For terminal tackle, I used my favorite redfish gear — a 7-foot medium-heavy graphite spinning rod, 10-pound braid on a spinning reel and about 2 feet of 15-pound fluorocarbon leader tied to the braid with a micro swivel.
Before tying the leader to the frayed-rope lure, I put on a 3/16-ounce bullet weight for ease of casting.
“I’ve seen people use lighter gear and I’ve seen people use heavier, but I say use whatever you want and enjoy,” gar angler Mark Beason said. “You might catch some small gar, but usually they are going to average about 8 to 20 pounds — and they can get lots bigger.”
Beason uses a ¼-ounce slip sinker and baitcasting equipment, and he is quick to toss a lure into an area of suspected activity.
He varies the action from that of steady reeling like a spinnerbait to slower yo-yoing similar to working a worm.
“Just keep it off the bottom, and when you feel a bite, remember there is no hook to set, so just let him go with it until he gets tight,” Beason said. “Once he starts shaking his head, he’s caught.”
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