Here is a southern boy tip on catching gar. Take a piece of white nylon rope, about 1/4" in diameter. Burn one end so it will not ravel. Now cut it about 6" long, but do not burn the cut end. Now comb out the nylon rope about 4" down from the burnt end. Once you have it combed out really good, take a short 12" piece of wire leader and run it through the rope just under the burn end and make a small loop and add a crimp lock, completing the loop. Now at the other end of the wire leader, add a strong swivel and a loop with a crimp lock. NO HOOK NEEDED. Tie the swivel to your line and cast it in the river, pulling it erratic thru the water. If a gar hits it, he will get his teeth hung in the combed out nylon rope and will not come off. Good luck.

Great episode! Has all my favorite elements: Low-key/low-budget/no fuss fishing trip. Interesting mix of fish. Quick pace. And really fun check-in with Ella! Your tourney coverage is always fun and entertaining to watch too, but these are a nice break and it is really great to see the both of you having so much fun around home. More of these sorts of episodes would be great. Many thanks!

I love bankfishing for small fish species. If it ends in the skillet, it’s even better. Thanks for sharing, Spencer. Bring more videos with Ella and Woody! 😊

Ella! Smart and cute as a button is always a winning combination. Love it when Ella is featured. Catch and cook blind taste test is a great format, I love it. I’m also happy to see the actual catch portion, your occasional use of lighter gear, and your externally internal monologue is a treasured staple of the vlog imho. Another gem of a video! Thanks. I hope you catch a giant.

Make Poor Man’s Shrimp from the drum. Cut fillet into 3”x 1” strips and boil for a couple of minutes in water seasoned with crab boil seasoning. Chill and serve with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges

This was 25 minutes well spent. You have a great laid back presentation style that really made this entertaining and easy to watch. Excellent video. 👍

Haven’t done that in years. Last time I did that with a couple of buddies, we are all very experienced anglers , but we grabbed a six pack and went down to the river. We had the same kind of a mixed bag. We filleted up those into nice sized chunks and fried them up with different dipping sauces. So we had a nice feed for 6 adults. All the wives loved the meal, and I was just dead simple like fishing when we were kids. Pearch, crappies, catfish, walleye and they were all excellent.

Those drum has bone segments in their skull/head that they can move back and forth against each other, to make the drumming sound you hear in the early evening. When I was a kid, and my dad was cleaning the drum we had caught, he would cut them out for me. They were between a bone and pearl like substance, and they were rounded on one side and they were rough/flatter on one side. The flatter sides rubbing against each other is what made the sound. It was amazing how loud it can be.

This is a video that goes in the favorites pile, even though pretty much all your videos are in that pile. Just glad to see Ell again and eating fish without knowing. I give the chef 10 stars 😂

Been missing Woody and Ella Thanks for adding her today!!

Gar is excellent! Sort of a lobster consistency. They're easy to clean once you've done a few and if you have the correct tools for the job.

Pleasure as always Sir and congratulations to 150000 man ! Well deserved and you deserve so much more to, for sure my favorite channel, always bring a smile to my face 🍺

Hey man this video was awesome ! I grew up fishing ,swimming on Missouri River..The flood of 1993 took our town Cedar City about 300 yards from the river ..My friends and I would fish the blue holes created by the rivers currents ..I recently brook my grandson gar fishing he had the best time ..I enjoy everything thing your about and definitely make more like this. ✌️

I love exactly what you did. Keep them coming! Out of those the catfish probably would’ve been my favorite. Thanks

Definitely would watch more like this. That was pretty cool. As always, I enjoyed spending a few minutes with you. 😊

Great video as always Spencer, I would love to see some more like this!!!!! Hope ya catch a big one!!!

Watching you walk that bank with all the rebar sticking out gives me the heebee jeebees. Stay safe man! Thanks for another entertaining video. Love the variety on your channel! And yes - would like to see more of this type of video. Taste test was interesting. Would like to see how a wiper stacks up.

Love it when you have Ella involved as well. Great video man

I'd definitely try it. Good to see the Mrs as always. Thanks for sharing brother!! 👍🏾👊🏾✊🏾🙂💯

Interesting! We fished a western Wisconsin River for white bass in early spring, when they started their spring spawning run. They made great eating at that time. We threw them back in summer. They were not good eating in the warmer months. Great video.

Great video, Spencer. More of these types would be cool.

Yay! Ella was in the video! I like the catch and cook episodes. This one was really cool with all the different species and the taste test with Ella. Fun stuff. Dammit Spencer, if I wasn't quite so broke I'd fly out there and hire you to take me on a catch and cook. I've only eaten catfish and white bass and prefer the catfish over the bass. Good episode.

I hunt more than I fish this was a great video my favorite is chicken of the tree but you have motivated me to fish a little more than I have in the past, thank you and keep making more video's please if you are able to

YES YES YES! Please do more of these videos. I love to see fish critique videos.

Always great to see and hear from both team members!

Should line up the different kinds of catfish and see what one she picks is better. Also I would like to see how you clean/filet your fish so if you could make a video on that that would be awesome and much appreciated. Keep up the awesome work buddy

Your content is great, brother. A tip I picked up from my in-laws regarding the white bass is to put a light coat of mustard on them before you fry them and it'll somehow make it less fishy. It works, give it a shot.

As always the best way to spend time on Monday and Thursday great video as always .. glad to see Ella back in another vid and congrats 🎉🍾 on 150K you deserve it tremendously!!

Dude just chilled me out, wish I was that relaxed

THANKS SPENCER. This was a great video. Liked the taste test challenge.

would be cool to see how many different species you can get in one day to cook up as a challenge!

Thank you for sharing this great educational experience. 👍

Spencer this is one of the best videos yet and I been following you awhile. That's pretty cool this type of food challenges. Anyways stay safe out there and stay hydrated. These are some epic weather we're having 107w/115 heat index right now. Aloha from Kansas

I liked it a lot. I need to try it sometime. You should do a video on cleaning different species of fish. Thanks for sh

This video is so charming and so easy to love. Great characters. I am going to watch your channel instead of the news from now on. This is really important stuff.

The secret to hooking a gar is understanding a gar. I use minnows for bait. Live or dead does not matter. When they take the minnow, it lies across their jaws. If you try to set the hook, you'll only pull the hook out of your minnow and the gar gets a free meal. You have to wait until they rise to the surface to flip the minnow around head-first and then swallow. Sometimes they will swim for a hundred yards before they'll swallow it. You will see them stick their snouts above the water. I float them towards the gar and if they take the bait and your cork goes under, give them free line until you either see them swallow the bait or the cork surfaces, and you see their snouts snapping above the water. Wait as they swim off until you can't wait anymore. Then, wait a few more seconds. And then hit them hard! Enjoy your 5-foot gar! ; )

Yes, I would like to see more vid’s like this. Also would like to see how you cleaned the Gar. Nice to see Ella on the vid.

Loved this vid...YES, please do more...akll your videos are HIGHLY watchable! Thanks Buddy!

Great video,as we've come to expect! So glad to see the rest of the family as well! I think we were all overdue for a dose of that! I really enjoy drum and gar. Didn't start eating them until a couple of years ago. I was especially suprised by the gar's flavor and I love its "alligatory"(noun to adjective) texture! River Certified is the top of my list and this is the top of the top! Please,sprinkle a few more like this in the mix. Especially with Ella and Woody! It's been too long since we've had the pleasure of their company! Thanks for your good works!

This is a classic Spencer video that I appreciate. Dirty Iowa river grand slam catch n cook. Looked tasty and great video!

Pretty enjoyable episode. Thanks 😃

Thank you brother!!! I’ve wanted to see you make this video. I love fishing for gar and eating them. But I’m from Texas

Very good video, I could definitely watch several more of these !!

Excellent video Spencer. It was a unique idea and you executed it well. Thanks!

I always love how you catch and EAT thank you!

That was a lotta fun! ♥ I've eaten all four. I rank them: 1. catfish 2. gar 3. drum 4. white bass

Enjoyed the fishing part as well as the taste testing! Nice!

Really enjoyed the video, the chill bank fishing and taste challenge. Thanks

I enjoyed the catch and cook video. Thanks

Yep, fun video. Thanks Spencer and Mrs. Spencer.

Excellent idea Spencer, and another great video! Down here in south Louisiana/Mississippi, we take Gar-fish, run it through our meat grinder, then mix it with green onions, chopped green pepper, bread crumbs, and egg, and seasonings, then form patties with it, and fry it, that's what we commonly referred to as "Gar Balls", and it is incredible! Keep up the Great content, and I hope "You" catch a giant! ;-)

Oklahoma gar recipe: nail the gar to a board, season well with salt and pepper, bake 'til it flakes easily with a fork, throw away the gar and eat the board.

Never caught a gar, but I have had pike from a glacier lake and that was so good. Slow cooked in butter out in the bush... it don't get any better than that!

Nice video! I like fishing for gar with bobbers. It's kinda fun/funny to watch the bobber go down slowly and then start swimming off. Also, I'll echo another comment I saw: it'd be cool/helpful to see you prepare the gar for cooking.

Drum and gar are highly overlooked delicious fish. And gar car be fixed in many ways too. Gar balls are awesome. Gar lobster nuggets are great too

Good fishing, thanks.

I like to blacken bass. Gar balls are like crab cakes, but with ground gar. Cajuns call them gar boulettes. I've had luck catching them on floats, and occasionally bowfish. Good stuff brother!

Small catfish are really good eating and so are small suckers Bonney but they have a sweet tast to them, Nice video Thanks for sharing!

Love fishing catch clean and cook video

Never had drum or gar, but catfish and white bass are my favorites right after yellow perch.

Nice video Spencer. Yes, I would like to see more videos like this one. I think I got a quick look at Woody too. Also should be getting my river certified sun shirt soon. Got the notification it shipped today. Can't wait to wear it fishing.

Fresh caught fish 🐟 always really good!!

Cool video Spence. Do more like this. Mystery catch and cook!

I'm from the South - hook a 7 Foot Gar and you'll have a wonderful time... one come close to sinking me in my little 14ft Flatboat out in a Bay in Lower Louisiana... :)

That was great the 4 varieties. GOOD JOB 👍

Loved the video. Would like to see a video on how you clean your gars? Liked the fish taste challenge.

Man I just found your channel. Love your video. Love your humble spirit. I also enjoy bank fishing. Especially for small channels to eat!! I look forward to watching you other videos.

Spencer that was a great video, total enjoyment ,can't beat sitting on the river catching fish like that. Very risky landscape.grub sure looked good 💯..

You tagged a few different ones. Those softer rods are a blast Great video

Ive caugh so many billies on a 1/2oz blue fox spinner. Its also helped with my casting accuracy. When theyre in the slack waters ontop just drag it infront of them. You can't miss

Yes do more of this type In future. Live in Texas now but grew up on farm in sw wisc fishing rivers. Never ate drum or gar when I caught them. Trust me I caught a lot of them below power dam doors at night fishing for walleyes. You should do a few videos on smoked fish also. I used to smoke carp and buffs and I thought they were very good. Take care and if ya ever get down to lake Conroe in Texas they have some big cats on this lake also.

Ur so chill bro,, keep calm n fish on ,,,l like that you tried the different species of fish,, some anglers just take other people opinion n never know what they're missing out,, everyone's taste is different

Another awesome video and the test with Ella was spot on. Having ate all those same fish as well I think I would agree with the assessment. We eat white bass we just call it the add a little more tarter sauce fish.

Really enjoyed the video, thank you and God bless you . Terre Haute IN

Those little catfish, we called them Horned Pout in New England, are so delicate and sweet! Back in the day we'd never imagined breading and frying them. We sautéed them in a little butter, maybe a little white wine just until they turned opaque.

That was very enjoyable to watch, and the fried fish looked really good.

Yay, Ella the fish critic, loved the video brother, really enjoyed it man

Hey Spencer…. Went out this morning …. Did a lot of that standing up sitting down too… At least I caught one cat….. right when I was giving up. Thank you for the new video.

Nouns-into-Adjectives is a great hobby of mine, too! Great episode.

I've only caught 2 gar, never eaten drum, love your stuff you are the reason I have 4 whisker seeker poles and gear which I love, yesturday I went crappie fishing😁🎣caught 7 keep 6 the 3 little bass got free passes, being that's its hot in Illinois fishing hasn't been that great but I do know where there are crappies and I'm catching, keeping and eating

Tasty test are always good, thanks for sharing

Enjoyed do more like this one

Great video man. I love gar. I take a good sharp ax or hatchet and chop across the back of the gar in about 2” sections and then i use a knife to hull out the back strap in little chunks. Works best on a good heavy chopping block or tree stump. Everyone that’s tried it doesn’t waste gar anymore. Thanks for the video Spencer.

Keep these coming!

Used to have a cheap old tablesaw I got for $25 to clean gar with. Cut them in half long ways and used a knife to cut out the filet.

Got a spot on the mackinaw river for gar. They jump out befor the hook gets in the water and grab it. Hard to land but fun

enjoyed your video............your my kind of fisherman.........................

Good job! Caught gar but never tried to eat! Good job!!!

“Things are burning.” But the fish comes out looking great anyways haha, great stuff Spence! And big fan of the T-shirt 🫡

Nice, laid back video. Another good tasting fish that many ignore is the sheepshead-[freshwater drum].

I know this video is 6 months old but my lil bro and I was just talking today at work about tryin a gar. We catch them all the time on bank poles with live bait but have never kept one to eat. The next average size gar I catch I’m gonna eat. Oh and drum is my favorite fish to eat. It’s good fried but if you blacken a drum and make a sauce with honey and hot sauce it’s so so so good. Lawd I can’t wait for the weekend so I can wet a hook

Gotta be honest in the fact that I don't care for gar. I have eaten Drum and yes they're good. Never had White Bass. This video really caused the memories to flow in cause you were fishing exactly like I use to. I enjoyed it ever so much. Thank you Spencer for all you do. I deeply appreciate your videos. Keep emailing coming.

Really like the catch and cooks

This one of my favorites ❤️

for drum filet like a bass and boil in crab and shrimp boil, that is really good, will not fall apart! never could filet a white bass to get the red meat off but they are fun to catch!

🎉nice job correctly done. Like the texture description

I absolutely loved the video Spencer. I also see you hit 150k subscribers. That's a whale of a feat itself. Congratulations.

I like your channel, love the content. Do more like this one.

Live in Michigan. Growing up we fished smaller lakes by boat, or bank fished millponds and rivers. We would catch bass, pike, bluegill, perch, and crappie. Never cared for bass, because they tasted muddy. You might call it gamey. My favorite of the other 4 was crappie. My father wouldn't fish the bigger rivers and lakes, so we didn't get much trout, whitefish, walleye, or salmon. Those all very tasty. He wouldn't do smelt dipping either, but we had a neighbor that would share once in awhile. Nothing better than a good smelt fry. Got to try dipping when I went off to college. Had a dorm mate that was from the Upper Peninsula, and he always seemed to find the best spots. A bunch of us piled in cars and filled a few coolers. Rented the sportmans den in the dorm and had a smelt fry. The whole dorm house and everyones friends who heard about it or helped clean them ate well that night. If I remember right it was over 50 people showed up to eat. Good times. Needless to say, I enjoyed your video. And you should do more cooking sections. Suggestion for those that find your video and are inexperienced in the finer points of fishing you might do a video that shows all the prep. IE. - bleeding the fish, cleaning and fileting, prepping for whatever way you are cooking them. Differences wheather you are frying, grilling, baking, or chowder. It's easy to figure out a basic rod, reel, and hook setup. But then if they are lucky enough to catch a fish they have no clue what to do. Just a thought. Thank you for the video.

you asked if we liked the video to let you know. Well, it was the most realistic type of video ever.... It reminded me of me when I fish, and it was wonderful how you did a taste test alone, and with with another family member. The video was WONDERFUL