THE MISSING LINK
The Missouri Bowfisherman's Trophy of a Lifetime
By Allen "horntagger" Morris

They also can breathe both air and water, which is how they have evolved from the past to survive the muddy waters of the southern river ways.

Despite their intimidating size and teeth, the alligator gar are not aggressive and pose no threat to Missouri fisherman.

THE HUNTER
 

Well, David Smith age 31 of Perryville, Mo. has no fear of this Missouri Fish. June 22nd, 2001 David and his friend Eric decided to bow fish the Diversion Channel just south of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. They started at 8:00 a.m. and move around a lot on this Sunny and Hot day. But, Friday afternoon in the last spot at 2:00 p.m. all things changed. They had hunted this spot many times before. David has taken some large 30lb long nose gar in his 10 years of bow fishing but when he lined up his shot at what he thought to be, two long nose gars line up at about 18 inches deep and five to six yards away, he could tell they were both big fish but not just one big fish and especially not an alligator gar for sure.  The last one recorded in Missouri was a photo that appeared in the St. Louis Globe Democrat on November 11th, 1956 in Dunklin County, Missouri and was taken in the Little River near Hornersville, Missouri and weighed in at 220 lbs and 7 1/2 feet long this remains unconfirmed.

But as the arrow tipped with a Muzzy Fish Point screamed from the Bear Kodiak Recurve bow, David hit the fish and only went a few inches into the fish and not wonder, since the alligator gar hard scales protect it like a suit of armor and even some Native Americans Indians used the scales as arrowheads at one time. The fish took off and David started helping the drag on the Zebco 808 he was worried he would run out of line when the fish took some straight run down river. Still he had no clue that it was an alligator gar but he did think he might have the state record long nose gar. As the alligator gar pulled out the 200lb Braded fast light line from the Zebco 808 it also drug the boat with David, and his friend Eric along. The boat near by tried to keep up to help but the trolling motor could not keep up with this pre-historic mammoth of the Missouri Rivers.

After about 15 minutes the fish finally wore down or so David thought. David had a homemade cable noose to go around his fish. Eric put it around the alligator gar and it just started fighting until it was on the run again.

Another minute or so they finally got the fish back to the boat and tried it again with no luck this time it was just to strong and fought to stay in the water and took off again.

Finally the last and third time was the charm they drug the fish over the side and across the boat with Eric cutting his hand on the cable due to the weight of the fish.

While they head back to shore they new they had an alligator gar but the fish reminded them on the way back to the shore that it was still the king of the deep by what David called growling four or five times.

Also the fish was missing one eye, which they believe it was born that way by the look the fish. Which is on the side opposite of the arrow.

Two thing he give credit for the fish is the Muzzy Fishing Point and the Zebco 808 he said without either one of those he would had surely lost this fish.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has officially established a Missouri alligator gar record. With David Smith taking a 115 lbs, 76 inches long and 34 inches wide Alligator Gar he is the only hunter in Missouri on this list.

Congratulations David for taking a once in a lifetime Missouri Record Fish.
NEW CARP BOWFISHING MISSOURI RECORD

TEXAS HAS THEM Robin Parks ( MO ) used his Oneida Black Eagle to take this 155 lbs, 7'1"  Texas gator gar. Robins friend and photographer Troy Midas ( MN )  took a 180lb gator gar this trip! Robin had it mounted too.  Quite a mount.  He had just got it back from the taxidermist before the deer classic and had it on display.  I shot a couple photos but they didn't turn out (I will remember my good camera next year).  Robin is an avid tournament bowfisherman and on the Muzzy bowfishing prostaff. If you want to know about bow fishing or about how to set up a trip to Texas for a real dinasaur you can email him at. parx4@msn.com

ONE MORE ALLIGATOR GAR STORY

This alligator gar on the site has me thinking of my experience with one as well. Here's an unofficial sighting of one about 10 years ago of one. It was definitely an alligator gar, sighted several times at close range. I've hunted long and short nosed  gar all my life with a bow and rod, seen pics of alligator gars and even a couple down in the white river in arkansas. This was definitely an alligator gar and he/she) was half again as big as the one you have in the pic. Now this info is for your entertainment as I've no proof but my word. It was reported to the MDC though, no hanging body no proof so you know how that goes with them. This gar was in the upper Niangua arm above Lake of the Ozarks by several miles at an old power generation plant. It's a prime spot and has been for many years to just flat slay some real nice long nosed gar as they spawn. Makes for some real good cat fishing to. Anyway the normal spawn was going on, gar so thick you can't hardly fish with a rod. I had taken a couple of nice 10-15 lb long noses when I see this huge fish surface. I watch and in a bit it comes up again and I recognize it for what it is. It's also got two huge grab hooks sticking in it trailing white braided nylon line (the sort that usually runs 180 test or so). So at least one other person has tried to land this fish at least twice. I knew it would have a tougher hide then the normal long noses did so I resharpened my arrow and waited for a close shot. After watching it breach a couple of times out in the boil of the powerhouse a couple of times it surface about 10 feet under me along the wing wall. I smacked it in the back of the head where the main armor ends and the scales begin but the arrow didn't go much more then head deep from a 40# recurve. I usually wear a leather work glove on my right hand when shooting gar to play them with.

When I smacked this one he acted like he didn't appreciate it to much and took off at a pretty good clip! Now mind you I usually use 90 or 180# braided nylon line on my bear bow fishing reel, none of that sissy mono stuff. I go after the biggest gar and carp I can find. Well I was using the 180# that day, so after I stuck my fiberglass fishing arrow into him I got a good wrap around my hand and stuck my foot up against the pipe railing and hung on. Suffice it to say the fight didn't last long, by the time i got my bow down and other hand on the line he had pretty well stretched it to its limit. Then it snapped!  There was a long shoal just below the power house that runs about knee deep, last  i saw of him was my arrow sticking up out of the water like some U-boats periscope and heading into the next eddy down river towards Lake of the Ozarks! I've lost a few good carp or gar due to pull offs and the odd line breakage, but this was the first one that just about made me sick. And when i say he was half again as large as the one pictured here I aint kidding. I got several good looks at it and it looked to be about twice as thick and probably 2 feet longer maybe. At the time I estimated him to be at least 8 feet long by measuring him against spots he surfaced by on the wing wall of the powerhouse. You could of rode this thing like a pony! Like I said the only people who could verify the story would be a couple of fishermen who were there (don't know em) who ever had tried to grab it (unknown), myself and my ex-wife.  It's a hell of a fish story but a true one. If it didn't eventually die, and no deeper then the arrow went, it may of swam back downstream and still be wandering the depths of Lake of the Ozarks today.                                            Jess

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