A 327-pound alligator gar may be largest caught

  • Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    February 21, 2011 at 10:34 pm #1222190

    Seems no sooner did Outposts mention the International Game Fish Assn. all-tackle world record for alligator gar in a Wednesday post than word comes that the record may be bested.

    Angler Kenny Williams of Vicksburg, Miss., landed an alligator gar Monday that tipped the scales at 327 pounds, possibly a new record for the species. The current IGFA record belongs to a 279-pounder pulled from the Rio Grande in Texas in 1951.

    The fish, caught by Williams in Mississippi’s Chotard Lake, measured 8 feet, 5 1/4 inches with a 47.95-inch girth.

    “At first I didn’t think he was that big. But as I was getting him into the boat, it was like, ‘How big is this thing?’ It was a lot of effort just to get him into the boat,” Williams told ABC affiliate WAPT-TV in Jackson, Miss.

    Williams donated his catch to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson, where it will be mounted and placed on display.

    — Kelly Burgess

    twitter.com/latimesoutposts

    Link<<<

    nic-habeck
    Lake Mills, WI
    Posts: 831
    February 21, 2011 at 11:02 pm #940163

    Yikes… Did he bite on the water spike?

    Czech
    Cottage Grove, MN
    Posts: 1574
    February 21, 2011 at 11:38 pm #940172

    Honestly? How do you get that in a boat? Really. A 40 lb flathead is work enough, but that thing with teeth and all? Not me!

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    February 21, 2011 at 11:49 pm #940178

    That article left a lot of questions for sure.

    HUGE animal!

    jeremy-liebig
    mpls
    Posts: 1455
    February 22, 2011 at 12:54 am #940200

    WOWwowWoW! Hope to hear the rest of the story.

    VSRangerMan
    Chippewa Falls,WI
    Posts: 554
    February 22, 2011 at 1:51 am #940219

    NO WAY that dang thing would be gettin in my boat! Holy crap Hannah.

    Ron Johnsen
    Platteville wi
    Posts: 2969
    February 22, 2011 at 10:57 am #940249

    WOW its a biggin

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    February 22, 2011 at 11:19 am #940252

    Quote:

    Seems no sooner did Outposts mention the International Game Fish Assn. all-tackle world record for alligator gar in a Wednesday post than word comes that the record may be bested.

    Angler Kenny Williams

    Kinda misleading…but nets make a lot more sense.

    Either way…scary looking thing!

    Thanks for the video find!

    farmboy1
    Mantorville, MN
    Posts: 3668
    February 22, 2011 at 1:29 pm #940287

    Dang, another thing to throw on my bucket list. I don’t care, I would snuggle up next to that thing in my boat. I got lots of fingers, I could give up a couple

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    February 22, 2011 at 2:23 pm #940318

    I hope to make it down to the Trinity River one more time before I kick the bucket. I’m not so concerned about catching a 300 pounder…but I would like a shot at a 200.

    farmboy1
    Mantorville, MN
    Posts: 3668
    February 22, 2011 at 2:50 pm #940327

    Quote:

    I hope to make it down to the Trinity River one more time before I kick the bucket. I’m not so concerned about catching a 300 pounder…but I would like a shot at a 200.

    When are we going

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    February 22, 2011 at 2:58 pm #940328

    Not this year…I don’t think.

    We would need to tow a flatbottom down there and change out the little 80 pound test Masterbraid to 150 pound test. It would be nice to have the bank pole holders with remote alarms, but I think we could get away with out that expense.

    Two day drive…4 both ways and two days of fishing. Pretty much shoots a week. Then if we pick the exact day a hurricane comes in…

    I scoped out plenty of locations and feel very confident that I could get on fish…just bait and time getting in the way.

    jeremy-liebig
    mpls
    Posts: 1455
    February 22, 2011 at 4:19 pm #940382

    Quote:

    Not this year…I don’t think.

    We would need to tow a flatbottom down there and change out the little 80 pound test Masterbraid to 150 pound test. It would be nice to have the bank pole holders with remote alarms, but I think we could get away with out that expense.

    Two day drive…4 both ways and two days of fishing. Pretty much shoots a week. Then if we pick the exact day a hurricane comes in…

    I scoped out plenty of locations and feel very confident that I could get on fish…just bait and time getting in the way.


    Count me in if this ever happens!

    Czech
    Cottage Grove, MN
    Posts: 1574
    February 22, 2011 at 4:57 pm #940398

    I’m in! Heck I’ll drive! Where do you get 150lb suffix?

    whiskeyandwater
    ????
    Posts: 2014
    February 25, 2011 at 1:01 pm #941372

    I can see it now

    IDO Alligator Gar,”what else better do we have to do with our time”, GTG!!!

    If I can have a line in for walleye’s I’ll join.

    No BK the walleye would not be to use for bait.

    Ralph Wiggum
    Maple Grove, MN
    Posts: 11764
    February 25, 2011 at 1:14 pm #941377

    I’ve been itching to make a trip to Texas for several years to hunt for these beasts. My aunt and uncle live between Dallas and Ft. Worth…

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