can I eat gar?

[Bumpkin74]

I'm just learning a little more about fishing. I'm 52, but just now getting into the sport, but slowly. I have a thing about catfish - I want to learn to catch cats. I was in Gore's Pool tonight, looking for a path to the Mississippi (didn't find it but I was paddling in a canoe). . . . Anyhoo, these kids got a couple carp and a couple gar. They were going to bury them in a garden, and I said I'd take the gar; they let me. Are gar any good? It's 11:30 PM and I'm going outside now to clean them. Thanks for any reply.

dan from eagan

[pureinsanity]

If you cook anything long enough you can eat it. You can eat gar. I actually heard its rather delicious. Down south its an expensive fish meat! Just be sure you monitor how much you actually eat. Do not want to consume to many chemicals.

[Bumpkin74]

OK, thanks Pure. These kids had harvested these gar by bow hunting out of their canoe. This was in North Lake, in the Gore's Pool DNR land, SE of Hastings. I hated to see them waste these fish on their garden. I cleaned them but it was a hell of a project. They could use the outer 'shell' on these things as flak jackets in Iraq. I should've used some big tin snips but I couldn't find them in my garage. Did most of the work with a big serrated kitchen knife, which will now need sharpening. I'm not kidding; the plating on these things is an engineering marvel. They don't have scales per se; it's like a semi-rigid shell. I wish now I had frozen them and then run them through my table saw. A dremel would maybe work well too. Anyhoo, they better taste good after all that.

[wooduck26]

I would have to be pretty hungry to eat a Gar....I'd rather go catch sunnies or something.....Gar isn't to high on the list.

[DTro]

Even if Gar tasted good, I wouldn’t want to go through the trouble of hacking away at that body armor.

I mean you can eat anything really, it’s just a matter of how bad do you want to eat it.

Kind of reminds me of a story about a guy trying to eat an eel a couple years back…..it didn’t turn out so well.

[almberg]

Actually gar are quite good eating. Bumpkin, if you clean one again, you can cut them right down the back and remove those strips of meat (backstraps) and toss the rest. Their meat is good but their roe are poisonous. I'm with you on your "engineering marvel" comment! I think gar are the most unique and interesting fish in north America.

[Ed Carlson]

You may need to swap out the electric fillet knife...for a chain saw..but..ya..what da-hay...go for it.

[Shack]

When it doubt, hit the Tube

[CFHunter]

Interesting vid shack. That gar is quite a bit larger than the ones I have seen. To me Gar = Gross, I wouldn't waste my time to clean one.

[MN Shutterbug]

I know of a certain group that likes to make fish patties out of sheepshead. To each his own and you'll never know until you try.

[Neighbor_guy]

I can't

But....

Chances are, if you have eaten fish sticks or fish patties from some fast food places, especialy from or manufactured in the south, you have eaten gar.

Gar is some of the best tasting fish you will ever eat. It is a very firm, flaky, white meat. It does take a set of tin snips to get to it, but IMO it is worth it.

If you get the chance to eat gar tenderloin medalions and pass them up, it is your loss.

[dan z]

dat der is won freikin mama of a gar, put enough tarter sauce on it shouldnt be to bad...

[rushing]

With a buck knife, hacksaw and a machete and you get yer'self some big Fee-lays. lol

I bet its a lot easier to do with a bigger fish than the lil guys up here.

[SunneyeDay]

That looked like more work than cleaning out a deer....

So all you need to clean and eat a gar is....

1)One machete, extra sharp

2)Two or three sharp buck knifes/heavy duty filet knifes

3)A Hacksaw

4)Someone to hold the gar while you swing a machete (that isn't too concerned about losing a hand or a few digits)

Last time I complain about the bucket of panfish before me...

[UdeLakeTom]

Deep fry and shore lunch and any fish is good...I had some really good tasting sheephead last year on the barge down near the Alma locks.

[harvey lee]

I thought the other guys was going to lose a hand or wrist.

[Scott K]

I think a sawzall would be quicker, or a chainsaw!

[Dave S]

Kind of reminds me of a story about a guy trying to eat an eel a couple years back…..it didn’t turn out so well.

It usually helps if you kill it before you try to eat it

[DARK30]

I'll just stick with the Lutefisk thanks

[DTro]

Very interesting video.

I would take a piece of that off the BBQ, for sure. Looks tasty.

I bet you could make a nice pair of boots with that skin too.

[rippin_lips_09]

I watched an episode on tv a while back about gar down in texas and they showed how to clean them. So they must taste good if people are eating them

[TChard]

Pretty darn sure i wouldn't have any fingers left and/or The friend that was helping me after something like that!

[pureinsanity]

Tin snips and Pliers are your best friend when cleaning a gar...

[vern]

Or the Billy Mays Dual Saw!

[hanson]

Or the Billy Mays Dual Saw!

The Awesome Auger... no need for a blender when you are done.