Nebraska State Hook-and-Line Record Set for Shortnose Gar

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 8:22 am

Nebraska State Hook-and-Line Record Set for Shortnose Gar

LINCOLN, Neb. –(FishNLand.com)- A day of Missouri River crappie fishing turned into a record day for Jason Johnson of Omaha. The crappie had nothing to do with it, though. It was a shortnose gar he landed that set a state record for hook and line fishing.

Johnson, 15, was fishing the river’s backwaters in Douglas County on May 26 when he landed the 3-pound, 6-ounce shortnose gar. He and his two brothers had been targeting and catching crappie. Johnson saw the gar swim by and got it to take his minnow.

Johnson had caught gar before, including longnose gar, but this time he had a reason to keep one. “My brother said I should take it in because it could be a state record,” he said. “Usually I don’t keep them; I let them go.”

The previous state record was 2 pounds, 14 ounces set last June in the Platte River in Platte County.