Gar in the Ottawa River?

[Ottawa Kid]

I was fishing the ottawa river today near the downtown area.

 

I about 15 feet off shore I hooked into what I thought was a large pike 36". The fish went nuts jumping 3 or 4 times

When I got it into the shore I realized that it had a beak and was spotted. A quick search pulled up this page

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/s...pottedGar_e.asp

 

Has anyone else seen or heard of one of these in the area I've only seen one at BPS.

 

There is no picture my roomate lost the fish getting the hook out

[fishindevil]

Yes there is big gar in the ottawa i have never caught one but have seen them cruisng around, they average about 5-10lbs...really a scrappy fighting fish they go nuts and jump,like a big smallie...i have also see them jumping too....cheers oh ya they are a tough fish to catch as you can see their teeth

[Mike the Pike]

Caught one a few yrs ago about 24 inches.They are not as slimy as a Pike feels more like a snake

[EVINRUDE-DUDE]

There are lots of big Gar in the ottawa area.Over in Aylmer along the shoreline there are some huge ones 20-30lbs.Caught one on a top water (spitting image) and it took twenty minutes to get it in .When I went to grab him it was like grabbing a turtle shell.The coolest thing though is there is an old guy in aylmer who only fishes for them and he uses a fly rod with thread on the end NO HOOKS and when they hit they roll and the thread gets caught in their beak and they can't get off.i have to say it was one of the coolest and most humane ways of catching a fish i had ever seen!!!

[Crazyhook]

gar do not grow to 20-30 pounds around here... there are alot of gar in the O though

[KyleM]

Ive seen some huge fish swimming around in Gbay, they could be pushing 20lbs.

I feed them dead minnows at the end of the dock sometimes.

 

I wouldnt doubt that theres 20# gar in the Ottawa.

[OhioFisherman]

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snapshots/fish/longnosegar.html

 

My wife and I have caught Gar in the Georgian Bay, I got one around 46 inches she got one around 41. Just the size difference makes me think the one you got may have been a Long-Nosed also? The size difference leads me to believe the Spotted Gar is a much smaller fish?

 

They do look similar.

 

http://myfwc.com/Fishing/Fishes/gar.html

 

 

http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recnum=FI0017

Edited October 5, 2007 by OhioFisherman

[EVINRUDE-DUDE]

I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT THERE ARE 20 + LBS GAR IN THE OTTAWA RIVER .I CAUGHT ONE AND HAVE SEEN SOME MUCH BIGGER !!! OTTAWA RIVER IS RATED AS ONE OF THE BEST RIVERS IN CANADA FOR TROPHY MUSKIE ,PIKE, WALLEYE ,STURGEON AND GAR SO DON'T TELL ME THERE AREN'T FISH THAT BIG IN THE OTTAWA.I KNOW FIRST HAND !!!!!

[mooseroo]

I've caught small gar on Duffins in Pickering/Ajax. Fun fish to catch... scrappy! Very dramatic top-water fight especially in the shallows upstream.

 

Good luck! I'll have to take a trip up to the Ottawa one of these years. Sounds like there's good action there.

[wallyboss]

Whoever catches a 20lbs longnosed Gar should enter it as a Canadian Record. The l canadian record was caught in the Ottawa River. and it was 13.10lbs.

Evinrude Dude next one you catch enter it as a record.

 

 

 

CANADIAN Fishing RECORDS

 

Bass,Largemouth Preston Lake ON 10.43 lbs

Bass,Rock York River ON 3.00 lbs

Bass,Smallmouth Birchbark Lake ON 9.84 lbs

Bass,Striped Mira River NS 54.06 lbs

Bass,White Lake Ontario 3.02 lbs

Bluegill Lake Erie 1.83 lbs

Bowfin Whitefish Lake ON 14.66 lbs

Bullhead,Brown Raleigh Township ON 2.37 lbs

Burbot(Ling) Litle Athapapuskow lk.MB 22.50 lbs

Carp Ganaraska River ON 38.00 lbs

Channel Catfish Red River Manitoba 44.50 lbs

Char,Arctic Tree River,NT 32.56 lbs

Cisco Cedar Lake MB 7.37 lbs

Crappie,Black Hillman whats his name Lake Erie 3.78 lbs

Crappie,White Kratz Pond ON 2.24 lbs

Drum,Freshwater French River ON 20.60 lbs

Fallfish York River ON 2.34 lbs

Gar,Longnose Ottawa River ON 13.10 lbs

[EVINRUDE-DUDE]

WOW WISH I HAD KNOWN THAT ABOUT THE GAR BECAUSE I CAUGHT HIM ON LIGHT LINE AS WELL AND WITHOUT TELLING A FISH TALE HE WAS EASILY 20LBS.NOT A VERY COMMON CATCH AND ALSO A FISH I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT A RECORD.NOT TO MENTION THERE ARE GAR IN THE MUSEUM OF MAN IN OTTAWA IN A FISH TANK.THEY ARE JUST COOL LOOKING FISH AND A N EXPERIENCE TO CATCH.THE OLD GENTLEMAN I MENTIONED WHO ONLY USES THREAD CATCHES THEM QUITE CONSISTENTLY IN THE 20LBS RANGE.QUITE A SITE TO SEE THESE BIG FISH THRASHING AROUND.DID I MENTION AS WELL THAT I WAS IN MY WADERS WHEN I CAUGHT THAT BIG GUY AND TO SEE THIS HUGE FISH WITH A SPEAR ON THE FRONT OF HIS HEAD COMING AT YOU IN HIS ENVIRONMENT IS QUITE SCARY !!

[Terry]

just in case some people don't know, you can turn the capital letters off with the cap lock button it's on the left side most times 3 up from the bottom....if that's the problem

[KyleM]

Maybe thats his way of getting his point across LOL

 

If the record is only 13 lbs then I have caught many record gar.

 

I do have pictures hanging in the shop back home on our fish wall.....

may hafta get them mailed out to me.

[EVINRUDE-DUDE]

????? lolololol

[Raf]

i dont think alot of ppl know what a 20# fish looks like.

[wallyboss]

A 20lbs Gar would be a huge fish. It might have looked like a 20lbs fish!!!!!!!!!!!

[EVINRUDE-DUDE]

Just for you Terry ... no caps lock.Ok i am going to say this as politely as i can .The fish was at least 20lbs i know what a big fish looks like it was close to 4.5ft long and i couldn't get my hands around it.I fish tournaments so my ability to guess fish weight is probably better than most .I really don't care if you believe me or not THE FISH WAS THAT BIG PERIOD(sorry Terry momentary lapse).Why say anything if you don't believe me ? Jealous ?