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Texas Angler’s 153-Pound Alligator Gar Awaits World Record Confirmation
Kentucky angler Art Weston may have made fishing history on April 8, landing a 153-pound, 7-foot-3-inch alligator gar in Lake Livingston, Texas. Guided by Captain Kirk Kirkland on the “Garship Enterprise,” Weston’s four-hour, two-mile battle with the prehistoric giant is a pending International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world record for the largest freshwater fish caught on a 2-pound test line, pending independent confirmation. This catch adds to Weston’s tally of over 40 IGFA records, though official verification is needed to confirm its record-breaking status.
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Photo: Art Weston
Texas Angler’s 153-Pound Alligator Gar Awaits World Record Confirmation
Weston aimed to surpass the existing 110-pound alligator gar record on ultra-light tackle, a feat he described in a Facebook post: “Sharing what was my most challenging catch of my life… We caught this 153 pound, 7 foot 3 inch Alligator Gar on just 2 pound test. It took nearly 4 hours to land, and we chased it for over 2 miles in Lake Livingston, Texas.” Using 6-foot steel leaders and J-hooks per IGFA rules, Weston and Kirkland set a feather-light reel drag to tire the fish. “You can’t rely on force with such fragile tackle,” Weston told Fox Weather. The gar dove 8-12 feet deep, resting on the lake bottom for over 10 minutes at a time, testing their endurance.
After nearly losing the fish when the line tangled, Kirkland secured it with a rope. The team weighed and measured the gar on a certified scale, then released it alive into Lake Livingston. If certified, the catch could rank as the largest freshwater fish on a 2-pound test line and the sixth-largest across all species. Weston praised Kirkland’s role: “Huge thanks to Kirk, as it was such a hard catch – we worked so hard to land her (almost lost her).”
Photo: Art Weston
Alligator gars, dubbed “living fossils,” have thrived for 100 million years, with fossils from the Cretaceous period. Native to the southern U.S., they can exceed 8 feet and 300 pounds, like a 327-pound Mississippi catch in 2011. Their toothy snouts and armored scales belie their non-aggressive nature, feeding on fish and crustaceans. Many anglers dismiss them as “trash fish” for their abundance and lack of culinary appeal, but Weston told McClatchy News: “They’re amazing, they can jump, they’re huge, they’re abundant.”
These air-breathing fish, which can survive hours out of water and live up to 100 years, are a thrilling challenge. Conservation efforts have revived their populations, though some, like ecologist Solomon David, criticize practices like bowfishing that kill these giants. Weston, holder of every men’s line-class record for alligator gar, and Kirkland, with over 100 IGFA records, are light-tackle experts. In 2023, they landed a 283-pound gar on a 6-pound line, breaking a 72-year-old record. Their catch-and-release ethos ensures gars thrive. This 153-pound gar, likely 50-80 years old, showcases the alligator gar’s allure as a fishing target and Weston’s raw skill as a record-seeking angler. As the IGFA reviews the pending record, the fishing world awaits confirmation of this epic catch.
Source: Art Weston’s Facebook, Fox Weather
The post Texas Angler’s 153-Pound Alligator Gar Awaits World Record Confirmation appeared first on OutdoorHub.
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Texas Angler’s 153-Pound Alligator Gar Awaits World Record Confirmation
Kentucky angler Art Weston may have made fishing history on April 8, landing a 153-pound, 7-foot-3-inch alligator gar in Lake Livingston, Texas. Guided by Captain Kirk Kirkland on the “Garship Enterprise,” Weston’s four-hour, two-mile battle with the prehistoric giant is a pending International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world record for the largest freshwater fish caught on a 2-pound test line, pending independent confirmation. This catch adds to Weston’s tally of over 40 IGFA records, though official verification is needed to confirm its record-breaking status.
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Photo: Art Weston
Texas Angler’s 153-Pound Alligator Gar Awaits World Record Confirmation
Weston aimed to surpass the existing 110-pound alligator gar record on ultra-light tackle, a feat he described in a Facebook post: “Sharing what was my most challenging catch of my life… We caught this 153 pound, 7 foot 3 inch Alligator Gar on just 2 pound test. It took nearly 4 hours to land, and we chased it for over 2 miles in Lake Livingston, Texas.” Using 6-foot steel leaders and J-hooks per IGFA rules, Weston and Kirkland set a feather-light reel drag to tire the fish. “You can’t rely on force with such fragile tackle,” Weston told Fox Weather. The gar dove 8-12 feet deep, resting on the lake bottom for over 10 minutes at a time, testing their endurance.
After nearly losing the fish when the line tangled, Kirkland secured it with a rope. The team weighed and measured the gar on a certified scale, then released it alive into Lake Livingston. If certified, the catch could rank as the largest freshwater fish on a 2-pound test line and the sixth-largest across all species. Weston praised Kirkland’s role: “Huge thanks to Kirk, as it was such a hard catch – we worked so hard to land her (almost lost her).”
Photo: Art Weston
Alligator gars, dubbed “living fossils,” have thrived for 100 million years, with fossils from the Cretaceous period. Native to the southern U.S., they can exceed 8 feet and 300 pounds, like a 327-pound Mississippi catch in 2011. Their toothy snouts and armored scales belie their non-aggressive nature, feeding on fish and crustaceans. Many anglers dismiss them as “trash fish” for their abundance and lack of culinary appeal, but Weston told McClatchy News: “They’re amazing, they can jump, they’re huge, they’re abundant.”
These air-breathing fish, which can survive hours out of water and live up to 100 years, are a thrilling challenge. Conservation efforts have revived their populations, though some, like ecologist Solomon David, criticize practices like bowfishing that kill these giants. Weston, holder of every men’s line-class record for alligator gar, and Kirkland, with over 100 IGFA records, are light-tackle experts. In 2023, they landed a 283-pound gar on a 6-pound line, breaking a 72-year-old record. Their catch-and-release ethos ensures gars thrive. This 153-pound gar, likely 50-80 years old, showcases the alligator gar’s allure as a fishing target and Weston’s raw skill as a record-seeking angler. As the IGFA reviews the pending record, the fishing world awaits confirmation of this epic catch.
Source: Art Weston’s Facebook, Fox Weather
The post Texas Angler’s 153-Pound Alligator Gar Awaits World Record Confirmation appeared first on OutdoorHub.
Continue reading...