Angler nabs potential record-breaking 44-inch longnose gar in Texas
He was looking to reel in some catfish, but what Texas angler Carson May ended up nabbing was something even more impressive: a potential record-breaker.
Fishing on the San Marcos River Sept. 9 with buddy Ewan Castle, May managed to reel in a longnose gar that weighed 9.52 pounds and was 44.5 inches long.
“It was amazing and one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” May told mysanantonio.com of the catch. “I never thought it would be a longnose gar to break a record. I thought it would be like a perch or something like that.”
Inland Fisheries San Marcos/Austin District shared the photo of May and his prize catch, which was confirmed by Texas Parks and Wildlife, who reshared the post. May told MySA that the record is not official yet and he expects it will be three weeks before Texas Parks and Wildlife awards him the new waterbody record.
Longnose gars stand out from other gars in Texas thanks to their snout “whose length is at least 10 times the minimum width,” according to Texas Park and Wildlife.
They can be somewhat intimidating looking due to their sharp, villiform teeth, which can get the fish easily tangled up in angler’s nets, Animal Diversity Web said.
The current waterbody record for the longnose gar is held by Zabdi Perez at 28 inches and 1.88 pounds.
19-year-old fisherman sets Texas state record with massive 31-pound flathead catfish
Texas leads the nation in deadly animal attacks, and it isn’t even close, data show
