Several GIANTS caught on the Red River

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DavidG
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Several GIANTS caught on the Red River
<p>Hey guys, ive done a cruddy job at staying active around here but here&#39;s a report I think yall may enjoy!</p> <p>I just moved to northwest Arkansas to start a new <a href="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-admin/post-new.php#" id="_GPLITA_6" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent ! important; border: medium none ! important; display: inline-block ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; float: none ! important; font-weight: bold ! important; height: auto ! important; margin: 0px ! important; min-height: 0px ! important; min-width: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-transform: uppercase ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; vertical-align: baseline ! important; width: auto ! important;" title="Click to Continue &gt; by buyfast">job<img src="http://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent ! important; border: medium none ! important; display: inline-block ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; float: none ! important; font-weight: bold ! important; height: 10px ! important; margin: 0px 0px 0px 3px ! important; min-height: 0px ! important; min-width: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-transform: uppercase ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; vertical-align: super ! important; width: 10px ! important;" /></a>... its nice because im now only 3 hours from my brother in OKC and he is &#39;close&#39; to our favorite alligator gar spot on the Red River between Texas and Oklahoma.&nbsp; This weekend we made a day and&nbsp; a half trip to try to catch a big alligator gar or two... and even though the gator gar didnt seem to be around, other monsters most certainly were!</p> <p><img alt="P1060661 - Copy (3)" class="alignnone wp-image-1417" data-mce-="" height="508" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060661-Copy-3-1024x730.jpg" width="713" /></p> <p>For nearly 2 days we soaked baits and pretty much just fed the local turtles... no gator gar were surfacing, no significant runs... just totally uncharacteristic of the Red River that I know.&nbsp; I hope its something simple, I understand the area had dealt with a bad drought and only just saw a lot of rains.&nbsp; Hopefully shallow conditions pushed the fish elsewhere and now that the water level is on the rise the fish will soon <a href="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-admin/post-new.php#" id="_GPLITA_7" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent ! important; border: medium none ! important; display: inline-block ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; float: none ! important; font-weight: bold ! important; height: auto ! important; margin: 0px ! important; min-height: 0px ! important; min-width: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-transform: uppercase ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; vertical-align: baseline ! important; width: auto ! important;" title="Click to Continue &gt; by buyfast">return<img src="http://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent ! important; border: medium none ! important; display: inline-block ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; float: none ! important; font-weight: bold ! important; height: 10px ! important; margin: 0px 0px 0px 3px ! important; min-height: 0px ! important; min-width: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-transform: uppercase ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; vertical-align: super ! important; width: 10px ! important;" /></a>.&nbsp; Either way, we only saw a few alligator gar roll, but the longnose gar were still very much present and happy to bite.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="P1060647And4more_tonemapped" class="alignnone wp-image-1412" data-mce-="" height="507" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060647And4more_tonemapped-1024x737.jpg" width="704" /> <img alt="P1060648And4more_tonemapped" class="alignnone wp-image-1413" data-mce-="" height="532" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060648And4more_tonemapped-1024x767.jpg" width="710" /></p> <p>I did not spend a great deal of time trying to catch gar because most of our <a href="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-admin/post-new.php#" id="_GPLITA_1" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent ! important; border: medium none ! important; display: inline-block ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; float: none ! important; font-weight: bold ! important; height: auto ! important; margin: 0px ! important; min-height: 0px ! important; min-width: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-transform: uppercase ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; vertical-align: baseline ! important; width: auto ! important;" title="Click to Continue &gt; by buyfast">free<img src="http://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent ! important; border: medium none ! important; display: inline-block ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; float: none ! important; font-weight: bold ! important; height: 10px ! important; margin: 0px 0px 0px 3px ! important; min-height: 0px ! important; min-width: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-transform: uppercase ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; vertical-align: super ! important; width: 10px ! important;" /></a> time is spent trying to collect bait with castnets and stuff, but we started seeing longnose gar that looked like they were 6 feet long... freakishly massive longnose and I just had to put <a href="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-admin/post-new.php#" id="_GPLITA_2" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent ! important; border: medium none ! important; display: inline-block ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; float: none ! important; font-weight: bold ! important; height: auto ! important; margin: 0px ! important; min-height: 0px ! important; min-width: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-transform: uppercase ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; vertical-align: baseline ! important; width: auto ! important;" title="Click to Continue &gt; by buyfast">lines<img src="http://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent ! important; border: medium none ! important; display: inline-block ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; float: none ! important; font-weight: bold ! important; height: 10px ! important; margin: 0px 0px 0px 3px ! important; min-height: 0px ! important; min-width: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-transform: uppercase ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; vertical-align: super ! important; width: 10px ! important;" /></a> in the water.&nbsp; I always save little chunks of baitfish just for longnose gar... a couple years ago I caught a longnose gar that was over 5 feet long (61 inches!)&nbsp; a once in a lifetime catch... or so I thought.</p> <p><img alt="P1060728And4more_tonemapped" class="alignnone wp-image-1430" data-mce-="" height="508" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060728And4more_tonemapped-1024x750.jpg" width="694" /> <img alt="P1060726And4more_tonemapped" class="alignnone wp-image-1429" data-mce-="" height="510" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060726And4more_tonemapped-1024x755.jpg" width="692" /></p> <p>My first few gar were pretty standard sized fish in the low to mid 40 inch range, but I did catch a respectable 50 incher and 53 incher... a trophy by any standard... but frighteningly, I consider that small in this river.&nbsp; There are longnose gar in there that I am certain would push not only state records, but I truly think teh world record swims in those murky waters.&nbsp; Its like <a href="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-admin/post-new.php#" id="_GPLITA_3" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent ! important; border: medium none ! important; display: inline-block ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; float: none ! important; font-weight: bold ! important; height: auto ! important; margin: 0px ! important; min-height: 0px ! important; min-width: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-transform: uppercase ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; vertical-align: baseline ! important; width: auto ! important;" title="Click to Continue &gt; by buyfast">winning the lottery<img src="http://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent ! important; border: medium none ! important; display: inline-block ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; float: none ! important; font-weight: bold ! important; height: 10px ! important; margin: 0px 0px 0px 3px ! important; min-height: 0px ! important; min-width: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-transform: uppercase ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; vertical-align: super ! important; width: 10px ! important;" /></a> to capture one of the true giants, because of the sheer number of gar infesting the area, surely outnumbering the GIANTS by a ratio of ten billion to one... but I was lucky lucky on this trip!&nbsp;&nbsp; I managed to catch ANOTHER 61 inch behemoth!&nbsp; part of me was mad that it &#39;tied&#39; my record... but you cant be TOO selfish.&nbsp; The fight of a 50 inch gar is awesome, the fight of a 60+ incher is mind blowing.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="P1060660And4more_tonemapped" class="alignnone wp-image-1416" data-mce-="" height="514" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060660And4more_tonemapped-1024x728.jpg" width="723" /> <img alt="P1060658And4more_tonemapped" class="alignnone wp-image-1415" data-mce-="" height="509" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060658And4more_tonemapped-1024x730.jpg" width="714" /></p> <p>We usually toss nets for big gizzard shad and carp suckers, and will sometimes hang baits near the rocky ledges for small buffalo and carp just to keep gar bait in the cooler... but there was FAR more buffalo action than ive ever had in the Red this go around.&nbsp; We couldnt move along the bank without sending dozens of fish scattering, kicking up V wakes in every <a href="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-admin/post-new.php#" id="_GPLITA_5" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent ! important; border: medium none ! important; display: inline-block ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; float: none ! important; font-weight: bold ! important; height: auto ! important; margin: 0px ! important; min-height: 0px ! important; min-width: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-transform: uppercase ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; vertical-align: baseline ! important; width: auto ! important;" title="Click to Continue &gt; by buyfast">direction<img src="http://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent ! important; border: medium none ! important; display: inline-block ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; float: none ! important; font-weight: bold ! important; height: 10px ! important; margin: 0px 0px 0px 3px ! important; min-height: 0px ! important; min-width: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-transform: uppercase ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; vertical-align: super ! important; width: 10px ! important;" /></a>.. buffalo were surfacing and rolling left and right, including some that looked giant.&nbsp; In my opinion, the Red River may be the single most underrated, under appreciated or flat out unknown layer of giants in the freakin <a href="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-admin/post-new.php#" id="_GPLITA_4" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent ! important; border: medium none ! important; display: inline-block ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; float: none ! important; font-weight: bold ! important; height: auto ! important; margin: 0px ! important; min-height: 0px ! important; min-width: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-transform: uppercase ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; vertical-align: baseline ! important; width: auto ! important;" title="Click to Continue &gt; by buyfast">country<img src="http://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent ! important; border: medium none ! important; display: inline-block ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; float: none ! important; font-weight: bold ! important; height: 10px ! important; margin: 0px 0px 0px 3px ! important; min-height: 0px ! important; min-width: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-transform: uppercase ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; vertical-align: super ! important; width: 10px ! important;" /></a>.&nbsp; I saw smallmouth buffalo, common carp, grass carp, carpsuckers, black buffalo... and then THIS happened!</p> <p><img alt="P1060674And4more_tonemapped" class="alignnone wp-image-1420" data-mce-="" height="515" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060674And4more_tonemapped-1024x768.jpg" width="687" /> <img alt="P1060676And4more_tonemapped" class="alignnone wp-image-1421" data-mce-="" height="512" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060676And4more_tonemapped-1024x768.jpg" width="683" /> <img alt="P1060667And4more_tonemapped" class="alignnone wp-image-1418" data-mce-="" height="509" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060667And4more_tonemapped-1024x768.jpg" width="679" /></p> <p>I caught my first ever bigmouth buffalo, but it couldnt just be average, no... the Red River had to throw something spectacular my way.&nbsp; A 41 inch 50~ some odd pound Goliath buffalo (the OK state record is 54 pounds).&nbsp; I have caught plenty of buffalo,&nbsp; and even though they can get big and look cool, their fight always seems something slow and steady... just pressure, no blistering runs... no changes in direction.&nbsp; This fish, despite its awkwardly lumbering stature, had incredible speed... changed direction, and broke the surface a time or two.&nbsp; I was using medium weight tackle and tiny hooks... the play of a fish like this was exhilarating and terrifying!</p> <p><img alt="P1060703And4more_tonemapped" class="alignnone wp-image-1426" data-mce-="" height="506" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060703And4more_tonemapped-1024x768.jpg" width="675" /> <img alt="P1060701And4more_tonemapped" class="alignnone wp-image-1425" data-mce-="" height="508" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060701And4more_tonemapped-1024x768.jpg" width="678" /> <img alt="P1060691And4more_tonemapped" class="alignnone wp-image-1424" data-mce-="" height="530" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060691And4more_tonemapped-1024x768.jpg" width="707" /> <img alt="P1060688And4more_tonemapped" class="alignnone wp-image-1423" data-mce-="" height="526" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060688And4more_tonemapped-1024x767.jpg" width="703" /> <img alt="P1060686" class="alignnone wp-image-1422" data-mce-="" height="535" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060686-1024x768.jpg" width="714" /></p> <p>We obviously caught several smallmouth buffalo as well... but I wanted more action from the giants, so I kept lines in the water at night time for hopes of another huge buffalo.&nbsp; I missed a lot of fish, but did catch one... a very respectable black buffalo... (I think, anyone care to confirm or deny?)&nbsp; in the mid to upper teens in weight.&nbsp; If so that&#39;s all three buffalo subspecies in one day!</p> <p><img alt="P1060717" class="alignnone wp-image-1428" data-mce-="" height="520" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060717-1024x768.jpg" width="693" /> <img alt="P1060713" class="alignnone wp-image-1427" data-mce-="" height="489" src="http://www.fishing-headquarters.com/boundlesspursuit/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/P1060713-1024x712.jpg" width="704" /></p> <p>The alligator gar showed up a little late, we saw several fish between 80 to 140 pounds (est) surfacing on day two, but it was just too late.&nbsp; Hopefully I can get enough time to take another stab at them.</p> <div id="__if72ru4sdfsdfrkjahiuyi_once" style="display:none;"> &nbsp;</div> <div id="__hggasdgjhsagd_once" style="display:none;"> &nbsp;</div>
Dr Flathead
Dr Flathead's picture
Good greif man.  I'm speechle

Good greif man.  I'm speechless.  F'ing monsters!  I'd say thats a Black Buffalo too.

the bearded angler
the bearded angler's picture
First thing I looked at this

First thing I looked at this morning was this post. I ran around the house screaming. That is LEGENDARY!  Thanks for taking the time to post!!

Hengelaar
Hengelaar's picture
Unbelievable stuff, David!AN

Unbelievable stuff, David!

ANOTHER monstrous Longnose.

And that Bigmouth is just surreal looking. I don't know what to say, so I'll just keep staring at it. Oh yeah, and you went and got a Black Buff, too...

 

Thanks for showing us those amazing beasts.

Fishn sure is neat

TonyS
TonyS's picture
Jeez man, you stick a crazy n

Jeez man, you stick a crazy number of big fish...  Awesome catches and awesome fish.  One of these days I'm coming down that way and fishing that river...

drawer.bli
drawer.bli's picture
Oh my god. I can't stop  star

Oh my god. I can't stop  staring at these photos. Those fish are the stuff of legends. The river that hosts them, even more. You are truly the master of gar and buffs. I must fish here before I die.

Jason E.
Jason E.'s picture
Wow, unbelievable.  Those fis

Wow, unbelievable.  Those fish are amazing.  I'd be scared to swim in that river.

Mike B
Mike B's picture
Outstanding yet again David.

Outstanding yet again David. Truely remarkable specimens. I'm supposed to be in Texas next fall. I really hope I can get into asome fish like that but that may be hoping too much.

mike b

Carp Chaser
Carp Chaser's picture
Ridiculous David G!!!! Who ne

Ridiculous David G!!!! Who needs gator gar when you get into awesome fish like that? What a monstrous longnose! And the bigmouth, you sure that wasn't 100 lbs.??? That's sick. 

"There's always a bigger fish"

Waxworm
Ditto on the kudos for the am
Ditto on the kudos for the amazing fish you landed from the Texas Red! Have you fished much in Mississippi? (Jackson area south to the gulf) Have family that recently moved there from Mn, and would like to fish down there when I visit. Have been admonished though that all I'll catch is cottonmouths, turtles and gators... Anyone here ever fish the Red River of the north? If so, any remarkable catches there?
Eli
Eli's picture
Hey David, how about you and

Hey David, how about you and I have a beard competition and the loser takes the winner fishing in that spot?! 

Incredible fish. Love the look of that water, too. Definitely "gar-y". Congratulations on some awesome catches! Look forward to seeing more from ya.

Eli

 

 

DavidG
DavidG's picture
Waxworm I've never fished in

Waxworm I've never fished in Mississippi, but most of the Southeast is nice for a guy looking for calm warm water with big gar.  And Eli, it takes me too long to grow a beard, I couldn't compete haha.  

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DavidG Blog:  http://www.boundless-pursuit.com

Cast_and_Blast
Cast_and_Blast's picture
That was really cool.  Thanks

That was really cool.  Thanks for such a cool report David.

Corey
Corey's picture
Awesome Fish Dave!

Great to see you mixing it up on the Red Again! Thanks for sharing and keep up the assault.

Fisherwood
Fisherwood's picture
Amazing catches!!! well done!

Amazing catches!!!

well done!

All fish are sports fish.

Eric Kol
Eric Kol's picture
Man, That's both amazing and

Man, That's both amazing and inspiring. Of course the fish are monsterous and awesome.... but the river itself also looks to be pretty freakin' cool. How is it to float and camp on?

Carpy Diem!

DavidG
DavidG's picture
Its great to camp, but not th

Its great to camp, but not the best to float if you're looking to cover ground very quickly... the river is very sluggish, almost at a standstill.  You'd be doing all the work when you're wanting to go mobile. 

 

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DavidG Blog:  http://www.boundless-pursuit.com

garman
garman's picture
Incredible Catches!

Either those are some fantastically monstrous fish or you're holding them out with your 16-foot arms.  Outstanding!  It's thrilling to know that those critters exist there.  Another couple hundred points tipping the scales in favor of retirement in TEXAS.

Bubbajoe
Bubbajoe's picture
Wow. But then I cant rember a

Wow.

But then I cant rember a report of your's that didn't make me say wow!

Muskymags
Muskymags's picture
I'm Crying!

Wow! The high water and lame ass monsoon we had last summer really bums me hardcore to the bone! Your posts are amazing! I can now say I've been there, but didn't experience what you always seem to; your fish are again amazing! That Gar is unbielevable, but that Buff!, @&^$#%! Your Gar trips in the past I think were always in June, this year, April? We went July and as I cannot afford to go this summer I will be there again soon, probably next year. I'm thinking I should go between April and June sometime, seems to be a hot time! Anyway, very huge congrats here and very, very jealous. BTW- The rock shelf is pretty damn cool fishing spot and it doesn't look like the same area we went, but the water looks about 10 feet lower than it was last July. Those bushes that are like 6-10 feet tall that seem to line the edges of the Red, were flooded.