Texas Angler’s 153-Pound Alligator Gar Awaits World Record Confirmation
Luke Cuenco 04.29.25
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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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).”
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
