New World Record: Monster 7-Foot Alligator Gar Caught on 2-Pound Test Line

Fishing world record expert, Art Weston is at it again! After lighting up the internet last year with his giant Mille Lacs muskie, he has now caught what will be certified as the largest freshwater fish ever caught on 2-pound test line.

Art Weston lands a 153-lb alligator gar on 2-lb test. Once approved it will set a new IGFA world record as the largest freshwater fish ever caught on ultra-light tackle. / Art Weston

Who Is Art Weston? The Man Behind So Many IGFA Records

On April 8th, renowned fishing record angler, Art Weston, completed the unlikely goal of catching an alligator gar of more than 110 pounds on 2-pound test line. Last October, Weston set an all-tackle record for the largest muskie ever released alive. Once approved, this alligator gar will be Weston’s 81st International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world record catch, so it was definitely not a lucky accident. Fishing Lake Livingston in Texas with his guide, Captain Kirk Kirkland aboard a boat named “The Garship Enterprise” (not a joke), Weston smashed the goal with a 153 pound beast.

Art Weston beams with pride as he lifts a massive 57.5-inch muskie on a dark Mille Lacs night, a new world record that has captured every angler's attention and imagination. / Art Weston

“Ideally, we hoped to get lucky and hook a fish just slightly over the current 110 pound record, since it gets much harder to land fish bigger than that on such light line,” Weston explained.

Not coincidentally, he also holds the current all-tackle world record for an alligator gar at 283 pounds, which he caught last year on Lake Sam Rayburn, so he clearly knows what he’s talking about from experience. He beefed all the way up to 6-pound test to land that fish, but that’s a different story.

The Plan to Catch a World Record Fish

Weston's guide, Captain Kirk Kirkland, is the reigning authority on catching big gar. / Kirk Kirkland

“Captain Kirk and I have practiced landing these fish on light line before, so we were prepared with 6-foot steel leaders (the maximum length allowed by IGFA record guidelines) and a sturdy J-hook,” Weston said. “We also knew to set the drag on the reel very low to allow the fish to run without breaking the line. You can’t rely on force to land a fish like this on ultra-light gear. The plan was to apply just enough pressure to keep them swimming and tire themselves out.”

Even with all the experience and planning in the world, a lot of things need to go right to complete this mission.

“All manner of things can go wrong that would cause you to lose this fish,” Weston explained. The light line can become twisted and start to weaken, the line can get snagged on an unseen object under the water, the fish could jump on the line, the hook might work its way loose, etc. We knew from experience that it would likely be a two-plus hour fight if we hooked one over 110 pounds.”

The Battle: 4 Hours, 2 Miles, and a Twisted Line

“Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately,” he joked, “we did get a big fish to bite. But when she rolled on the surface the first time, neither one of us was convinced she was big enough to be over the 110-pound mark. We decided it was at least close enough to try for it.”

Weston describes the next four hours as an epic battle that covered over two miles of the lake. “This particular fish was very difficult, swimming eight-to-twelve-feet below the boat, and even resting on the bottom for ten or more minutes at a time. Our hope was she would rise to the surface to gulp air (common for alligator gar) next to the boat, giving Captain Kirk a chance to get a rope on her. But, of course, she did not cooperate for hours. 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.

But after all that time, during one of those final attempts when the guide had his hand on the leader, Weston lowered the rod tip. Unfortunately, the line was so twisted after such a long fight, it immediately wrapped itself around the tip guide. Somehow, he was lucky enough to untangle it just before the gar pulled away and made another run. Weston said, “That was nearly the end of this story.”

“After a couple more attempts we were finally able to secure a rope around her and land the fish.”

The big gar was certified at 7 feet, 3 inches long. / Art Weston

How the Record Gar Was Weighed, Photographed and Released

They quickly headed to shore, set up the weighing sling and scale, got measurements and photos, and released the fish alive. This alligator gar ended up being 7' 3" long, 2' 8" around, and a whopping 153 pounds! The IGFA confirmed that once official, this fish will be the largest freshwater fish in the world caught on ultra-light tackle (2 pound test), and the 6th largest if you include salt water species.

While they were hoping to break the record by catching a fish just over the 110-pound existing record mark, this giant 153-pound specimen shattered the record. / Art Weston

What’s Next for Weston and the IGFA Record Books?

Based on everything I’ve heard about Art Weston, this is not likely to be the last time you’ll read his name in association with a record-sized fish catch. To follow his fishing adventures, check him out on Facebook.com/art.weston.1

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