Longnose Gar Sets New Maryland Record

Prehistoric fish caught in Maryland is new state record

A Dorchester County fisherman is the new Maryland state record holder for a prehistoric fish.

Samson Matthews, 22, of Hurlock, wasn't seeking anything so spectacular when he went fishing with a friend on Monday.

Brooke Thomas used to bow hunt for Longnose Gar

Matthews was near El Dorado Bridge along Marshyhope Creek looking for blue catfish when he suddenly felt a firm tug on his line, according to a news release from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

“I didn’t even know what it was at first,” Matthews said in the release.

Both anglers knew they had a potential record-breaker once they pulled the fish aboard.

DNR biologists identified the fish as a longnose gar, a fish known for its long nose and hard scales, according to the release.

The whopping 18.3 pound catch just barely beat Dorchester County man David Confair's January 2019 longnose gar catch of 17.9 pounds.

I've caught exactly one Longnose Gar in my life; it was an accidental catch while I was fishing for Largemouth Bass and Northern Snakeheads on Mattawoman Creek. That trip was documented here, Bass, Snakeheads and Gar, Oh My!

There is a much bigger gar, the Alligator Gar, which lives in the Mississippi Basin, but not Maryland.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Joy Harmon up on time at The Other McCain.