Fisherman in Georgia reels in 27-pound longnose gar, may be largest in Lake Allatoona history

Longnose gar measuring a little over 59 inches breaks Lake Allatoona record in Georgia

A man has broken a local fishing record in Georgia, and he’s being recognized by state wildlife authorities.

Fisherman Caleb McClure caught a 27-pound, four-ounce longnose gar from Lake Allatoona on June 24, according to a recent press release issued by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

The 27-pound fish reportedly measured nearly 60 inches in length.

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On Friday, June 30, McClure’s lake-specific, record-breaking gar was recognized in the weekly "Georgia Fishing Report," where the wildlife agency acknowledged the catch beat the "previous Allatoona lake record by 15 pounds."

Caleb McClure, an angler who visited Lake Allatoona on June 24, caught a 59.6-inch longnose gar, which broke a local fishing record. (Georgia Department of Natural Resources)

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The Georgia DNR believes McClure’s catch could be the "largest longnose gar ever documented" because it eclipses the "24-pounder" the wildlife agency "captured during gillnet sampling in the fall of 2021," according to the Georgia Fishing Report.

Caleb McClure's record-breaking longnose gar weighed 27.25 pounds as seen on the weighing scale's final number recorded. (Georgia Department of Natural Resources)

Lake Allatoona is a 12,010-acre reservoir located in north Atlanta suburbs, primarily in Bartow County and Cherokee County.

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The overall state fishing record for the largest longnose gar belongs to angler Rachel Harrison, who caught a 31-pound, two-ounce, gar from the Coosa River on March 19, 2022.

The length of Caleb McClure's record-breaking longnose gar measured nearly five feet, according to the Georgia DNR. (Georgia Department of Natural Resources)

Rachel Harrison broke Georgia longnose gar record in March 2022 with her 31-pound catch, according to the Georgia DNR. (Wildlife Resources Division - Georgia DNR)

Longnose gars are a ray-finned freshwater fish that are present in multiple regions in the United States.

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The U.S. Geological Survey considers longnose gar to be a "native transplant" that have a presence in Lake Eerie, Lake Michigan, the Mississippi River basin, the Gulf Coast, the Apalachicola River and the Nueces River.

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