The Alligator Gar Is One Ugly Fish, With Few Friends but New Fans

Texans Kill Crafty Critters With Crossbows; Fishing Limits Are the Order of the Day

By TOM BENNING
WSJ

CROCKETT, Texas -- The sadly misunderstood alligator gar, reviled for its frighteningly huge and prehistoric appearance and rows of razor-sharp teeth, has been hunted for centuries.

Fishermen despise the gar because they believe the fish devour prized bass and crappie. Swimmers and boaters fear the gar's alligator-shaped jaws could take a chunk out of them in the water.
Gar Guides Lead Hunt for Big Fish

But in recent times, alligator gar have experienced a kind of trash-to-trophy renaissance as sportsmen discovered the thrill of hunting the beasts, which can weigh up to 300 pounds and reach 8 feet in length. Gar hunting, with rod-and-reel as well as crossbow, has spawned a booming market for guides who charge as much as $750 a day to lead their clients deep into the muddy backwaters of Texas where the monster fish thrive.

In the rural South, the prospect of bagging a trophy gator gar inspires a special brand of enthusiasm. "I don't consider myself a redneck, but sometimes I do redneck stuff," says Mark Malfa, a gar guide in central Texas.

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