The Shortnose Gar or Lepisosteus platostomus is an air breather that will actually drown if not given access to the surface of the water. These freshwater fish can survive poor quality waters and are found in swamps, lakes, ponds and backwaters of rivers in places like Oklahoma, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Montana, Alabama and Louisiana. If you are fishing for Shortnose Gar, you will normally find them in and around thick vegetation and submerged logs.
Even though the snout of the Shortnose Gar is actually quite long, it is the shortest of all the different Gar species including the Alligator Gar, Spotted Gar, and of course, the Longnose Gar. These fish are long and slender and can reach lengths of over 4' and weigh up to about 8lbs. Their body is covered with thick diamond shaped scales that are known as ganoid scales.
Shortnose Gar will spawn in the spring in shallow coves. Their eggs are a dark green and should never be eaten by humans. When the fry is first born it has a egg sack attached to it which it gains its nutrition from. For this reason, they are very inactive when they are first hatched. As time goes on and they deplete their egg sack, they will become more active and start hunting. They feed on small fish and invertebrates and tend to be an ambush predator much like the Northern Pike.If you have any fishing tips or additional information about the Shortnose Gar please share...
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