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Fishing Fact
Black bullheads are generally not sought after by Mississippi anglers due to their small size, but these fish can be caught with worms or other natural bait in streams or small ponds.
Description
Black bullheads are full-bodied fish having small eyes and dark chin barbels. The upper jaw protrudes past the lower jaw. A mixture of black, yellow, and brown color the upper sides and back of these fish while the belly is a white color. These fish can reach lengths of over 20 inches and reach weights of 7 pounds or more, though most fish average less than a pound in weight.
Habits and Habitat
Adult black bullheads are bottom feeders, preying mostly on crayfish, aquatic insects, and fish. Black bullheads are found in streams, deep pools, and oxbow lakes. They are also found in reservoirs but do better in smaller water areas. Spawning for the black bullhead varies starting from early spring lasting through the summer when water temperatures are 68ºF to about 72ºF. Unlike other fish, the female usually constructs the nests and will guard it first before the male, and continues to guard it after spawning takes place. Like green sunfish, bullheads often colonize new ponds from existing water bodies and overpopulate and compete with bass and bream.
Other Names
Small bullhead, Mudcat, Smoothie and Polliwog
Scientific Name
Ameiurus melas
State Record
Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record is 5.56 pounds, caught by Harold Alexander in Sunrise Lake in 1988.
Fishing Fact
Yellow bullheads are usually caught on baits intended for bream or catfish. They are generally considered undesirable to anglers due to their small size, which results from their tendency to overpopulate.
Description
Yellow bullheads are moderately robust fish having a rounded or square caudal fin. The chin area is white, including the barbels on the chin. The back and sides of yellow bullheads are usually yellow to yellow-brown in color as their name implies. Compared to the brown bullhead and the black bullhead, the yellow bullhead is usually smaller. These fish can reach weights up to 6 pounds, but most fish are less than a pound. Yellow bullheads live up to 6 years.
Habits and Habitat
Yellow bullheads feed on crayfish, grass shrimp, worms, aquatic insects, beetles, and fish. Yellow bullheads can be found in streams, rivers, and ponds and are commonly seen in oxbow lakes. These fish prefer clear, heavily vegetated water. Spawning begins in spring and continues through early summer. Both the male and female will construct the nest with their fins and shovel material out of the next with their snout. Rocks are also removed with the mouth, and both fish will sit on the nest facing opposite directions.
Other Names
Mudcat, Butter ball, Butter cat, Smoothie, Polliwog, Paper skin, and White whisker bullhead
Scientific Name
Ameiurus natalis
State Record
The Mississippi State Rod and Reel record is 2 pounds 13.5 ounces, caught by Tom Wimberly III in Mossy Lake in 2021.
Fishing Fact
Shortnose gar may be captured by entangling the teeth in nylon threads or by bowfishing. They are rarely fished for intentionally, but are caught accidentally on baits and lures intended for other fish.
Description
Shortnose gar have elongated bodies with a short, broad snout and spots on the tail. The underside is lightly colored with the sides and back of the fish having an olive green color. Shortnose gar may be distinguished from other gar species in that they lack the double row of teeth in the upper jaw of the alligator gar, the long snout of the longnose gar, and the spots of the spotted gar. Shortnose gar are smaller than other gar species in Mississippi, and rarely exceed a length of 3 feet or 5 pounds in weight. These are the smallest of the four different gar species, reaching lengths of 2 to 4 feet.
Habits and Habitat
Adults feed primarily on other fish, but also eat insect larvae and small crawfish, shrimp, and crabs. The shortnose gar prefers quiet back waters of large rivers and oxbow lakes. Shortnose gar spawn in the spring and early summer (April through June) or when temperatures are between 66ºF and 74ºF in vegetated shallow water. Shortnose gar eggs, like other gar eggs, are poisonous.
Other Names
Billy gar, Short-billed gar, Stub-nose gar, Duckbilled gar, or Broadnose gar
Scientific Name
Lepisosteus platostomus
State Record
Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record for the shortnose is 5.83 pounds, caught by Robert Mills in Enid spillway in 1999.
Fishing Fact
Spotted gar may be captured by entangling the teeth in nylon threads or by bowfishing. They are rarely fished for intentionally, but are caught accidentally on baits and lures intended for other fish.
Description
Spotted gar have elongated bodies with a long, broad snout and spots on the head, fins, and body. This gar is a whitish color underneath and olive green on the sides and the back. Spotted gar normally weigh between 1 and 5 pounds, but can reach weights of 20 pounds. Spotted gar can reach lengths of over 3 feet. The spotted gar can live up to 18 years.
Habits and Habitat
Adults feed on insect larvae and small crustaceans, but mostly fish. Spotted gar feed in shallow water at night while staying in deeper water during the day. Spotted gar prefer slow, clear waters of rivers and lakes and will spawn in shallow water with heavy vegetation and little water flow. Spawning season lasts from April to May.
Other Names
Bill fish, Garfish, and Shortnose gar
Scientific Name
Lepisosteus oculatus
State Record
The Mississippi Rod and Reel record for the spotted gar is 8.5 pounds, caught by Jerome Mitchell at Lake Eddins in 2024.
Fishing Fact
Longnose gar often tangle themselves in nets, and are caught by using nylon threads to snare the teeth. Longnose gar often jump repeatedly when hooked. They are also targeted by bowfishers. Some people prefer gar meat fried or smoked.
Description
Longnose gar have an elongated body with a long, narrow snout and black spots on the fins and sides. The sides and back are dark brown or olive green with the belly a white color. Longnose gar normally grow longer than 3 feet, and often reach lengths of over 5 feet. Their weight is usually around 20 pounds, but they can reach weights of up to 40 pounds. Females grow faster and live longer than males. Males usually live 11 years but can live up to 17 years. Females, on the other hand, can live up to 22 years with most living longer than 17 years. In fact, longnose gar can live up to 30 years in captivity.
Habits and Habitat
A longnose gar’s diet consists of fish, particularly shad and sunfishes. Longnose gar are normally found in medium to large rivers but also inhabit oxbow lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries. These fish spawn in the spring in shallow water ranging from 62ºF to 70ºF.
Other Names
Needlenose gar, Billyfish, Pin-nose gar, and Scissorlips
Scientific Name
Lepisosteus osseus
State Record
Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record is 48 pounds 1 ounce, caught by Don Henson in the Sardis Lake Spillway in 2016.
Fishing Fact
Alligator gar are sometimes targeted on rod-and-reel by folks after a true trophy. These fish pull hard, jump often, and fight all the way to the boat and in it!
Description
The name reflects the shape of the alligator gar’s head which resembles an alligator. Alligator gar have a short, broad snout, and the upper jaw has two rows of large teeth. These fish have a cylindrical body that is olive-brown on the back and on the sides. The belly is lighter in color, and dark spots are seen on the fins. The alligator gar is the largest of the gar species. Alligator gar can reach over 9 feet in length and weigh over 300 pounds.
Habits and Habitat
Fish are the main component of the alligator gar’s diet. Alligator gar may also eat ducks and cormorants. Gar in brackish water near the coast prey on blue crabs, mullet, and other fish. Spawning occurs in late spring, in and around dense areas of aquatic vegetation. Alligator gar typically inhabit large river systems, but can also be found in oxbow lakes, bayous, and estuaries. Alligator gar have declined precipitously throughout much of their former range and are most common in south Mississippi.
Other Names
Mississippi alligator gar, Great gar, Gator, and Gator gar
Scientific Name
Atractosteus spatula
State Record
In 2011, the new trophy record alligator gar was caught with bow and arrow; this gar weighed 234 pounds. In the same year, a commercial fisherman in Lake Chotard caught a 327 pound alligator gar in his gill net. It measured 8 feet 5 ½ inches long. Mississippi’s Rod and Reel record is 215 pounds, caught by Earl Stafford in the Mississippi River near Natchez in 2003.
Fishing Fact
Since the Magnolia crappie are sterile, triploid hybrids, they are suitable for small lakes and ponds.
Description
The Magnolia crappie is spawned in a fish hatchery and is a cross between a male black-striped black crappie and a female white crappie. The eggs are subjected to several thousand pounds of pressure resulting in the formation of three sets of chromosomes. The fish are sterile hybrids unable to reproduce.
Habits and Habitat
Habits and habitat are similar to white and black crappie.
Other Names
Blackstripe, Blacknose, Speck, Speckled perch
State Record
The current state record Magnolia crappie was caught by Tom Box from Lake Charlie Capps and weighed 3.46 pounds.
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