Angler Lands World-Record-Breaking Alligator Gar In Texas Lake

Art Weston has broken yet another fishing world record — this time for a massive alligator gar he caught on a 2-pound test line.

The Kentucky angler landed the 7-foot-3-inch, 153-pound prehistoric fish on April 8 in Texas' Lake Livingston with the help of expert guide Captain Kirk Kirkland on his boat, "The Garship Enterprise."

No, we did not make that up.

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Once certified, the gar will set a new International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world record for the largest freshwater fish ever caught on ultra-light tackle. It's the sixth-largest if you count saltwater species.

Weston already has a staggering 81 IGFA world records under his belt, but he's calling this one the "most challenging catch of my life." He battled for four hours to reel in the massive gar.

"This particular fish was very difficult, swimming 8 to 12 feet below the boat, and even resting on the bottom for 10 or more minutes at a time," Weston told Sports Illustrated, adding the gar would not cooperate by coming to the surface for air next to the boat. "Eventually, as she tired, she came up more frequently and Kirk was finally able to grab the steel leader and begin to control the fish." 

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Alligator gar are often referred to as "living fossils" because records of the creatures have been discovered dating back almost 100 million years.

Remarkably, Weston owns every single men’s line-class record (as well as the all-tackle world record) for alligator gar. He's the only angler in IGFA history to accomplish a clean sweep of a single species.

(Getty Images)

So now, Weston focused on breaking his own records — if Kirkland doesn't throw him overboard first.

"I don’t know if we’ll ever get a 200 [on a 2-pound line], right? I mean 153, that’s a big fish," Weston told Outdoor Life. "And Kirkland, he’ll argue that he works harder than I do when we’re using those light lines …You should see the look of murder in his eye when I talk about going after another 2-pound record. He just hates it."

You'd better tip that fishing guide handsomely, Art.

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