I was an endangered species biologist for the state of Tennessee, retired now. One of my proudest accomplishments was an alligator gar restoration project. I started it by contacting a federal hatchery biologist in Tupelo, Mississippi. He said he would raise the fish to eight inches for me if I could find the places in west Tennessee to turn them loose. We ran the project with a handshake agreement. We were the first to do alligator gar restoration in the nation. After we stocked thousands of fingerlings in Tennessee, other states started doing restoration projects. Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri. They are amazing animals, and I loved working with them.

Henry, would it be possible to start an initiative petition? Get enough signatures and take it to the secretary of state to qualify a ballot to protect gar as a gamefish? I believe it would be worth a try. Someday I’ll hope to catch a dinosaur.

You should try catching them on the fly!! That would be a very fun experience, wouldn't be much different then a musky rig for fly fishing, a 12wt rod, large articulated flies to mimick baitfish, and a heavy leader. On top of the tropical spec fly line and a lot of backing, hell I'd go for it!

I’ve seen a few people go thru the trouble of cleaning them and cooking the “back straps” you catch a lot of them why not do a catch clean and cook. And show people they can be another way to feed their family. Instead of treating them like Carp. Just a suggestion