Eating dinosaurs

[Redman]

Does anyone eat these besides me?

For those of you that don't eat gar, why not? They eat the same type of food as a Walleye. Is it because you don't know how to clean them?
You will need gloves, pruning shears or tin snips, and a fillet knife.
First use the shears and cut through the armor plated skin around the head, down the the middle of the back, and middle of the stomach.

Then take the fillet knife and skin the armor off. Be careful because the scales will cut you and so will the needle sharp teeth.

Then take your fillet knife and go down the middle of the back fallow the ribcage around and do not cut through any bones. You will have yourself a boneless fillet that looks like a small back strap.

Repeat on the other side.
Cook them anyway you like. Our favorite is to broil them and dip them in butter like crab. Also cut them in bite sized pieces boil until firm but not flaking. Chill in refrigerator then dip them in cocktail sauce. It is like a shrimp cocktail.

 

[Mallardsx2]

They are super good to eat. I hate to say it, but they really do taste like chicken.

 

[runningmt]

The meat looks good, sort of colored like mackerel.

Caught a few in MN, never big enough to consider eating.

 

[steveshuntn1]

If I can keep one on the hook yep! I got one last year in the MS that was at least 5’ long up to the boat…I could already hear the grease sizzling when he snapped my 80 lb leader. The ms river is full of them. They are very tasty.

 

[FairWeather]

Technically birds are avian dinosaurs, I eat those all the time.

 

[Northwoods Labs]

Pretty cool, always figured they would be boney. I've never caught one in my life, they look tastey

 

[Gellar]

I thought it was going to sturgeon or spoonbill.

 

[Redman]

Pretty cool, always figured they would be boney. I've never caught one in my life, they look tastey

They are, unfortunately they got s bad rap as a trash fish. Sad so many of them are just left to rot. They are hard to catch with rod and reel. If you are a fly fisherman they are fun to catch. Don't even need a hook. Take a piece of lead rope that is used for live stock. Fray it so it is really fuzzy and tie it on. Casting out in front of them and they will grab it and they can't spit it out. They cotton like rope gets caught in their needle teeth and the fight is on.

 

[Shangobango]

Yup, we eat them. Not my favorite fish but if done right they are good. Of course down here we eat just about anything.

We usually do gar balls in gravy made from a stock from the bony parts of the fish.

 

[220yotekiller]

Pretty cool, always figured they would be boney. I've never caught one in my life, they look tastey

Dude, I can't even catch trout!

 

[rwc101]

I've wondered about pickling them. Never kept one though.

 

[Redman]

I thought it was going to sturgeon or spoonbill.

We can't keep spoon bill. We have a ton of shovel nose sturgeon but I always catch and release those. There are lake sturgeon as well but have never caught one. I am going to have to keep a shovel nose and try it!

 

[Redman]

I've wondered about pickling them. Never kept one though.

I am telling you they are to good for the pickeling jar. I used to pickel Northerns but I don't even do that since I learned how to fillet without getting a ton of bones.

 

[Redman]

Dude, I can't even catch trout!

Shooting them (gar) is easier!

 

[Redman]

Yup, we eat them. Not my favorite fish but if done right they are good. Of course down here we eat just about anything.

We usually do gar balls in gravy made from a stock from the bony parts of the fish.

Hey Coonass folk make everything taste good!

 

[Shangobango]

Hey Coonass folk make everything taste good!

Got that right!

 

[seeth07]

We can't keep spoon bill. We have a ton of shovel nose sturgeon but I always catch and release those. There are lake sturgeon as well but have never caught one. I am going to have to keep a shovel nose and try it!

Shovelnose sturgeon are fantastic to eat if you get one large enough to make it worth the cleaning effort. Keeping a 24inch one might yield only a half pound of meat but a 40 inch one might get you a large meals worth. It's the same with the spotted gar you showed. Not a lot of meat on one that size but the bigger ones you get a decent filet

 

[JV842]

Very Tasty!!!

 

[Northwoods Labs]

They are, unfortunately they got s bad rap as a trash fish. Sad so many of them are just left to rot. They are hard to catch with rod and reel. If you are a fly fisherman they are fun to catch. Don't even need a hook. Take a piece of lead rope that is used for live stock. Fray it so it is really fuzzy and tie it on. Casting out in front of them and they will grab it and they can't spit it out. They cotton like rope gets caught in their needle teeth and the fight is on.

Yes, I have heard of that tactic. My main issue is they aren't in any waters near me. It is too bad that so many native species get bad raps as trash fish. Bowfin get this rap a lot by me, although they aren't good too eat from what I heard-very boney and soft flesh. I've never tried them though, I bet you could make fish cakes out of them. They do fight fantastic on rod and reel, I bet those gar do too

 

[Dougfirtree]

I've never caught one, but now you're making me consider whether to keep it when I finally do. They get reasonably big in Lake Champlain. Here's a pic I took two years ago when I came across one of their spring-time orgies. The fish in the picture are about 3-4 feet long.