Testing finds record-setting shortnose gar wasn’t as it seemed, Missouri officials say

UPDATE: A record-breaking shortnose gar shot in Missouri wasn’t as it seemed, officials say, and it no longer holds the state’s shortnose gar alternative record.

Genetic testing found the 14-pound, 6-ounce fish was not a pure shortnose gar, according to an Aug. 22 update from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

“The genetic testing for this gar was completed by a Missouri university,” Fisheries Programs Specialist Andrew Branson said in a news release. “Their initial results showed the fish to be a pure shortnose, however, they are proceeding with additional genetic tests.”

More testing is being done to determine the species.

The previous record for shortnose gar caught using alternative methods still stands — a 13-pound, 1-ounce fish caught at Mark Twain Lake in 2006.

The original story is below.

Rich Porter usually travels from his home in Nebraska to the Lake of the Ozarks a couple times a year to fish with a friend.

During a recent fishing trip, Missouri officials say he set a state and world record.

Porter, of Omaha, told the Missouri Department of Conservation his friend was “playing guide” as they went bowfishing May 16 at the Lake of the Ozarks.

At their final spot for the day, Porter shot a 14-pound, 6-ounce gar, according to an Aug. 17 news release.

“Shortnose gar usually only (weigh) three-to-four pounds,” Porter said in the news release. “So, to catch one that big, we thought it was a longnose.”

Missouri Department of Conservation describes shortnose gar as “one of the smaller gars,” adding that the largest ones in Missouri usually only reach 6 to 11 pounds.

Porter contacted wildlife officials, who completed genetic tests to ensure this catch was a pure shortnose gar and not a hybrid longnose gar.

The fish qualified, officials say. Now Porter holds Missouri’s record for alternative methods for shortnose gar and the shortnose gar bowfishing world record.

“I’m a long-standing member of the Bowfishing Association of America, so to catch a gar of this size is very exciting — it’s something else,” Porter said.

The previous alternative methods state record shortnose gar weighed 13-pounds, 1-ounce.

What is bowfishing?

“Bowfishing is the pursuit of fish with a bow and arrow and is more like small game hunting than fishing,” according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. The state allows bowfishing for “nongame fish” — including gar, carp and bluegill — as a way to draw interest toward other fish species.

It can be “quite tricky” to successfully bowfish.

“Because water refracts (bends) light waves, connecting with a fish is harder than you might think,” officials said. “The deeper the fish is in the water, the more distorted it will appear and the harder it is to tell its exact location. The angler must compensate for this refraction, making the shot more difficult. The tendency is to shoot over the fish.”

This story was originally published August 17, 2022 at 12:28 PM.