Long Nose Gar Shatters Previous State Record by 6 + lbs
February 3, 2009
Kelly Williams of Virginia Beach landed the new North Carolina State record for long nose gar while fishing in the Intracoastal waterway near Coinjock. This record book fish was almost lost when Kelly didn’t at first realize he had a potential record book fish.
The pair was fishing for striped bass in about six feet of water when Williams hooked the monster gar. Despite the size of the fish, Williams said he was planning to release it when Cooper pulled out his iPhone and downloaded the freshwater fish state record information from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Web site.
They had the fish weighed on certified scales at TW’s Bait and Tackle in Kitty Hawk. Kevin Dockendorf, a fisheries biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, verified the catch.
In North Carolina, longnose gar are found statewide, but are most abundant in coastal rivers and streams. They are the only species of gar found in the state.
Williams’ catch surpasses the previous record-holder, held by Sebastian Lankiewicz of Jacksonville since June 2006, by over six pounds.
Not long ago a potential world record Black Drum was let go prior to any weights or measurements were taken.
I guess we all may want to check out the State Records for Fish before we eat or throw back a keeper.
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