The state's 2021 Fish Ohio program will feature for the first time on its collectable pin the Longnose Gar

 

The Ohio Division of Wildlife is breaking the mold regarding which species will enjoy the honor of being displayed on the 2021 Fish Ohio pin.

After rotating through the usual cycle of Walleye, Sunfish, Smallmouth Bass, Steelhead, Crappie, Muskie, Yellow Perch – even the Freshwater Drum and Rock Bass – the Wildlife Division went bold. It has selected the Longnose Gar as the 2021 Fish Ohio pin beauty queen.

The agency’s Fish Ohio program currently recognizes 25 different species, each requiring a minimum length to be eligible for a collectible pin. The program’s species eligibility list does change from time to time.

Gar are hardly the program’s most popular species for entry, however. As of early September only 40 entries for the species were received. The most were coming from the Ohio River with 13 entries. The longest fish was a 50-inch specimen caught from the Scioto River and another 50-inch fish taken from the Ohio River.

The Fish Ohio program’s minimum length requirement for a Longnose (note: not “Longnosed”) Gar is 34 inches. Only the Flathead Catfish and the Blue Catfish (each being 35 inches), and the Muskellunge (40 inches) require longer qualifying lengths.

And to put the 40 gar caught-to-date figure into perspective, the also to-date tally by the end of August of all Fish Ohio applications stood at 7,436 entries. The figure for the same period last year was 7,921 entries.

No matter, as the Wildlife Division tossed the Walleye and the White Bass to the wind, so to speak, going for a new kid on the Fish Ohio pin block.

“We have our regular cast of characters we go to, but we certainly want to spread the ‘love’ around from time to time and include other Ohio game fish species that are a part of the Fish Ohio program,” said Brian Banbury, the Wildlife Division’s executive administrator for information and education.

As for the pins themselves, Banbury says the same supply problems that plagued the delivery of the 2020 Fish Ohio pins continue through to this year. That being, access due to slow shipping and delivery issues as a result of the on-going COVID-19 crisis.

Also Banbury says, the Wildlife Division cannot simply pluck a vendor of its own choosing. The agency must send out bids and wait for various prospective pin makers to return their respective bid packages.

“The bid went out but has not been awarded yet, so we don’t know of any production details, as of yet,” Banbury said.

For way of additional, related, information, the current Ohio hook-and-line state record Longnose Gar measures 49 inches, weighs 25 pounds, and was caught August 31, 1966 from the Ohio River.

The current Ohio bowfishing record for the Longnose Gar measures 53.1 inches, weighs 19.21 Pounds, and was taken May 12, 2011 from Turkeyfoot Lake.

Ohio’s state record fish program is maintained by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio, which works closely with the Ohio Division of Wildlife in proper species identification.

- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn

JFrischk@ameritech.net

JFrischk4@gmail.com