Fish Story: Monster Fish

Monster Gar

Giant Gar - Tablerock Lake Missouri, 1977   I was fishing this large cove that was full of standing timber, so much that it was hard to even navigate the boat back to the back. On the way back I saw some large Kentucky Bass sitting on top of some tree tops with brush, they were soaking up sun. This was in the spring around spawning time. As I got close to the back of the cove I could see and hear carp splashing doing their spawning activities. I wasn't sure they were carp so I went all the way back to get a look. When I was sure they were carp I turned the trolling motor on to leave, but first I looked to be sure the motor wouldn't hit this large fallen tree I was sitting over in about 8 feet of clear water. It looked like I would clear so I turned the motor on high and when I did, to my surprize, the oak tree started to move... it was a giant fish! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I followed it out to deep water where it slowly faded from view heading for the main lake depths. It looked like an alligator, but it was a fish. I knew it was a gar because I had been seeing a lot of gar that week. I headed back to the cabin and asked around and found some info on the lake record gar. I think it was close to 300 pounds! How would anyone even catch such a fish? I think that fish was back in the back of that cove feeding on those carp which were very large themselves.