LOVING ALL THAT YOU GAR.

Past two years for gar fishing have been a bit odd. This season due to record ice-out flood levels the Ottawa River closed to boating in early spring, this would cut into some quality time usually spent on the water. Once the river finally opened, I remember having eleven days to cram in as much fishing as possible before leaving town. When I’d return in late June, two more weeks would remain for 2019 gar because other fishing and work would keep me pull me away until the end of August.

Within those 3 ½ weeks worth of windows at home, I managed seven sunny day trips. The Ottawa being sooo blown out high and cold it turned out the two weeks away middle of June did shape up to be the most prime. Returning after a trip away, I’d find out the weather had been mint for days on end.

In the journal it noted this year actually suffered a “skunk” day, and that’s something rare. Remembering the outing, I arrived to the river on one uncharacteristic cold morning. The day before it had blown hard from the north, it was the last trip I’d take for the summer and weed growth had exploded since the previous visit. Although not nearly the numbers of fish were seen as usual, there were still enough around that I guess something could have been casted at and caught, but being the finale all precious time was spent in search of a giant. Not just a 50… but a giant! Oddly, even though it was cold and few fish were around, there was a small pocket of heavy growth in real shallow that pulled some sluggish fish in around noon and it was then that two gar gave me a shot. Shitty result was they were spooky as soon as my lures fell on ‘em but, laying chase to the biggest of the day, the boat managed to keep up and my eyes stayed glued on the fish. It dropped, surfaced, dropped, surfaced, but each time it sunk in the murky waters it never did so deep enough that it’s silhouette could not be made out. After maybe the fifteenth or twentieth targeted cast the big girl finally snapped to crunch the lure.

I’d like to say that fish made it to the boat but again, this is the story of the skunk day. A solid fight did ensue, the gar took a couple short, hard, gar-like runs that were controlled from my end, yet when it came nearer to the boat seemingly tired the fish suddenly then leapt from the water and spun hard. The lure came flying at me in a tangled mess with the line. I left the water early that day as cloud and winds rolled in and all other few fish vanished.

2019 was actually quite the big fish year though. I mean, some real nice and thick tanks were caught, and one fish in particular hit the 20+ pound mark at 55.5 inches long. That’s nearly record breaking weight and from a lengthy fish some five or so inches greater than the record itself. All-in all the new boat would see to it that within those six fishful days, eight fifty plus gar would come over the gunnels for a grin. Most outings were last minute and solo, although newcomer Phil and the old veteran to gar, Simon, would both join in for a time. The boating closure, the sickening high waters, the slow and cold start for the fish or maybe, all the new and rich flood plain feeding areas were responsible for the gar girth being bigger this season, I dunno? What is for certain though, is the short time I had for gar was surely interesting and rewarding. My day out with Phil was most memorable for it’s always a real treat putting someone new to gar fishing on their firsts.

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Looking back on the site here it appears I’ve been asleep at the wheel. 2018’s gar season slipped by without flinching. Trying to think back, I can remember higher traffic and more skittish fish on the river but not quite to the extent it had been in 2017. It was also a year that would be cut shorter due to other fishing plans and work, a sacrifice on both accounts to keep the wife happy.

Newcomer Max was the first aboard, followed by regular gar buddies Steve, Mikey and Simon. Max would catch his first and best ever, a fish at 45 inches, Simon would pick-up a four footer on the nose and some others, Stevie nailed his annual fifty and Mike would smash three fifty-plus fish on an incredible best day. It was early on in with gar season that I said goodbye to “The Bomber” and welcome the new boat “Bambalam” into my life. Little changed moving up from a 16’3″ Rebel XL to the even wider, heavier and longer Lund ProGuide at 18’9″. The new ride will still get into the same shallow waters and the only slight difference is a slower speed on the trolling motor. Both the Rebel and ProGuide ran Terrova 80’s on the bow but on the smaller boat she’d really kick with that same thrust.

2018 saw about the average ten days spent for gar. Surprisingly one outing registered a skunk, again during an oddly cold, later season morning after big winds and a north front. Usually fish are around to cast at but I recall this day was insanely slow with only a half dozen runts showing themselves at all. The best day outing was with Mikey! Having not seen the fella in some time but us planned for the Sutton River trout trip later that summer, it was a rare treat to boat five fifty inch and bigger gar with my old buddy aboard. By the end of the 2018 summer season, Bambalam would be slimed by a total of fifteen gar over that magic mark but also see a staggering number of fish 48 & 49 inches that just didn’t quite make it on the tape. It felt good!

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2009 to 2019 have been gar busy for sure. A running tally in the journal here at home, without counting it all up this minute, it was at some point in 2018 one hundred total days fishing gar was surpassed. Surely with seasonal averages of ten to twenty fish caught in the fifty-inch range, a lot of toothy miles have been stretched out between the gunnels of both boats. More than enough experience, unless there’s some retired gar nut living on the Ottawa River who mysteriously goes undetected each time I’m on the water, rarely are other gar anglers seen on any regular basis. Since the beginning, it’s always been my belief that there are more than enough fish to go around and I have had my share so, anyone interested in a guided day out next season can get in touch.