LAKE OZARK, Mo. — A Nebraska man is the new state record holder under alternative methods for shortnose gar.
Rich Porter of Omaha, Nebraska was bowfishing on May 16 at the Lake of the Ozarks when he shot a 14-pound, 6-ounce fish.
“Shortnose gar usually only weigh three-to-four pounds,” Porter told the Missouri Department of Conservation. “So, to catch one that big, we thought it was a longnose.”
The previous state record under alternative methods was a 13-pound, 1-ounce fish that was caught in Mark Twain Lake in 2006.
Porter contacted The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) about the shortnose gar he caught. MDC conducted genetic tests to confirm the fish was a pure shortnose gar, which it was.
“I generally come two-to-three times each year to fish in Missouri,” Porter said. “I have a friend I fish with at the Lake of the Ozarks. We were out on his boat that day bowfishing and he was playing guide for me.”
Porter not only set the Missouri state record, but he also beat the current world record for shortnose gar bowfishing.
“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,” said Porter.
Missouri recognizes two categories for records: pole-and-line and alternative methods. Alternative methods include bow, crossbow, snagging, underwater spearfishing, and more.
To find more information about state record fish, you can visit The Missouri Department of Conservation website.
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