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Photo: PierreSelim, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Lepisosteus osseus
How to catch Longnose gar
Longnose gar feed in 55–92°F water and bite best at 70–86°F. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows them in 28 waters.
10 pts · trophy at 40"Feeds 55–92°FBest 70–86°FIn season nowRiverLakeReservoirCreek / stream
About
The needle-nosed gar of the eastern and central rivers — an armored, prehistoric, surface-rolling predator that hangs motionless in the summer sun and is nearly impossible to hook.
How to fish it
A frayed nylon rope lure tangles in the teeth — no hook needed; or a small minnow on a float with a long, slow pickup.
What it eats
rope lurescut bait on a floatminnows
Live bait for it
Minnows (fatheads, shiners)Hooked lightly through the lips or behind the dorsal on a #6 to #2 hook under a slip bobber for crappie, perch and walleye; a big golden shiner on a 2/0 to 4/0 for largemouth, pike and stripers.
What to fish it with
the sizes that fish itLeader10–20 lb fluorocarbon
Hook#2–3/0
Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
Braid10–30 lb
The rule
not confirmed hereRules differ by state — check your state's fish and wildlife agency before you keep one.
The current rule →Where it is, month by month
PPeakSSpawningAArriving·AroundLLeaving
Fresh water by state