I did get a 36 incher off the Kankakee last year (while standing in a canoe[:-]), but you just don't see them in large numbers up here, and most are on the smaller side.

I just got back from Lake Mermit near Metropolis Illinois and I saw tons of them in that lake .... I saw more long nose gar than any other fish in that lake.
I got to shot my 1st Long Nose Gar there

Very nice!

I should mention also here that I found some gar in the Des Plaines by Joliet last weekend. It may have been a fluke though since it was the first time I've seen them in three trips.

Isn't that a spotted gar she is holding? My sister just shot the new state long nose record down in the Kaskaskee river below Carlyle dam. 13# 14 oz.Too bad we cannot shoot there any more.

Johnny;
Yep... your right it is a spotted Gar .... I didnt know till Christine told me

That's a neat-looking fish. I saw one in Wisonsin about a month ago. It had an almost diamond-shaped pattern on it's back, down the whole length of it. It was a little less than 3' long, and it had these orange-ish stripes that criss-crossed it's back. Of course, I didn't have my bow, but I was happy to at least see it.

I'm thinking my best bet of shooting some bigger gar anywherenorthwould be Hennepin, and that's so far west, I may as well go to one of the lakes down south.

Is there a field guide to identify rough fish? I don't know my spotted gar from my shortnose gar; mysmallmouth buffalo from my largemouth buffalo; my grassies from my commons... Y'all get the idea.

Judd

As for north of bloomington, we have a fair amount in the Illinois river, especially in the section between Starved Rock and and Peru. We don't seem to get especially big ones (at least I don't) though, but they are there.

For those who did not see this post in the Illinois Bowfishers forum...

Robow commented on Lake Mermet where Lady Forge got the nice gar shown above:
Sounds like it's worth the trip.

Well sounds like Mermet is a good spot for gar but theres a great place where dreams are made....lol