Selling Cars and Catching Gars!
Ask For Donnie Hinkle "West Point Lake Gar Grabber"
I took Nathan on his first Longnose Gar Guided fishing trip today on West Point Lake. Nathan has wanted to go for a long time and we finally were able to land on a date that would accommodate both of us.
Things started a little slow at first with the cool morning but when the sun got high and the water surface temperature started warming the Gar started rising just below that water surface all around us. I mean some whoppers too!
I snagged the first Gar of the day and what a big ole Longnose Gar it was! It fought very hard including one athletic thrashing jump! When I got the Gar to the boat it had a very healthy set of snappers on it and as I was trying to grab it and close it's big jaws at the same time it made a huge rush right out of my grip and unfortunately cut my line with it's teeth and swam away with a mouth full of nylon. It's very upsetting to see this happen especially considering the fact that I had it for a moment before it broke wild on me. I wish I had have just gotten a little bit better grip on it. This fish would have easily cracked 19lbs+ and 56 inched. Just a massive Longnose Gar. Luckily Nathan snapped some pictures of it as I played it to the boat. What a waste.
Later on I spotted a nice Longnose just underneath the water surface. With the sun getting higher and higher we started seeing Big Longnose Gar all over the place. This was a very fat and health specimen of Longnose Gar that weighed in at 17lbs-3ozed and measured 52 inches long. Nathan was still trying to hone his casting skills as I coached him how to make the right cast. As Nathan continued to lose opportunity after opportunity he quickly realized that it's a good cast at first that gives you a chance but it's also how you present the lure as well.
The next fish was a real fighter that gave the thrill of several long digging line stripping runs. The big Longnose just kept on stripping line from my Ambassadeur 6500each time I thought it would give up. This big boy weighed 15lbs-13ozs and measured 48 inches long and fat, but not as fat as Gar number one.
Now it was time to give Nathan all the opportunities for the big ones because I wanted him to come away with a Gar to remember on his guide trip. He could have caught many Gar of smaller or medium size but like me he would pass on them for the chance for that fish of a lifetime.
After Nathan's repeated attempts at casting at some real monster Gar, time after time he either couldn't get the lure in position or when he did get it there, either the presentation wasn't correct or the Gar would snub it's nose at the rope lure. I don’t think I was a very good coach that day because it was killing me to pass up the big Gar to allow Nathan a shot!
After such an unlucky day of Gar fishing I'll owe Nathan a return visit at no charge to redeem himself. Just let me know when you can go Nathan, because no one deserves the kind of luck you had today! At least you got to hold my biggest of the day, right? Not the same I know Nathan so we'll get great big fat one for you next trip. I think on our next trip instead of wearing sight fishing glasses I’ll wear a blindfold though because it was killing me to watch some great opportunities pass you by but that's just life for a Longnose Gar fishing guide! It takes practice.
Ask For Donnie Hinkle "West Point Lake Gar Grabber"
I took Nathan on his first Longnose Gar Guided fishing trip today on West Point Lake. Nathan has wanted to go for a long time and we finally were able to land on a date that would accommodate both of us.
Things started a little slow at first with the cool morning but when the sun got high and the water surface temperature started warming the Gar started rising just below that water surface all around us. I mean some whoppers too!
I snagged the first Gar of the day and what a big ole Longnose Gar it was! It fought very hard including one athletic thrashing jump! When I got the Gar to the boat it had a very healthy set of snappers on it and as I was trying to grab it and close it's big jaws at the same time it made a huge rush right out of my grip and unfortunately cut my line with it's teeth and swam away with a mouth full of nylon. It's very upsetting to see this happen especially considering the fact that I had it for a moment before it broke wild on me. I wish I had have just gotten a little bit better grip on it. This fish would have easily cracked 19lbs+ and 56 inched. Just a massive Longnose Gar. Luckily Nathan snapped some pictures of it as I played it to the boat. What a waste.
Later on I spotted a nice Longnose just underneath the water surface. With the sun getting higher and higher we started seeing Big Longnose Gar all over the place. This was a very fat and health specimen of Longnose Gar that weighed in at 17lbs-3ozed and measured 52 inches long. Nathan was still trying to hone his casting skills as I coached him how to make the right cast. As Nathan continued to lose opportunity after opportunity he quickly realized that it's a good cast at first that gives you a chance but it's also how you present the lure as well.
The next fish was a real fighter that gave the thrill of several long digging line stripping runs. The big Longnose just kept on stripping line from my Ambassadeur 6500each time I thought it would give up. This big boy weighed 15lbs-13ozs and measured 48 inches long and fat, but not as fat as Gar number one.
Now it was time to give Nathan all the opportunities for the big ones because I wanted him to come away with a Gar to remember on his guide trip. He could have caught many Gar of smaller or medium size but like me he would pass on them for the chance for that fish of a lifetime.
After Nathan's repeated attempts at casting at some real monster Gar, time after time he either couldn't get the lure in position or when he did get it there, either the presentation wasn't correct or the Gar would snub it's nose at the rope lure. I don’t think I was a very good coach that day because it was killing me to pass up the big Gar to allow Nathan a shot!
After such an unlucky day of Gar fishing I'll owe Nathan a return visit at no charge to redeem himself. Just let me know when you can go Nathan, because no one deserves the kind of luck you had today! At least you got to hold my biggest of the day, right? Not the same I know Nathan so we'll get great big fat one for you next trip. I think on our next trip instead of wearing sight fishing glasses I’ll wear a blindfold though because it was killing me to watch some great opportunities pass you by but that's just life for a Longnose Gar fishing guide! It takes practice.
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