The Ottawa River is home to Canada’s biggest and baddest longnose gar. Look through the OFAH online registry and you will see the history of claimed fish dating back to 1994, when a first gar was brought to the scale. That fish, and every one of ’em since, from the Ottawa.

I remember in spring 2009 when friend Rob Jackson broke the 15.2-pound record that had held since 2001. We were fishing together early June when he excitedly told me about it.

Two years later, buddy Pat Boyd and I were in a back bay hunting ’em when we both spotted an absolute tank of a gar cruising through the shallow reeds. It was hard to keep up with it, and as the fish moved out to the deep we couldn’t manage the bohemuth to bite. Upon turning around to head back towards shore, minutes later in those muddy waters I spotted the shadow of a “decent” fish lurking just below the surface. That May 20th, 2011, a 16lb, 7oz gar was boated, my new personal best. Over the moon; “CrocSocks” Pat named it, it was just like that I had easily broken the Canadian record but, I didn’t keep the fish. Again, Pat and I had both chased a much, much larger gar moments before, so it seemed kind of absurd to keep a fish that clearly was not any real record contender.
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After hearing of my catch, the following week on May 24th Rob Jackson privately posted another big catch of his own. Surprisingly he did not keep it for a new record, despite a claim of it being 18lbs and a few ounces. Calling Rob the following day I congratulated him, acknowledging that much bigger fish than his record do in fact swim, and he just proved it by catching one of them. Another week later on May 30th, my father was fishing with me when he reeled in a 53-inch, 16lb, 6oz beast, showing again that the 15.8lb record in the registry books was merely an average big and beatable fish. Ending our outing that awesome day with Dad we were met at the launch. Already having been told earlier that week to not bother sharing my record beating, personal best catches and gar fishing online, apparently now I was NOT to fish gar on the Ottawa river as well. I remember my father looking puzzled and saying to me, “I thought you guys were friends?” To which I replied, “I thought so too..?” Catching big gar ruffled some feathers but I wasn’t about to stop.

Spring 2012 arrived and unbeknownst to me until finally announced in the winter of 2013, Rob Jackson again had caught and kept a large gar to bump up his Canadian record. On the 12th of May 2012, his 20.1 pound, 54-inch long by 18.5-inch wide fish fell to a crankbait in a favorite bay of ours. It was two days afterwards, on Monday May 14th, that while fishing with my regular partner Mike in a different area, he shot some video after I hooked and then reeled in a 20.25 pound, 54-inch longnose gar of my own. (you can find that old report here at the site) I did not keep the fish. For what seemed a long time I held it there in the water off the side of the boat, a memory like it was yesterday, but three bigger fish flashed through my mind then and convinced it was not a record that could hold, I chose to let it go. Mike was very, very surprised by the release, for again, Rob Jackson’s record of 15.8lbs was obliterated by that catch and even his 20.1-pound fish would have fallen to it as well. Remember telling Mike afterwards though, that I’d rather keep looking ahead and chasing for the real record, than look over my shoulder having anything less be chased. An attitude proven time and again over the coming decade.
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Rob Jackson’s 20.1 pound gar would stand for two seasons until another angler, Steven Grail, in July of 2014 I believe not even fishing gar hooked and kept a 21.2lb, 51.5″L x 20″W for the new and current longnose gar Canadian record. Well, that is a short but very girthy Ottawa River fish! I didn’t actually learn of Steven’s new record for about two years after it was caught, but once I did, it made me happy to know that every one of those big sized fish I had been releasing were all done right by… It is a funny thing to think too, that a 44lb longnose gar caught in 2017 from the Trinity River in Texas holds the current world record, and so what really am I or any one of us fishing for record gar in Canada striving for other than our own personal goals or needs? A Texas fish more than double the Canadian record gar yet still, I believe around 60-inches in length..? It’s simply just another big, fat, shorter, (I guess?) super girthy gar! Albeit in my soul, and by my nature, I know that usually each time out that I fish “for me,” it is to better and be better than the last time, however it can be done. That’s how big fish get hooked and bested time and again, how we learn and grow, and how angler’s also become obsessed (possessed) within the chase too. It’s the jam that makes many passionate anglers passionate and good at angling.

2013 I caught back-to-back gar weighing in at 19.5 and 19.75 pounds, after those fish I’d stop weighing gar for the next five years until one day, one big catch just got me curious. Prior to that time though, Tyler Manthey and his mother Margie were in my boat 2017 when he caught a 55.5 incher that we didn’t weigh. In hindsight, I wish we did because it was for a very short time the longest fish to be caught in my boat, and Tyler one of the biggest fellas to ever come aboard. His gar had some girth and maybe it could have been a contender? 2017 was a great gar season that came on the heels of a number of years many 50+ inch fish were caught but, no absolute super, super-tankers. There was also rumor of a gar caught by angler Brandon Sheard, it can be found online, a long looking but rather anorexic fish said to have taped out a 57 inches. Now that’s a helluva long longnose, the longest Ottawa River fish I have personally heard claim of. Those were some good years to remember though. My personal gar drive waxing and waning throughout that period, Bren and the girls joined me more often, and friends too, which made it better. There were numerous outings when four 50+ inchers were caught in a day, and a few logged of five and even six fish that size boated in one outing, the anglers onboard during those amazing moments made the memories even greater. Anyone who came aboard for gar really, truly had a good time.
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The following four springs from 2018 into 2021 presented interesting conditions. Two flood years, two near drought years, drastically fluctuating water levels, shortened seasons by order of our Government and Covid and also, water temps that just seemed to bounce up-and-down affecting gar behavior. In 2017 and 2018 I took a 55.5-inch and 56-inch gar that had the larger fish and first weighed in years stopping the scale at over 19 pounds. Seemingly wrapped up in greater length and looking for that fish to have girth, I hunted hard for that one-of-a-kind giant fish. Nowadays I have realized that 55+ inch gar should automatically get the scale, because they won’t necessarily look like they have as much girth. In some respects though, there have been so many fish over 50-inches (nearly 200 in fact) that one may have possibly had the right girth to take the Canadian Record but, I stood and still stand firm in belief that one such fish would only have just “nudged” out the weight. Have seen sooooo many thousands of gar over the past 14 years that experience knows what is what. Some fish not caught in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2018 and I think it was 2020 or 2021 that still kinda haunt me, they were just so big, so weary, spooky and moved so fast to escape. Personally, I think any next record could as easily be another 53 to 54-inch fish that just has the right guts. If it’s a 51.5X20″ that holds 21.2lb, 52’s to 54’s are numerous and commonplace in my boat, every season. It’s that particular length which seems to present the healthiest specimens too, those late in life fish yet still in their prime, ya know? A 55+ with the right girth is surely the great goal and imagine, if that gar has the body proportions of the current record..? Maybe a fish that recently finished eating six bullfrogs and a couple ducklings..? I’d predict that gar be around the 23 pound mark at least, but a 25 could seal the deal and with me, kinda always has since around the time of CrocSocks… A recent Texas fish with solid girth at 58-inches in length, was weighed at a little over 30 pounds.
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2020 Leah reeled in a gar which measured 54-inches possessing awesome girth. It was so close, at 20.5 pounds we were just 0.8 shy of besting the record. Had she been over, because she did reel it in I would have given her choice to keep and claim it if she wanted to. And then in 2021 fishing with long-time friend Christine, she bested me on the cast, sealing the deal on her largest and most amazing gar, a 20.25 pound super chunk that I thought for sure had the guts to take the glory. Maybe I need a new scale, because both these women hoisted fish considerably longer than the present record, with plenty girth to show.
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For some of this season I worked kinda hard to find a giant again. So many days on the water I will go hours and hours looking at hundreds of gar and never take a cast. There have been a number of afternoons when it’s near time to call it a day, that I say to myself, best just nab a 50+ incher for a photo and memory of the time. Otherwise, even those low 50’s while on the hunt might often just be passed on by. Have come to believe through watching the giants that, fish stung today are blown opportunities tomorrow. That, consistent and growing angler pressure which casts at anything decent will affect tomorrows best of the best fish catching chances… this shouldn’t even really need to be said though, it’s common sense with all fish and fishing. The gar over the past decade, the 40-inchers that grew to 50’s now, have been stung once, twice and maybe many, many times. They are being imprinted. They hear you coming and they don’t just stay put or slowly swim away like they used to, they bolt! They rip out of the shallows so fast these days and when they do, they often take most other fish that are nearby, with them. The gar have become conditioned to anglers, how much more conditioning is to come, remains to be seen..? The once safely forgotten or over-looked gar, now realizes it is preyed upon. The effectiveness of anglers on the Ottawa has grown leaps and bounds in the past 15 years. One just needs to look at the OFAH records to see support of this. Even some earlier season fish not yet hassled after the winter ice has melted away, still remember a season later to run when anglers give them a clue. Gar recognize the sounds of a trolling motor and, they even recognize the sounds and vibrations of certain lures hitting the water or passing them by. It is an incredible study on one hand, yet sometimes frustrating as an angler who today has to be that much more cunning and careful while hunting. To consider taking the cast at a questionably low 50-inch which actually gives me the chance, is something that in yesteryears was a no brainer. Today, if I didn’t think other friends or gar anglers might just come in and peg it next day anyways, or I wouldn’t mind having one picture fish for the day, there’s good chance I’ll leave it alone.

When I moved home to Ottawa from the north in 2009, gar was a fish, a fishery and fishing style that was easy to appreciate and had so little pressure at the time. Used to often fishing alone in the north, besides Rob Jackson; who before my arrival was putting in more gar time than anyone, only a few guys I know were into fishing gar but mostly nobody did at all. Lucky that for nearly the past decade I haven’t had to work much anymore in the springtime, pretty well retired now May through November so, there have been many, many days to enjoy the hunt, alone and with friends, with not another gar angler to be seen. It is during those times countless hours have been spent watching these fish and wondering so much about them.

Many gar over 50-inches this year along with numerous potential 50’s passed up in search of a real deal big fish. Managed ten outings too, which is about the normal for my season. Biggest measured 55-inches but not weighed. It was one fish that I wanted to, but my kiddo had actually borrowed the scale to weigh her luggage before departing to Costa Rica, and so it was sitting forgotten on my dresser at home. Good girth, and thinking this would have been close! Anyhow, a nice one to find and hope to see her again at 56 with a few muskrats in her belly, she is a contender, a nice picture for this season and I am hoping she forgets all about our encounter come next time.
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Some of the other solid fish aboard Bambalam this spring.
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Don’t know when or if that record is gonna come but do know, that during the chase I have been fortunate enough to be a part of an emerging gar fishery which has been shown and grown from an early stage. No longer is a 13 or 15-pounder holding record like when I started with it. No longer are people clueless as to how they can better their chances of catching one. The gar game has adapted to include it’s own special rules and tools that make its fishing a unique angling experience. Fishing enthusiasts like myself and a handful of others, have put gar on the map, and so if you’re looking for the best of it, the compass points straight to the Ottawa River.

If for me that truest of true big records exists or is one day going to exist, it’s home will be on the Ottawa. And so I suppose for as long as any longnose can actually be, that is reason enough to go on the record and keep fishing gar, “for the record.”
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Bunk.
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