Mako Shark Jumps into Boat With Fishermen

A story recently just broke of a 300+ pound mako shark supposedly jumping into the boat of a couple fishermen. According to them they were about 40 miles south of New York when the shark grabbed some bait of theirs and then shortly after managed to jump into the boat. They say once into the boat the shark really started acting crazy and was attacking everything it could get its jaws on that was nearby in the boat, including the floor of the boat, in-which it managed to puncture some minor holes into and this made the boat start to take on water! Everything turned out ok for the fishermen with the exception of some damages to gear and the boat. 

This is not the first time there has been a story of mako sharks jumping into a boat, this shark species is known for this pretty well actually. Mako sharks are the athletes of the shark world, they actually are the fastest shark on earth, and can really get some big air time jetting upwards out of the water. Check out the video below to learn more about this story.

Longnose Gar

The longnose gar which is also known by its scientific name (Lepisosteus osseus) is commonly confused with the alligator gar, and while they both have similar features they are entirely different breeds of fish, although they both reside in the same gar family of fish. These fish are most recognizable by their black spotted scale pattern and their long extremely narrow snouts, similar to other gar species, and in these jaws are dozens of needle like teeth, which is how the longnose gar got its other common name the needlenose gar! 

Unlike their big brother the alligator gar, longnose gar rarely grow over a few feet in length, and not much more than 25 lbs in weight. Female longnose gar can lay upto 30,000 eggs every year, and these eggs are laced with a poison that is dangerous to other animals and even humans! The longnose gar can be found in lakes and rivers or even brackish water covering much of the Eastern half of North America.

Alligator Gar Pictures

Do Alligator Gar Attack Humans?

While alligator gar fish have in the past been considered man eaters, that is far from the truth. There have been many reports of supposed alligator gar attacks dating back 100+ years, but none of these attacks have ever been confirmed with any real proof. You've got to understand how this species hunts to fully understand why humans are not on their diet. You see, it is highly unlikely that a alligator gar attack would ever happen because these fish only hunt creatures it can swallow whole! While alligator gar fish may grow very large and look scary they still have a very narrow mouth and jaws, so the size of animals they could potentially swallow whole is very limited, and most certainly humans even smaller children are checked off their list of possible prey. 

Largest Alligator Gar Ever Caught - World Record Alligator Gar Fish

In the early 1900's and back there were tales of huge alligator gar fish patrolling the water of the USA, some reports of 10+ footers! Whether these stories were true or not we may never know, especially when you consider that the environment is just not the same anymore, the alligator gar population has been slowly killed off. These alligator fish that used to get the chance to live for decades and grow accordingly just don't get that opportunity anymore, so it is a real treat when I giant is found or spotted.

After doing some extensive research I have located the confirmed largest alligator gar ever caught and confirmed, but the thing is there are different alligator gar records depending on how the person when about catching the fish, so I list all of them.

First there is the record for catching a alligator gar fish with rod & reel which was actually set way back in 1951 and has yet to be beat, this alligator gar weighed 279 lbs. There were no pictures of this catch for years, until a relative found a photo and eventually made it public many years later(the picture below).

The current record alligator gar caught with a net was set recently in 2011 by Kenny Williams in Mississippi. He snagged this large 327 lb specimen.

If you are familiar with alligator gar fishing then you would know it's very hard to catch this gar with the usual rod & reel tactic, this is because of their bony jaws. So it comes to no surprise that the world record alligator gar was caught by bow-fishing, this is the way most anglers fish for this species.

The biggest alligator gar ever was caught in 1991 with bow-fishing, it weighed in at 365 lbs and measured 9'6" in length. This is still the largest confirmed alligator gar ever recorded to day! (picture of catch below)

Alligator Gar - Alligator Fish

The alligator gar is a large freshwater fish native to only North American waters. This species of fish is probably my favorite fish found in the freshwater of North America, because you see I am from America, and there is just something about this massive majestic fish that I find so amazing. The fact that a intimidating fish reaching 400+ pounds can reside right in my back yard I just find fascinating, and the thing is most American residents don't even realize this!

I consider the alligator gar fish the greatest North American freshwater fish. For one the alligator fish is the largest entirely freshwater fish found on North America, but this paired with it's thick alligator like scale amour plating & ability to survive in low oxygen water or even entirely out of the water for long periods of time makes it the ultimate fish of its continent!