Longnose Gar (Lepisosteus osseus)

The Longnose Gar or Lepisosteus osseus has the typical Gar shaped body, long and slender with a mouth that is packed full of sharp teeth. This freshwater fish can grow to about 61" and weigh in at almost 80lbs max. They are said to live to about 20 years old. This species of Gar can be differentiated by its super long snout, which is at least 10 times the minimum width of the fish.The Longnose Gar goes by a few different names including the Needlenose Gar, Billfish and Billy Gar. They are found in many places in the Eastern United States, Southern Quebec and even in some places in Mexico. Longnose Gar often can be caught in rivers, streams and backwaters using nylon threads that attach themselves to their teeth, or by bowfishing. You can check out the Longnose Gar and Spotted Gar underwater in the video below...



Spawning activity for Longnose Gar often occurs April or later in shallow water. The female Gar, which is larger than the male will often have multiple partners. These fish don't build nests, instead the female spreads her eggs in several locations. The eggs are sticky and will adhere to gravel and other items. NOTE: Do not eat these eggs as they are poisonous.  Once the fry hatch after about a week, they feed on insects and small crustaceans. It doesn't take long though before these ferocious predators are eating small fish.

If you have any more information, fishing tips or Longnose Gar recipes that you would like to share please do so below by posting a comment...