Friend of mine caught an estimated 180 lb Alligator Gar on the Brazos River Saturday. He released the gar. The guy fishes for these monsters with a 7t Big Water Ugly Stick, Penn 209, 85 lb Power Pro, steel leader, 5/0 treble hook, large Billy Bob catfish float for a strike indicator, and a hunk of fish that probably weighs a pound or more. This one was caught on a large fresh water mullet he'd kept frozen for just this purpose.
How does this fit into kayak and canoe fishing? That's his transport to get to the gravel bars he sets up on. Also, like the guys that fish for shark and other large fish, he uses his yak to take the bait out to deeper water.
BTW, the length of the fish was 83", girth 34.5. According to one calculator I looked at, that would be an over 200 lb fish, but I'll take his word for it being 180 lbs. A whale of a fish.
Dang!
Probably about 20 lbs of teeth on an alligator gar that big. Better him than me.
- Big D
His “deckhand” in the adventure was
his 11 year old daughter. She held the rod tight while he waded into the shallow water and put a noose around its mouth, rope around the body, so he could drag it ashore and measure it. He caught a 100 lb gar the day before and the daughter caught a 50 lb one. The girl is going to be spoiled. No man will measure up if he can’t catch large fish.
World Record is
279 lbs for a 'Gator-Gar. I had to look.
From Texas Rio Grande River, reports
of 300+ ones on trotlines have been recorded. I think a 290+ was taken by bow on Lake Sam Rayburn. Too bad, it takes many decades for one to get that size.
pics?
Without pictures it never happened!
Want pictures, here’s a bunch:
http://texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=63677&highlight=moby