Bowfishing the Golden Gar
Bowfishing for gar on a regular basis can present some unique opportunities to find some very rare fish while out on the water. We received a few photos from an individual named Drake who managed to harvest a golden gar out of Crab Orchard Creek near Carbondale, Illinois.
When asked about how he spotted the fish, Drake responded "the gar was by itself when I saw it and I thought it was a dead fish until it started to swim a little!"
The gene that causes this coloration is a recessive gene and only approximately 1 in 10,000 gar show this coloration. Other common unique colorations are black gar or red gar. 
We've heard a lot of hype over the past week about the value of these rare fish to aquarium keepers. There are claims the gar is worth thousands of dollars alive, but check your local rules and regulations before catching wild fish and selling them. There is typically a permit or special license that is required to do so.
If you're able to see or even harvest one of the beautiful fish, consider yourself lucky!
To get started bowfishing, read our complete guide to bowfishing to learn more about the bowfishing sport, methods to find good bowfishing spots, and a wide discussion on the different types of bowfishing equipment that is commonly used.
If you're looking for bowfishing lights and supplies, check out our selection of bowfishing equipment to get rigged up and start your search for one of these rare fish!