Current:Home > ScamsFisherman breaks NY state record for species considered living dinosaur-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Fisherman breaks NY state record for species considered living dinosaur
View Date:2024-12-23 16:44:04
A Hilton, New York, man returned home with a huge fish story.
Chuck Zimmerman set a New York state record for longnose gar, the state Department of Environmental Conservation announced.
Zimmerman hooked the monster 15-pound, 14-ounce fish on Butterfield Lake in Redwood, Jefferson County. It toppled the previous record, which stood since 2018, by 1 pound, 4 ounces.
Zimmerman used a topwater swimbait and was fishing on an annual weeklong friends trip when he caugt the gar, which measured more than 53 inches. The world record longnose gar is 60 inches in Mississippi in 2017.
The longnose gar is considered a living dinosaur as the species dates back 100 million years to the Cretaceous Period. The fish have long, cylindrical bodies and are grayish to olive in color. Their long needle-like snouts are filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth.
The gar have thick scales that doesn't make them susceptible to many natural predators once they reach full size, and are often found in shallow weedy areas near the water's surface. In New York, most populations are in the St. Lawrence River, Niagara River, Lake Champlain and eastern Lake Ontario, and the larger tributaries to those waters. They eat fish along with frogs, snakes, turtles and waterfowl.
"DEC congratulates Mr. Zimmerman on an impressive catch," DEC interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said. "From the Hudson River to the St. Lawrence River, Lake George to Chautauqua Lake, New York waterways support strong, healthy fish populations and provide world-class fishing opportunities for anglers of every level."
The DEC has a newly overhauled Angler Achievement Awards Program, which tracks individual achievements and state fishing records. Anglers can enter freshwater fish that meet qualifying criteria to officially document their catch and receive species-specific stickers.
veryGood! (72823)
Related
- Sean Diddy Combs' Lawyers File New Motion for Bail, Claiming Evidence Depicts a Consensual Relationship
- Migrant caravan slogs on through southern Mexico with no expectations from a US-Mexico meeting
- As migration surges, immigration court case backlog swells to over 3 million
- Israel launches heavy strikes across central and southern Gaza after widening its offensive
- Veterans face challenges starting small businesses but there are plenty of resources to help
- Former Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif will seek a fourth term in office, his party says
- Hey, that gift was mine! Toddler opens entire family's Christmas gifts at 3 am
- Indiana mom Rebekah Hubley fights to keep her adopted, disabled son Jonas from being deported
- 'Red One' review: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans embark on a joyless search for Santa
- Indiana mom Rebekah Hubley fights to keep her adopted, disabled son Jonas from being deported
Ranking
- Skai Jackson announces pregnancy with first child: 'My heart is so full!'
- The year in clean energy: Wind, solar and batteries grow despite economic challenges
- Taylor Swift's Game Day Nods to Travis Kelce Will Never Go Out of Style
- Kanye West posts Hebrew apology to Jewish community ahead of 'Vultures' album release
- Mike Tyson emerges as heavyweight champ among product pitchmen before Jake Paul fight
- Taylor Swift called Travis Kelce's 'wife' by Tony Romo; singer comforts Brittany Mahomes
- Almcoin Trading Center: The Opportunities and Risks of Inscription
- Teenager Najiah Knight wants to be the first woman at bull riding’s top level. It’s an uphill dream
Recommendation
-
Stop smartphone distractions by creating a focus mode: Video tutorial
-
Almcoin Trading Exchange: The Debate Over Whether Cryptocurrency is a Commodity or a Security?
-
Authorities identify remains found by hikers 47 years ago near the Arizona-Nevada border
-
North Korea’s Kim boasts of achievements as he opens key year-end political meeting
-
Trump pledged to roll back protections for transgender students. They’re flooding crisis hotlines
-
What is Boxing Day? Learn more about the centuries-old tradition
-
North Dakota Republican leaders call on state rep to resign after slurs to police during DUI stop
-
How removing 4 dams will return salmon to the Klamath River and the river to the people