ROME, Ga. — A Georgia angler has caught a new state record!
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division, Rachel Harrison of Adairsville just broke a new state record for catching a 31 lb. 2 oz. longnose gar on March 19 while on the Coosa River.
Her catch replaces the previous 2013 record of 30 lbs. 13 oz.
The agency explained longnose gar, also known as Lepisosteus osseus, are members of the gar family and are considered relics from a large group of primitive fishes. Longnose gar have an elongated body, are greenish-black on top and yellow toward the belly.
They have black spots along their sides and fins. A long, narrow snout contains many sharp needle-like teeth. They prefer weedy areas of deep or shallow lakes and streams. Gar feed primarily on other fish.
Scott Robinson, Chief of Fisheries for the Wildlife Resources Division congratulated Harrison for her record-breaking catch.
“Congrats to Rachel Harrison! State records do not get broken every day, so for Georgia to have three new records in this short time span just shows you that our waters are producing great fish right now," he said.
With this being Georgia's third state record caught within the last four months, Robinson said he's excited about the next record.
"Who will catch the next one?" he said.