New York’s fishing record for the largest longnose gar caught has been broken ¹. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner, Sean Mahar, announced that Chuck Zimmerman of Hilton, Monroe County, caught the record-breaking longnose gar ¹.
Here are some details about the catch :
– Date and Location: Zimmerman caught the fish on June 21, 2024, at Butterfield Lake in Jefferson County.
– Weight and Size: The fish weighed 15 pounds and 14 ounces, which is 1 pound and 4 ounces larger than the previous record. It was 53.25 inches long.
– Bait: Zimmerman used topwater swimbait to catch the gar.
– Previous Record: The previous record was set in 2018 in Lake Champlain.
Here are some facts about the longnose gar :
– Appearance: Longnose gar is a long fish with a thin nose and needle-like, razor-sharp teeth.
– Age: Longnose gar date back to the Cretaceous Period, which started 145 million years ago and ended 66 million years ago.
– Habitat: They are found in shallow, weedy areas close to the surface of the water in places such as the St. Lawrence River, Niagara River, Lake Champlain and eastern Lake Ontario.
– Evolutionary Status: They are known to be living dinosaurs on an evolutionary scale.
Here are some quotes from Sean Mahar :
– “From the Hudson River to the St. Lawrence River, Lake George to Chautauqua Lake, New York waterways support strong, healthy fish populations and provide world-class fishing opportunities for anglers of every level.”
– “DEC congratulates Mr. Zimmerman on an impressive catch and encourages all anglers to take advantage of the state’s plentiful fishing opportunities in the hopes they, too, can catch a new state record or other Angler Achievement Award when they cast their next line.”
Here are some details about the Angler Achievement Awards Program :
– The program tracks state record fish.
– For a catch to qualify, entry forms must be submitted within 30 days of when the catch was made, meet minimum qualifying requirements and adhere to fishing regulations.
– There are three categories: Angler Award, Youth Angler Award and State Record Award.
– Zimmerman submitted the details of his catch to the Angler Achievement Awards Program.
