How to Catch Garfish: Complete Guide to Techniques, Gear, and Locations

Welcome to an in-depth garfish fishing guide crafted for serious anglers. This comprehensive resource covers everything you need to know about targeting garfish – from identifying the species and understanding its behavior, to pinpointing prime habitats and seasonal patterns. We’ll delve into the optimal gear and techniques for consistent success, and cover proper fish handling from the moment you hook a garfish to either releasing it safely or preparing it for the table. By mastering the insights in this guide, you can turn these sleek, silvery fish into a rewarding catch on every trip.

Species Profile

Quick Identification

A Southern Garfish exhibits the slender, silvery body and long, beak-like jaw characteristic of the species.

• Scientific Name & Common Names: In Australia, “garfish” refers to several closely related species of halfbeaks (family Hemiramphidae). The Southern Garfish (Hyporhamphus melanochir) is common in southern waters, while the Eastern Sea Garfish (H. australis) and River Garfish (H. regularis) dominate the east coast and estuaries. All are simply called garfish, sometimes nicknamed “gar,” gardie, garpike, or “pencil fish” in different regions. They are not to be confused with the giant freshwater gar of North America – Australian garfish are much smaller, ocean and estuary-dwelling fish found nationwide along our coasts.

• Distinctive Features: Garfish are instantly recognized by their extremely slender, elongated body and sword-like jaw. The lower jaw extends into a long needle-like beak, while the upper jaw is much shorter. They have a pale greenish to blue-green back and a bold silvery stripe along each side, with a bright white belly. A garfish’s beak often has a reddish or orange tip, and the tail fin is deeply forked with the lower lobe longer than the upper (an adaptation that helps them dart near the surface). Their dorsal and anal fins are set far back near the tail. Overall, they look like a miniaturized needle-nosed barracuda, built for surface swimming.

• Size Range & Records: Garfish are a relatively small game fish. Typical catches range from about 20–35 cm in length, though larger specimens around 40 cm are not uncommon in good areas. The Southern Garfish can reach up to 50–52 cm at maximum size, but anything over 30 cm (about a foot long) is considered a quality garfish. They are very lightweight for their length – a 30 cm garfish might only weigh a few hundred grams. The Australian angling record garfish (Southern species) is in the range of 350–400 g, underscoring that this is more of a fun light-tackle species than a big trophy fish.

Why Target This Species

• Catch Difficulty: Garfish are generally considered a beginner-friendly species that any angler can learn to catch with some basic techniques. In fact, targeting garfish off piers or beaches is a popular way to introduce kids to fishing because the action can be fast and the methods are simple. That said, garfish do require a bit of finesse – their mouths are small and soft, so a light touch and proper rig (tiny hooks, sensitive floats) will greatly improve your success. Overall, they rate as an easy to moderate catch in difficulty: easy because they readily bite in large schools once attracted, but moderate because you’ll need to handle delicate bites and avoid pulling hooks.
• Sport & Table Value: Don’t let their size fool you – garfish are highly valued for both sport and food. On light tackle they are spirited fighters, earning the nickname “mini marlin” for their habit of skittering on the surface and occasionally leaping during the fight. Catching a mess of garfish can provide nonstop fun for the whole family. Importantly, garfish are also prized as one of the best tasting fish in coastal waters. Their flesh is white, mild, and delicate; many Aussie anglers regard fresh garfish fillets (often butterflied and fried) as a seafood delicacy. Additionally, garfish you don’t eat make superb bait for larger predators – everything from snapper to kingfish and even marlin will gobble a garfish used as live or cut bait. This dual utility (great eating and great bait) is a big part of why garfish are worth targeting.
• Best Time of Year: Prime garfish action varies regionally, but there’s no off-season for gar if you know where to look. In southern Australia, garfish are often most abundant in the cooler months (late autumn through winter), when large schools move into bays and sheltered waters. Many pier anglers in VIC and SA target “gar” in winter for a tasty feed. On the East Coast, garfish are more prevalent in the warmer months – e.g. the NSW South Coast sees peak garfish catches in summer, while southern Queensland estuaries fire in autumn. Northern garfish species can be caught year-round in the tropics. In short, any time of year can be garfish season somewhere in Australia. Timing your trips to coincide with seasonal peaks (e.g. winter weed-bed congregations in the south, or summer shoals in the east) will make it easier to find large numbers of fish.

Behavior and Feeding

Hunting Pattern

Garfish have a distinctive feeding strategy that savvy anglers can exploit. They are primarily surface feeders and foragers, using their upturned mouths to slurp down food that floats or swims near the top of the water column. Rather than chasing down large prey, garfish cruise leisurely in schools, picking off tiny morsels. In essence, they are omnivorous grazers: during daylight they often nibble on plant material, and after dark they switch to hunting small animals (more on that in the next section). This means garfish are not ambush predators or fast pursuit hunters; instead, they rely on abundant small food and group feeding behavior.

Peak Activity Times: Garfish can feed around the clock, but they show clear daily patterns. By day, especially in bright sun, they may drop slightly deeper or stay around seagrass beds grazing casually. Come nightfall, garfish become more active in open water near the surface, darting after plankton and insects under the cover of darkness. In fact, garfish often congregate under bright lights at night (such as pier lights or boat lights) because the illumination draws in plankton – a dinner bell for gar.

Early morning and dusk are also excellent times to find garfish sipping food at the surface, taking advantage of low light when predators are scarce. Overall, many anglers find the hottest bite is after dark, which is why night fishing on a calm jetty with a headlamp or under floodlights can yield a bucket-full of gars. They do feed in daytime too, especially if a good berley trail is present, but expect the bites to be more frequent when light levels are low.

Schooling vs. Solitary: Garfish are a schooling species through and through. It’s rare to find just one – they travel in packs (schools) that can number from dozens to hundreds of fish. In the wild you’ll often see a ripple or spray on the surface as a school of garfish skitters away. This schooling behavior is a defense (more eyes to spot danger) and also a feeding strategy – when one fish finds food, the rest compete, which actually makes them bite more aggressively in a frenzy. For anglers, this means that when you catch one garfish, chances are many more are in the area. It also means once you start a good bite (often by chumming to attract them), the action can snowball as the school lights up. Garfish very rarely operate alone unless they are lost or in extremely poor conditions; if you hook a lone gar, it’s likely his friends just haven’t found your bait yet. Take advantage of their competitive schooling nature by keeping them interested (see “Berley” in Techniques) – if you do, you can experience rapid-fire catches one after another.

Primary Diet

Garfish have an unusual diet for a marine fish – they are truly omnivores, feeding on both plant matter and small animals depending on the circumstance. Understanding this is key to selecting the right bait. By day, adult garfish feed heavily on seagrass and algae, nibbling on floating seaweed or pastures of eel-grass (Zostera) in the shallows. They are one of the few fish in southern Australia that eat seagrass in any quantity. As evening comes and visibility drops, their diet shifts – at night garfish switch to carnivorous mode, rising to the surface to consume planktonic crustaceans (tiny shrimp-like organisms) and even stray insects that fall on the water. They will also snap up small aquatic larvae, fish eggs, and other minute creatures drifting in the current. In essence, vegetarian by day, micro-predator by night! Seasonal differences in diet mirror this pattern: in winter, when daylight hours are short, garfish may get more of their nutrition from seagrass (which remains available in cold water), whereas in summer nights they feast on abundant plankton blooms. Anglers often notice garfish stomachs filled with finely chewed green weed in the morning, but packed with tiny crustaceans if caught after a night feeding session.

Key Prey Items: The primary foods of garfish include seagrass fragments, planktonic crustaceans (copepods, amphipods, krill), small shrimp and prawns, tiny baitfish fry, and insects (such as ants or moths that land on the water). The fact that garfish eat such small items means they won’t be interested in large baits – their natural prey is on the order of a few millimeters to a couple of centimeters in size. A garfish’s mouth is relatively small (aside from the beak), so they target bite-sized fare. Secondary foods include things like marine worms, fish eggs, and even floating bread or fish offal if they come across it (garfish are opportunistic and will sample unusual food if it seems edible – many anglers have seen gars peck at bread crusts in the water). This eclectic appetite is actually great news, because it means garfish readily take a variety of baits. They are not too picky as long as the offering is small and near the surface.

Implications for Bait/Lure Selection: Because garfish feed on very small morsels, successful anglers mimic those natural foods with tiny baits and lures. For example, garfish nibbling seagrass will eagerly take a little piece of green weed or bread flake – which explains why a simple bread dough bait can be effective. Their love of shrimp and prawn pieces is why small bits of prawn, squid or worm are top bait choices (these resemble the small crustaceans and worms garfish normally eat). Garfish also chase planktonic critters, so any very small lure that imitates a darting insect or shrimp can work when they are actively feeding – anglers have caught garfish on tiny flies and mini soft plastic jigs that mimic the size of their prey. The golden rule is to keep your offering micro-sized: roughly 1 cm pieces or lures about an inch long at most. Also, since garfish feed at the top, present your bait near the surface (usually under a float) rather than on the bottom. Matching what garfish eat naturally – small, surface-dwelling critters – is the key to consistent bites.

Where and When to Find Them

Key Habitat

Garfish thrive in inshore marine habitats, especially areas that provide cover and food in the form of weed beds or reef structure. You will typically find garfish in shallow bays, estuaries, and sheltered coastal waters rather than the open surf or deep ocean. They favor calm, clear water with plenty of marine vegetation – think seagrass meadows, weedy reef flats, and areas around kelp or eel-grass beds. Avoid featureless expanses of open sand, as garfish rarely frequent barren bottoms with no food. Instead, focus on high-probability zones like the edges of seagrass beds, patches of broken reef or rubble interspersed with weed, and tidal shallows where drifting algae and plankton accumulate. Garfish often gather in the lee of rock groynes, inside quiet coves, or near the mouths of creeks where nutrients flow out, because these spots concentrate the tiny food particles they seek.

Man-made structures can be garfish magnets as well. Piers, jetties, and rock walls commonly hold garfish schools. These structures often harbor growths of algae and small crustaceans which draw gar in to feed. It’s no coincidence that many veteran garfish anglers set up on public jetties – the lights and structure attract the fish. Marinas, boat harbors, and oyster leases can also be productive, as they provide shelter and food. Some garfish species even venture into lower salinity: for instance, river garfish are found in tidal rivers and coastal lakes, often far upstream where the water is brackish.

In northern Australia, the Snub-nosed Garfish lives in estuaries and can even go into freshwater reaches. Generally, anywhere you find a combination of shallow water (1–10 m), abundant weed or floating debris, and some current flow to bring plankton, you have a potential garfish spot.

Typical Depths: Garfish are a surface to midwater species. They are most commonly caught in water less than about 5 m deep, and often literally right under the surface (0–2 m depth). In the middle of a sunny day they might hold a bit deeper (several meters down) especially if boat traffic or predators spook them, but they rarely go near the bottom unless there is seagrass down there and they’re grazing. In some cases garfish schools hang around drop-offs adjacent to shallow flats – they’ll venture onto the flat to feed and retreat to slightly deeper water when inactive. During winter in southern Australia, big schools of garfish may hold over deeper holes (10–20 m) in bays and then rise up in the water column to feed at the surface when the conditions are right. But for the most part, keep your search shallow and high in the water column. If you’re fishing from shore, you often don’t need to cast far: garfish frequently cruise just a few meters out from a weedline or along the pilings of a jetty.

Hotspots: Garfish are found Australia-wide, so specific hotspots exist in every state. In Victoria, places like Port Phillip Bay and Western Port are famous for garfish – the extensive seagrass beds and calm conditions there are ideal. Anglers catch garfish from piers at Frankston, Mornington, Queenscliff and elsewhere routinely. In South Australia, the Gulf St. Vincent and Spencer Gulf coastline has prolific garfish (locally called “gar” or “gardies”); spots like Port Hughes and Brighton Jetty are well-known gar producers. New South Wales anglers find garfish in estuarine bays and lake systems – for example, Botany Bay, Lake Macquarie, and the Tuross estuary all have gar populations. Moreton Bay in southern Queensland hosts big eastern sea garfish seasonally, and further north around Mackay to Cairns you’ll find snub-nosed gar in the creeks. The takeaway is that garfish are likely not far from wherever you fish – check local fishing reports for garfish mentions. As a rule, sheltered waters with weedbeds are prime. If you arrive at a location and see little needle-like splashes at the surface or small silver fish darting around, you’re probably looking at garfish. And remember, berley can turn an average spot into a hotspot by drawing garfish in (more on that later).

Fishing Calendar

Best Time of Year: Garfish can be caught year-round, but each region has peak seasons when they’re most plentiful or easiest to catch. In temperate southern Australia (NSW south coast, VIC, SA, southern WA, TAS), late autumn through winter is generally the prime garfish season. As water temperatures drop, garfish gather in large schools inshore – possibly for spawning or due to seasonal food availability. Many southern anglers specifically target garfish from May to August, when these “cold weather” gars are fat and schooled up. Conversely, in warmer areas like southern Queensland and northern NSW, garfish activity often peaks in the late summer and autumn months(e.g. February–April) when those waters cool slightly from midsummer highs and plankton blooms are strong. Far-north tropical gar (e.g. northern river garfish) don’t have a clear-cut season – consistent temperatures mean they can be caught any time, though local wet/dry seasonal changes may play a role (they might be more active in the dry season when water salinity is higher). As a rule of thumb, cooler water brings garfish in the south, while slightly cooler-than-peak conditions spur them in the north. And spring often sees a bit of a lull after winter spawning in the south, whereas spring in the north can be good as temperatures climb – it’s all opposite depending on locale. Check what months local garfish competitions or reports peak, and time your trips accordingly for the best results.

Migration and Movements: Garfish don’t undertake massive long-distance migrations like tuna, but they do move locally with the seasons. In southern waters, they likely move from offshore or deeper areas into bays and estuaries in winter to spawn in seagrass beds (garfish are oviparous and lay sticky eggs on vegetation in spring). After spawning, some may disperse again. On the east coast, Eastern Sea Garfish schools appear in certain estuaries in summer then vanish by winter – suggesting a seasonal migration or shift in distribution. These movements are often temperature-driven: garfish seem to seek out optimal water temperatures in the ~15–22 °C range. If water gets too cold (near 10 °C or below), they either go dormant or move elsewhere; if it gets too hot (upper 20s °C), they may retreat to deeper or cooler waters. Understanding this can help you predict their presence. For instance, a sudden cold snap might push garfish out of the shallows for a bit, whereas the first warming trends of late winter could trigger them to show up en masse inshore. Keep an eye on water temps and look for that sweet spot that garfish prefer.

Spawning Behavior: As a brief note, garfish typically spawn by attaching their eggs to floating weed or seagrass. This often happens in late winter or spring (in southern species). During spawning periods, garfish may congregate tightly and feed aggressively to build energy. Post-spawn, they might be skinny and less active for a while. While you don’t need to know all the biology, being aware of spawn times can explain fluctuations in garfish numbers. In practical terms, many anglers find late winter and early spring garfish are full of roe and can be extremely numerous inshore. After that, some fish thin out. So plan your garfish fishing around those seasonal congregation events for the easiest fishing.

Optimal Conditions

• Tides: Like many inshore species, garfish respond to tidal movement. An incoming (rising) tide is widely considered the most productive for garfish, especially when you’re fishing from shore. A rising tide floods onto shallow weedbeds, allowing garfish to move in and feed without fear of getting stranded. Many anglers report that their berley trail is most effective on the making tide, as it brings new fish in from deeper water. That said, you can catch garfish at all stages of the tide – if they are schooling in an area, they won’t strictly leave at high or low tide. But if you have a choice, target the last half of the rising tide and the first hour of the fall. During high tide slack water, gar might scatter since the current (which distributes food) slows down. And on very low tides, garfish schools often hold a bit further out or in channels. So plan to fish around mid-tide rising for the best shot, and don’t be surprised if action tapers at dead high or dead low.
• Time of Day: Time of day can make a big difference with garfish. Night-time is often the most productive period to fish for gar. Under darkness, garfish feed more confidently at the surface, and you can use light to attract them. Bringing a lantern or using pier lights to illuminate the water will concentrate plankton and thus garfish. On a well-lit jetty at night, it’s not uncommon to literally see dozens of thin shapes darting in the glow – a garfish frenzy. Aside from night, early morning and late afternoon (dusk) are prime. During these low-light times, garfish venture into the shallows to feed before the sun gets high. If you prefer daytime fishing, a cloudy or overcast day is better than bright sun, as gar will behave more like it’s dawn/dusk all day. Midday sun, especially in clear shallow water, can make garfish a bit skittish or drive them slightly deeper. Still, if you maintain a good berley and the fish are already around, you can catch them even at midday – you might just need to fish a tad deeper under your float.
• Weather and Water Conditions: Calm, clear conditions are ideal for garfish fishing. Gar prefer relatively placid water where they can see tiny food items on the surface. If the wind is howling and waves are choppy, the garfish schools tend to break up or move down out of the turbulence. It’s not that you can’t catch them on a windy day, but presentation becomes difficult (your float bounces around) and the fish may be less concentrated. A light ripple on the surface, however, is fine and can even help by concealing your line. Water clarity should be decent; very muddy water after floods will send garfish elsewhere (they are sight-feeders). A bit of ocean swell is okay if you’re in a bay, but if big swell stirs up sand, the gar won’t be in that area. Stable weather is best – after a few days of consistent conditions, garfish settle into patterns and feed predictably. Sudden changes (like a southerly cold front) might slow things down for a day or two. Finally, consider the presence of predators: if tailor or salmon are rampaging through an area, the garfish will go into hiding. In summary, target calm mornings/evenings or mild nights, with good water clarity, on a moving tide, for your best chance at garfish success.

Gear and Techniques

Recommended Setup

Primary Gear: When targeting garfish, the motto is go light! A delicate, sensitive setup will dramatically increase your catch rate. The ideal rod is a long, ultra-light spinning rod in the range of 2–3 m (roughly 7–9 feet) with a soft tip. For example, a 1–3 kg or 2–4 kg rated rod (often sold as an estuary or whiting/garfish rod) is perfect. The soft, flexible tip – sometimes called a “nibble tip” or sensor tip – helps detect the slightest pecks and prevents tearing the hook from a gar’s delicate mouth. Pair this rod with a small spinning reel in the 1000 to 2500 size class, loaded with light line. Monofilament of about 4–6 lb test is a popular choice; mono has a bit of stretch which acts as a shock absorber during those sudden garfish runs. Light braid (say 6–8 lb PE braid) is also used by some anglers for greater sensitivity and longer casts, but if you go the braid route be sure to attach a clear mono/fluorocarbon leader (~2 m of 4–6 lb fluoro) to avoid spooking the sharp-eyed gar. The reel doesn’t need a huge line capacity or heavy drag – even a big garfish won’t run more than a few meters – but it should have a smooth, light drag setting since you’ll be fighting fish on thin line.

Tie your hook to a light leader – typically 3–6 lb fluorocarbon – about 1 to 2 m long depending on depth. This leader attaches to your main line via a small swivel or a line-to-line knot. Above the hook, pinch one or two very small split shot sinkers on the leader (size BB or similar) to help the bait sink naturally and keep the float upright. Place the split shot about 20–30 cm above the hook for best results. This basic rig (float – small split shots – tiny hook) is simple but deadly effective for garfish.

Alternative Setup: In some situations you may need to tweak your gear. If the garfish are being extremely finicky in very clear, calm water, consider scaling down even further – use 2–3 lb leader and size #14 hooks to present an ultra-stealthy offering. This finesse approach can turn bites on when standard gear is too obvious, but be gentle when fighting fish on such gossamer line. On the flip side, if you’re dealing with windy conditions or larger-than-normal garfish, you might upsize your tackle slightly. A rod in the 3–5 kg class with a bit more stiffness can help cast against the wind, and running 8 lb mainline (with say a 6 lb leader) gives extra insurance if you hook a 40–50 cm gar or need to muscle fish in through chop. In choppy water, using a larger float or a weighted float (one with built-in weight) can improve casting distance and keep the rig stable in waves. Another alternative setup is a fixed rig without a float: some anglers free-line a bait or use a very light sinker (like a split shot) only, especially if the gars are right at the surface and nibbling bread – this can be a fun challenge, essentially “dapping” the bait on the surface. Additionally, a pole rod or handline can work for garfish in a pinch (indeed, they’ve been caught on handlines historically) – just a long cane pole or hand reel with a float rig attached. Use these alternative approaches as needed: go lighter for spooky fish, slightly heavier for rough weather or bigger specimens. But always keep the general principle: minimal resistance and small hooks.

Effective Baits and Lures

Top 3 Natural Baits: Garfish aren’t picky eaters as long as your bait is small and appealing. Here are the top three baits and how to rig them for best results:

Maggots (Gentles): If you ask seasoned gar anglers for the absolute best bait, many will answer maggots. These are the wriggling larvae of flies (often sold as gentles in bait shops). Garfish love maggots – likely because they resemble small insect larvae that the fish naturally eat. To rig, impale 1–3 maggots on your tiny hook. Just nick each maggot through the skin so they stay on but remain wiggling enticingly. Two maggots wriggling together is often perfect. The movement and protein scent drive garfish wild.

Rigging tip: Like with any bait, ensure the hook point is not buried – the maggots should wriggle around the shank and the sharp point remain free for a clean hook-up. Maggots are especially useful in cooler water when garfish might ignore static baits – the wriggling draws their attention. Keep the maggots in a ventilated container with some bran, and handle them gently (don’t squish them on the hook). Many a cooler of winter garfish has been filled by anglers patiently threading on maggots under floats.

Prawn Pieces (or Squid/Worm): It’s hard to beat prawn for any saltwater fish, garfish included. Take a raw prawn (shrimp) and cut it into very small pieces – about the size of your pinky fingernail. Thread one piece onto the hook so it just covers the hook bend; soft prawn will release lots of scent and juice. Garfish eagerly sniff out and eat tiny shrimp and prawns in nature, so this bait plays to that instinct. Similarly, small strips of squid or segments of sandworm can be used in lieu of prawn – anything that is soft, fresh, and cut small will work. Rigging tip: For squid, use a tender piece (the tube or tentacle), and for worms, just a half-inch segment; in both cases, thread them onto the hook like a little wriggler. These baits are durable enough that you can catch multiple gar on one piece if you’re lucky. Some anglers also swear by pipis (cockles) – a little bit of pipi gut on the hook is an excellent garfish bait and can be re-frozen and reused multiple times. Whichever you choose, natural baits like prawn, squid, worm, or pipi have strong scents and tastes that garfish find hard to resist once they sample them.

(Honorable mentions: *“Silverfish” bait – tiny whitebait sold in packets – are popular in some areas. You put a small piece or a whole 1-inch whitebait on the hook. Also, garfish will take chicken gut or meat cut into small bits, and even corn kernels sometimes. Gar are opportunists, so don’t be afraid to try any small morsel if you run out of the top baits.)

Essential Lures: While bait fishing is most common for gar, you can catch them on artificials. Lure fishing for garfish is a fun challenge for advanced anglers or when you’ve run out of bait. Here are 3 effective “lures” or artificial presentations for garfish and when to use them:

• Sabiki Bait Jig: The sabiki rig – a string of tiny fly hooks often dressed with fish skin or flash – isn’t exactly a single lure, but it’s a killer way to load up on garfish. A typical sabiki has 6–8 little flies (size 8–12 hooks) on dropper lines. To use it for gar, simply tie the sabiki to your mainline and add a very small split-shot or two for weight (or a small float for casting, if needed). Jig it very gently near the surface where garfish are swimming. The tiny flash flies look like little plankton or fish fry; garfish will often strike them out of curiosity or competition. When gar are schooled thick and aggressively feeding (for example, in a berley trail where they’re biting everything), a sabiki can sometimes hook multiple garfish at once! This method is popular if you’re catching garfish to use as bait later – you can quickly fill a bucket. When to use: Sabikis work best during daylight or under well-lit conditions when gar can see the flash. If the fish are shy, tip each fly with a sliver of bait to sweeten it. Recommended colors are silver, white, or pink fly fibers, which resemble translucent shrimp. Use the smallest sabiki you can find (hook size ~10). One caution: use sabikis only where you can manage fighting multiple fish without tangling (a crowded pier might not be ideal). Always handle with care – those tiny hooks are sharp and numerous!
• Micro Soft Plastics: Tiny soft plastic lures can be effective on garfish when they are in an aggressive mood. Think 1 to 2 inch (2.5–5 cm) plastics, such as mini-grub tails or paddle-tail minnows. Colors like pearly white, clear sparkle, or natural baitfish tones work well. Rig them on an ultra-light jighead, around 1/32 to 1/20 oz with a size #8 or #6 hook (the jighead needs to be very light so it almost suspends near the surface). When to use: if you have garfish visibly swarming and competing for berley, casting a small soft plastic among them can draw strikes, as they see it as another piece of food to grab. Let it sink just a foot or two under the surface and then retrieve slowly with gentle twitches. The goal is to imitate a drifting shrimp or worm. If the plastic is a bit large, you can actually trim it with scissors to make it shorter and easier for garfish to bite. This was a tip from garfish lure enthusiasts: trimming a 2.5-inch grub down to, say, 1.5 inches can turn lookers into biters. Keep the colors light/bright during day (white, chartreuse) and maybe dark at night (black), although at night bait is usually superior. Catching gar on lures is not as high-percentage as on bait, but it’s fun sport – almost like fly fishing with a spinning rod.
• Small Flies (Fly Fishing): Fly anglers have discovered that a delicate approach with a fly rod can fool garfish consistently. Small wet flies or dry flies in sizes #10 to #14 that mimic the gar’s natural food work best. Examples include tiny shrimp flies, mosquito or gnat patterns, or even specialized “bread flies” (a tuft of white yarn that looks like bread). When to use: Fly fishing for garfish shines when the water is glassy calm and the fish are finicky. You can land a fly super softly among a school without spooking them. For instance, if gar are feeding on bread in your berley trail but ignoring your hook with bread, tossing a bread fly that sits on the surface can induce a confident take. Similarly, if they’re sipping insects, a small black ant fly or a size 12 Royal Wulff might get inhaled. Retrieve wet flies with a very slow hand-twist retrieve to keep them near the top. Fly fishing for gar is often done either with a light 3–5 weight fly rod or using a casting float on spinning gear to fling the tiny flies. Fly colors: white or brown for bread/berley imitations, black or dark for insect imitations, and maybe red flecks to imitate fish eggs. Gar have good eyesight, so the fly approach can be deadly because it looks so natural. The fight on a fly rod is also fantastic, given their mini-marlin acrobatics.

(Lure fishing tip: regardless of the lure type, remember garfish have hard, narrow beaks. You often won’t “hook” them in the mouth on a lure as firmly as with bait. Sometimes they get foul-hooked or you simply have to keep tension and almost lasso them. Using ultra-sharp hooks and not yanking too hard is important – a gentle strip-strike or lift is enough to set tiny hooks.)

Fishing Techniques

Float Fishing Step-by-Step (Primary Method): The quintessential garfish technique is fishing with a float (bobber) and suspended bait. It’s an easy, relaxing method that can yield dozens of fish once mastered. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Location & Berley Setup: Anchor your boat or station yourself on a jetty/rock wall where garfish are likely (weedy shallows, etc.). The first thing to do is start a berley trail (chum line) to attract the gar. Use a mixture of finely ground breadcrumbs or pollard mixed with tuna oil and a bit of water – the consistency should be like wet sand, so it clouds the water without feeding the fish too much. Throw a small handful of this mixture into the water every few minutes. If you’re on a boat, you can also hang a berley bucket or onion bag over the side to slowly disperse scent. The idea is to create a continuous, fine stream of particles that will draw garfish in from afar and keep them actively searching for food. Don’t overdo it at the start – a little but often is the rule. As the berley works, watch for signs of garfish: dimpling at the surface, little splashes, or the fish themselves pecking at crumbs. Once you see activity, it’s fishing time!
2. Rig the Float and Depth: Attach your pencil float to your line. If it’s a fixed float, thread the line through and use rubber stop knots or a plug to secure it at the desired depth. If it’s a running (sliding) float, use a stopper knot on your mainline to set depth. Start with the bait sitting about 1–2 meters below the float, or slightly above any weed tops if you can gauge depth. If you’re uncertain, ~1.5 m is a good default. Use small split shots to cock the float so that only the bright tip is above water – this ensures even a delicate bite will pull the float under. Tie on your size 10–12 hook and double-check all knots. You want that float neutrally balanced: test it next to the boat or shore by dropping it in; it should stand upright with minimal effort. Adjust the split shot if needed (add or remove weight) to get it just right. A properly set float will dramatically improve bite detection and hook-ups.
3. Bait Up: Take your chosen bait (bread, maggot, prawn piece, etc.) and bait the hook carefully. Remember to keep it small – about 1 cm chunk or a couple of maggots – and leave the hook point slightly exposed for a quick hook-set. If using bread, pinch it tight onto the shank; if using prawn or squid, you might thread it once and let a tail dangle. The bait should completely cover the hook bend, but not be so large that it masks the point. A good check is that the bait shouldn’t be much bigger than the hook gap. If you’ve berleyed properly, the garfish are already expecting tiny particles, so a tiny bait matches their expectations.
4. Cast and Present: Gently cast your float rig into the berley trail or slightly up-current of it. With light tackle, you don’t need a power cast – just a lob to get the float out where the fish are milling. If you’re on a pier, often just lowering the float straight down is enough if the gar are underneath. Let the float settle, and keep slack line to a minimum so you can react quickly. You want your bait to drift naturally with the berley. If there’s wind or current, mend the line to prevent drag on the float. Often, you’ll see garfish actually approach your bait – their thin beaks might poke out of the water or they’ll peck at the float. Stay alert.
5. Detect the Bite: Garfish bites can be a tease. Initially, the float may just wobble or dip slightly as a gar tests the bait. Unlike some fish that engulf and run, garfish often nibble. Watch the float’s orange tip like a hawk. If it just jitters, wait a moment. When a garfish takes the bait properly, the float will usually tilt and then slip under the water (sometimes it might even skate sideways first). That’s your cue! Set the hook by lifting the rod tip swiftly but not too violently – a quick flick of the wrist is enough with sharp tiny hooks. If you strike too early (at the first nibble) you might yank the bait away; too late and the gar may spit it out. It’s a bit of a learned timing. A good rule is strike when the float goes fully under or moves off steadily. With experience, you’ll get a feel for it. And don’t worry, you will miss bites – garfish are notorious bait thieves. Just rebait and keep at it.
6. Playing and Landing the Fish: Once hooked, a garfish will dash and wriggle. Keep the rod tip up and reel steadily with light tension. You’ll often feel the garfish flailing – sometimes they’ll splash on the surface or even do a tiny jump. As mentioned, they can twist around the line, so try to keep them out of any slack line to prevent tangles. With a proper light drag, you shouldn’t break the line; let them run a bit if they want. It’s usually a brief fight – within a few seconds you’ll have the gar near you. Because their mouths tear easily, avoid hoisting the fish out by the rod alone. If possible, use a landing net to scoop the garfish up, especially if it’s a decent size. If no net, you can lift smaller gar by the line (handline it up) but be gentle. Once landed, grasp the garfish securely (they’re slippery!) and remove the hook. Long-nose pliers help if the hook is set deep, but often the long shank hook is sticking right out of their narrow beak. Place your catch in a bucket of water or on ice if keeping.
7. Keep the Frenzy Going: Now that you’ve caught one, try to keep the school interested. Toss a tiny bit more berley in to maintain the feeding mood. Often, garfish will follow their hooked schoolmate toward you, so there might be a bunch of them now looking for the missing bait. Bait up quickly and cast again. It’s common to get a bite immediately after landing one if the school hasn’t scattered. Garfish fishing can be a rhythmic cycle: berley – cast – bite – fish on – land – rebait – and repeat. When it’s hot, you might have a fish on every minute. If bites slow down, vary the depth (slide your float stopper to present the bait shallower or deeper) and ensure your berley trail hasn’t drifted away (toss another handful). Also check your bait hasn’t been stolen without you noticing – gar have a talent for sneaking the bait off. Stay patient and keep at it; once a school finds you, you can work them into a feeding frenzy with consistent berley and good presentation.

Alternate Techniques: While float fishing is the bread-and-butter technique, there are a few other methods to try when conditions call for it:

• Slow Retrieve (Wind-In Method): If garfish are present but seem sluggish or are just “window shopping” your bait, try imparting some movement. After casting your float, instead of letting it sit entirely still, slowly wind in the rig in short bursts. This causes the bait to inch away, often triggering garfish to chase and strike competitively. Many anglers discover that reeling in very slowly, or giving the float a slight twitch now and then, makes the garfish think their “prey” is escaping, prompting a solid bite. This method is also useful if there’s a bit of drift – you can essentially troll your bait over an area. Just be cautious not to reel so fast that the bait lifts too deep; a gentle draw is all that’s needed.
• Freelining in a Berley Slick: If the water is extremely calm and the garfish are right at the surface (for example, sipping bread off the top in your berley trail), you might ditch the float altogether. Freelining means simply casting out your bait with little or no weight and letting it drift naturally. A small piece of bread or a maggot will slowly sink and move with the current just like the chum bits, and garfish often take it confidently since there’s zero resistance. You have to watch the bait or line instead of a float – often you’ll literally see the garfish eat the bait. Then you quickly lift the rod to set the hook. Freelining is a fun, challenging way to catch gar and can be deadly in the right scenario (e.g. no wind, fish concentrated on the surface). It’s essentially like fly fishing without a fly rod.
• Fly Fishing & Casting Bubble: As mentioned in the lures section, fly fishing is an alternate technique. If you’re handy with a fly rod, you can present tiny flies to garfish that refuse conventional baits. Alternatively, use a casting bubble (a clear float that can be filled with water for weight) on spinning gear: tie a 1–2 m leader after the bubble with a small fly at the end. Cast the bubble out; it acts as your float and weight. Then retrieve very slowly. This lets non-fly anglers use flies effectively. Garfish often hit flies with abandon when they’re ignoring chunkier baits.
• Multihook Jigging: Using the earlier mentioned sabiki rig or even just two tiny hooks on your line can allow you to catch multiple garfish in one go if they are schooled thick. You can very lightly jig or simply leave the multi-hook rig in the water and let the fish hook themselves. This is more of a meat-harvesting approach (common for gathering baitfish). If you go this route, be very attentive – juggling two wriggling gar at once can quickly tangle the rig. But it’s effective if you want to load up on numbers quickly.

Feel free to experiment – garfish are a forgiving target where unconventional tactics (like a tiny spoon lure or even a bit of shiny tinfoil on a hook) sometimes work. Just remember their limitations: small mouths, surface orientation, and love of bite-sized food.

Pro Tips: To maximize your garfish catches, consider these expert tips that can make a big difference:

• Master the Berley: Consistent berleying is the secret weapon in garfishing. A top angler will keep an almost metronome-like berley schedule – e.g. one handful every 5 or 10 minutes – to keep fish nearby and hungry. If you notice the fish thinning out, you probably need to refresh the trail. Use a fine-grain berley mix (powdery bread/oats and tuna oil) so garfish can’t fill up on big chunks. And don’t dump a whole bucket at once; that will satiate them or push them deeper. Little and often is key, as it triggers competition without overfeeding.
• Fine-Tune Float Rig: Pay attention to your float’s performance. On calm days, use the smallest, thinnest float that will do the job – smaller floats mean less resistance and more bites. Add just enough split shot so that only the tip is above water. If gar are biting timidly, try reducing weight (so they feel nothing when biting). Conversely, if wind picks up, add a touch more weight to stabilize the float and keep it visible. Adjust your bait depth if you see gar ignoring your bait – sometimes setting just 1 m deep instead of 2 m can be the difference if the fish are cruising higher. A movable float stopper allows quick depth changes.
• Long Shank = Easy Unhooking: Always opt for long shank hooks for gar. Not only do they hook the fish well, but they make unhooking much faster, which means your line is back in the water sooner for the next fish. When a school is around, every second counts to keep them feeding. Crimp the barb on your hook if you plan to release fish; it will slide out like a pin. Keep a cloth or rag handy as well – garfish are slimy and can be hard to grip when removing hooks, so a rag can help you hold them without squeezing.
• Avoid Common Mistakes: Two big mistakes in garfishing are striking too hard and letting slack in the line. A violent hook-set will just rip the bait (or hook) out of the gar’s mouth, as their mouth tissue is paper-thin. Use a quick flick rather than a big upward sweep. Also, keep line tight once a fish is on – garfish shake their head a lot, and any slack line can let the hook fall out during the thrashing. Reel up the slack promptly and maintain tension. If a gar does manage to tangle itself by spinning (they sometimes spin like a needle), don’t panic – just handline the mess in and sort it out after landing the fish. It happens even to the best, which is one reason some anglers use slightly heavier leaders (6–8 lb) to withstand those wrap-ups.
• Observe and Adapt: Garfish will show you what they want if you watch closely. If you see them constantly nibbling the float or line, it might mean your bait is sitting a tad too deep – they’re trying to eat something at the surface (perhaps split shot or float bottom). In that case, shallower your bait. If you see gar chasing your bait as you reel in but not taking it, maybe speed up slightly – sometimes they hit only when the bait is moving. And if the school suddenly disappears, scan the water: predators like a cruising cormorant or a predatory fish might have scared them off temporarily. Wait a bit, rebury, and they’ll usually return once the danger passes.

Armed with the right gear and techniques, you’ll find garfish to be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding light-tackle species. The combination of finesse and frenzy – dainty little floats plunging under, then dozens of squirming silver fish flapping on deck – is what makes garfishing so addictive.

Catch and Handling

During the Fight

Hooking a garfish is only half the battle – you also need to land it. Fortunately, garfish aren’t brutes, but they have some quirks in the fight that you should be ready for. As soon as you hook one, you’ll typically feel a rapid tapping and splashing. Garfish often make a beeline for the surface and might even skip or tail-walk across the water, earning their nickname “mini marlin”. The key during the fight is to maintain steady, gentle pressure. Set your drag light – just enough to set the hook, but loose enough that a sudden run won’t snap the line. With a light drag, a garfish can run a short distance and tire itself out without tearing the hook free.

Avoid the instinct to muscle the fish in quickly. Because garfish are slender and soft-mouthed, a harsh retrieve can pull the hook out or cut through the lip. Instead, use a smooth reeling motion and let the rod’s flex tire the fish. If the gar darts side to side, follow with the rod tip to keep the line from going slack. A common mistake is raising the rod too high (high-sticking) while a garfish is thrashing – this can actually leverage the hook out. It’s better to keep the rod at a moderate angle, let the fish splash, and reel it in steadily. Watch out for tangles: as noted, garfish may spin around the line. If you feel the fish “helicoptering,” you might see the float spinning too. In such cases, try to keep the fish’s head in the water until it calms, then lift it out. This can reduce how much it wraps the line.

One more tip: If you have multiple lines out (say you and a friend both have float rigs), it’s wise to reel the other line in when one of you hooks a gar. This prevents the hooked fish from swimming across and tangling both lines – a scenario garfish excel at! By fighting one fish at a time in a given area, you’ll save a lot of headache. Overall, handle garfish fights with care and patience – it’s a finesse game. The payoff is that you’ll land virtually every fish you hook, since there’s no snag structure or powerful runs to worry about, just keeping that tiny hook in place through the acrobatics.

Catch and Release

Garfish are often kept for the table or bait, but if you choose to release them (or need to release undersized ones in areas with size limits), doing it properly will ensure they swim off strong. Here’s how to give them the best chance:

• Gentle Handling: Garfish are slim and somewhat fragile. When you grab a gar, do so with wet hands (or better, a wet cloth) to avoid rubbing off too much of its protective slime. Grip it gently around the body. Avoid squeezing – you can easily injure their internal organs with rough handling. Their elongated body means they can flop a lot, so sometimes holding them horizontally with two hands (one near head, one near tail) gives you more control.
• Quick Unhooking: Use those long-shank hooks to your advantage – unhooking should be quick. If the hook is in the beak or lip, a simple twist with your fingers or pliers will free it. If a garfish is deeply hooked (e.g. swallowed the hook into the gullet), it’s often better to cut the line close to the mouth rather than yank the hook out through the gills or stomach. A small hook left in the fish will eventually corrode or shed; ripping it out will likely kill the fish. Fortunately, deep hooking is less common if you strike when the float goes down. Barbless hooks or crimped barbs are a great idea for catch-and-release – they slip out with minimal damage.
• Minimize Air Exposure: Try not to keep the garfish out of water for more than a minute. They’re fairly hardy for a small fish, but any fish does best when promptly returned. If you’re on a high jetty, one trick is to lower the fish back in a bucket (tie a rope to a bucket of water) rather than drop it. But if that’s not feasible, gently tossing the fish head-first into the water can help re-oxygenate its gills. In a boat, you can release by hand at the water surface.
• Revive if Necessary: On the rare occasion a garfish seems exhausted (maybe a long fight on ultra-light tackle or it tangled up), you might need to revive it. This is as simple as holding the fish in the water facing into the current or moving it slowly forward to get water through its gills, until it kicks away. However, most garfish will dart out of your hand as soon as they hit the water – they’re quick to recover.

By following these steps, released garfish should survive well. They are not a particularly fragile species if handled considerately. And given their importance as a forage fish (food for larger fish), releasing surplus garfish is a responsible practice. Always check local regulations too – some states might have a bag limit on garfish, so you may be releasing fish once you hit your quota.

For Consumption

Many anglers keep garfish for a feed, and if you do, it’s important to treat your catch properly to ensure top eating quality. Garfish have delicious flesh, but it’s best when fresh and well cared for. Here are some tips from catch to kitchen:

• Immediate Dispatch: The moment you decide to keep a garfish, humanely dispatch it. The quickest way is a sharp spike to the brain (iki-jime method) or a firm whack on the head with a priest or blunt object. This spares the fish stress and preserves meat quality by preventing stress-related lactic acid build-up. Garfish brains are located just behind the eyes; a quick stab there will kill the fish instantly. These fish are small, so it’s easy to do. Another method is to break the neck by bending the head back sharply – this also severs the spinal cord for a quick kill.
• Bleeding (Optional): Some anglers like to bleed garfish, especially larger ones, to improve the flavor. To bleed, use a knife or scissors to cut the gills or make a small cut at the throat latch, then let the fish bleed out in a bucket of water or overboard. Garfish don’t have a lot of blood compared to bigger fish, but bleeding can whiten the fillets and remove any slight tang. It’s not absolutely necessary, but it can be beneficial if you plan to prepare them raw (ceviche etc.) or want the cleanest taste.
• On Ice Immediately: Garfish flesh deteriorates quickly in the heat, so you want to chill your catch right away. Have an insulated cooler with ice or ice slurry ready. As soon as a gar is dispatched (and bled, if doing so), put it on ice. The cold will firm up the flesh and keep bacteria at bay. Garfish are slim, so they chill fast. Keeping them cold also makes them easier to fillet later (firmer flesh to work with). If you’re on a pier without a cooler, at least keep the fish in the shade and out of the sun/wind until you can get them on ice.
• Cleaning and Filleting: Once home, you’ll find garfish can be a bit fiddly to clean because of their thin, bone-filled body. Don’t be alarmed by their green-colored bones – garfish bones are naturally tinted green due to a bile pigment, but this is harmless and doesn’t affect the flavor. Most people either butterfly fillet garfish (remove the backbone and ribs, leaving two fillets attached by the back skin) or simply gut and scale them to cook whole (the bones are fine and can be picked out when eating). If you plan to fillet, use a sharp, flexible knife and take your time. Because garfish are considered “one of the best eating fish” in the sea by many, the extra effort to remove bones is worth it. A tip: use tweezers or pliers to pull out the pin bones after filleting, or score the sides of the fish deeply if frying whole – this helps the bones soften when cooked.
• Cooking Preservation: Until you cook them, keep the garfish fillets or whole fish refrigerated and on ice. They are best eaten fresh – within 1-2 days of capture – for maximum sweetness. If you have a big haul and need to freeze some, consider vacuum-sealing to prevent freezer burn (they freeze okay for a month or two, but fresh is superior).

In terms of dispatch and storage, treat garfish as you would any top-quality food fish: kill swiftly, bleed if desired, and keep cold. This ensures that when you bite into those delicate white fillets, they’ll be flaky, sweet, and free of any off-flavors. There’s a reason generations of Aussies have prized garfish on the plate – cared for properly, they are a culinary delight as well as a fun catch. Enjoy your garfish, whether you’re releasing them to fight another day or frying them golden for a seaside meal!