Scored one nice silver perch and a good Tandanus (eel-tailed catfish) plus the usual couple of turtles. Quite a pleasant morning with the showers mostly staying away and the wind not too strong.
Cheers Freeeedom

[Freeeedom]

The silver perch

[Freeeedom]

and the catfish

[TIM-DONSELAAR]

looks like it was worth chucking out a couple of earthworms under floats ;)

nice perch and eel-tailed catfish

cheers tim [smiley=beer.gif]

[land_based]

Nice catch freedom,

Do you use the gar for anything except for red claw bait??

P.S i sent you a pm.

R0b

[Freeeedom]

Yes ROb - I use them for tailor bait in the surf, mackerel bait in the bay, sometimes use the fillets for bream bait (although not my preferred bream bait) and , of course, they are a delicious eating fish
Cheers Freeeedom

[Always_Sunburnt]

Hi Freeeedom,
What technique and bait did you use to catch the gar?

Cheers,
Jason

[Freeeedom]

I use a number 12 hook baited with a small piece of prawn flesh about 30cm under a very light quill float. You berley up with soaked white bread until you get a boil going then put your bait out. You can also use the bread as bait by rolling a small piece of doughy bread into a ball around the hook. The dam is full of gar which you can catch almost anywhere but the bigger ones are caught in winter
Cheers Freeeedom

[Canoedle]

Hey John, good to meet you the other day, hope we get a chance to wet a line together some time. How was the trip to Gin Gin? (just remembered you were going for a week) Hope you got some pics for us. :)

[-spiro-]

good info ;D

[caught-ya]

nice gar and other fish

has anyone used live gar for bait before?(in the dam)

[Always_Sunburnt]

Yes ROb - I use them for tailor bait in the surf, mackerel bait in the bay, sometimes use the fillets for bream bait (although not my preferred bream bait) and , of course, they are a delicious eating fish
Cheers Freeeedom


Hi Freeeedom,
How do you prepare gar for the table??

Cheers!
Jason

[Freeeedom]

Two different ways

1. Scale, head and gut, making sure you scrub out the black lining to the gut cavity. Place whole fish in a dish and cover with vinegar. Leave overnight. In the morning all the bones except the backbone will have dissolved. Dry the fish, dust with flour then fry in butter until golden. The fish will then easily split down the middle, the backbone can be lifted out intact leaving two delicious fillets.

2. Suitable for the larger fish - scale then fillet as you would any other fish, then cut out the rib cage with a slender filleting knife. That only leaves the row of pin bones in the fillet, but they are so small you can just ignore them. I then roll the fillets up into a coil and secure with a toothpick. Using a teaspoon fill the top of the coil with garlic butter. Place rolled up fillets in a non-stick pan and fry until brown on top and bottom. The garlic butter melts and drizzles down through the fillet as it cooks. When cooked remove toothpicks. Makes a great entree or finger food. Eat at once - magic!
Cheers Freeeedom

[TinarooTriumph]

Sounds like you had a great morning Freeedom, well done ;).

Gar are always a good bait to use, ive never actually caught one before, so this has got me rather excited.

I know they are a surface fish of sorts, so just some very light tackle and a bit of prawn and bread for berley you reckon? And what sort of places am i likely to find these guys in? Shallows? Weedbeds?

Cheers, and well done with that Perch, its a beaut.

TinarooTriumph 8-)

[Always_Sunburnt]

Hi All,
Went out to North Pine yesterday to bag a few gar. Didn't do too badly either!

What was really surprising was the amount of little Tilapia. When I was burlying up they were everywhere. There must have been thousands of them, all about 2 - 3 inches long. I don't think we have a snowballs chance in hell of getting rid of these little buggers from our waterways.

Cheers!
Jason