Longnose gar fish

longnose gar, Lepisosteus osseus, is a primitive ray-finned fish of the gar family. It is also known as the needlenose gar. longnose gar ranges in length from 60–182 cm (24–72 in) and weighs 0.5–3.5 kg (1.1–7.7 lb); The world record is 50.31 pounds, caught in Trinity River, Texas in 1954; FishBase reports a maximum size of 2 m (6.6 ft). Average life span is 17- 20 years. The snout is elongated into a narrow beak containing many large teeth.


Fishing
Longnose gar at the Steinhart Aquarium.Although angling for longnose gars is not the dominant method of capturing them due to their tough, bony mouth, they will take live baits. They are more often captured by specialized methods that entangle the teeth in nylon threads, by bowfishing, or by spearfishing.
If angling for gar, a small circle hook should be used, allowing the gar several minutes with it. The circle hook will prevent any serious injury to the gar, as it is designed to catch only in the corner of the mouth.

longnose gar is found in rivers and lakes throughout the eastern half of the United States, as far north as southern Quebec and extreme southern Ontario in the Great Lakes and as far south as northern Mexico. The most concentrated numbers of longnose gars are found throughout the American Deep South, Texas, Alabama (Cahaba River system) and anywhere along the Mississippi River.
gar fish
gar fish
Longnose gar fish
Longnose gar fish
Longnose gar fish