08/30/2026
Check out this GIANT gar my friend and fellow catfish connisuer caught last night while flatheading in the La Crosse area! Read the recap in the post below!
RECORD CLASS ALERT!!!
NEW CLUB RECORD: LONGNOSE GAR!!!
(More photos in comments)
Ryan G: 21.48 lbs
Length: 56”x16.5”
PREVIOUS CLUB RECORD: Matt H
54”@20.1 lbs (2015)
Current WI State Record:
(52.5" @ 21 lbs 4 oz)
(Text by Ryan Patrick Grace)
Tonight definitely wasn't I had in mind for a good night on the water, but it certainly unlocked a core memory.
Flatheading has been mostly pretty slow as overly long stable weather conditions have led to some pretty stale fishing. Despite that, I've been doing my best to chip away at my season goals.
When the flatheading gets slow, the gar tend to become more prevalent. Recent trips have seen lots of harassment by these notorious bait thieves. However, tonight I got to see a GIANT.
This behemoth longnose gar measured at 56 inches in length with a 16.5 inch girth. It weighed in at 21.48 pounds. This weight converts to 21 pounds 7.68 ounces. To put this fish in proper perspective, the existing Wisconsin State record fish sits at 21 pounds 4 ounces at 52.5 inches in length.
At the least, this fish rivals the current state record in weight and beats it handily in length. At the most, it actually was a state record fish. However, at its slim weight margins, I deemed this fish as being more important to the waterway than only possibly to a record book. Portable scales, while often pretty accurate can have variances from true weights and measures certified scales. Additionally, the current traditional state record program requires that a certified fish be killed as live transport outside the body of water is illegal.
I'm not above saying that had the weight margin been larger, I may have chosen to pursue a record certification despite the required kill order. Gar are often seen and treated as rough fish, and my view of them is much the same despite their attempts to impress me. Certainly, they play a valuable part within the ecosystem despite their poor public relations. While I don't necessarily like them, I have come to respect them.
Unfortunately, the state of Wisconsin doesn't recognize longnose gar in the live release record program. Had that been an option, I definitely would have pursued it. Again, bad PR.
I decided this fish best serves as a memory commemorated in photos while still being actual living, breathing, reproducible genetics. After proper documentation assistance from Matt Heeter and Louis Romskog, this fish was recovered for nearly an hour and then safely released. It may or may not have been a record now, but it absolutely WILL be one day. I hope someone else finds it then.
This fish serves as a valuable lesson in gratitude. While we may not always get exactly what we hope for in life, in my case, giant flatheads (at least not tonight), we are still provided blessings along the way for which to be grateful. Keep your eyes on the prize and stay on the grind. Even if the outcome isn't exactly what you expect, you WILL be rewarded in ways you simply can't imagine......yet.
Huge thanks to Matt and Louis for help with this monster. I wouldn't have been able to do this fish the justice it deserved all on my own.
Humbly,
-Grace
