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Alligator Gar
Atractosteus spatula
The alligator gar is a massive, prehistoric ray-finned fish which is native to the southern United States and Mexico. Largest of the gar species, it routinely grows up to 8 feet in length and weigh more than 300 pounds. Some larger specimen reach beyond this, with stories of alligator gar making claims of specimen up to 9-10 feet in length. Similar to arapaima, they possess a vascularized swim bladder which functions like a lung, allowing them to gulp air and survive in stagnant or low-oxygen water; as well as both fresh and brackish water.
They are armored in enamel-coated ganoid scales which have been documented to stop a knife. As living fossils, they are estimated to have remained unchanged since the early Cretaceous period, over 100 million years ago.
OTHER PHOTOS
OUR STORY
On the Trinity River and Lake Livingston in Texas, my brother, father and I spent two days chasing one of North America’s largest freshwater fish - the Alligator Gar, alongside legendary gar guide Captain Kirk Kirkland.
Our first day was spent fishing beneath the Lake Livingston dam, casting large chunks of carp and buffalo into the current. Hooking these fish proved surprisingly difficult, with their hard, bony mouths resulting in plenty of missed hooksets before we finally began putting gar in the boat. The highlight came when my dad landed a rare black Alligator Gar measuring just over 6 feet long – the largest black gar Kirk had ever seen in person.
On day two, we moved onto Lake Livingston and switched tactics, suspending large baits beneath balloons and chasing them across the lake whenever a gar picked one up. After several smaller fish, one float disappeared beneath the surface twice before we could even attach it to the rod. This was our first indication that something considerably larger had taken the bait.
What followed was a battle of endurance with a massive beast. After finally bringing them alongside the boat, we discovered the treble hook had nearly bent straight under the pressure. They measured 7 feet 9 inches and weighed near 234 lbs. Easily one of the largest fish I had ever caught.
Incredibly, the trip wasn’t finished. Later that same day, my brother hooked another giant, ultimately landing his own personal best at nearly 7½ feet and 211 lbs. Three dream fish between a father and two sons made for a trip none of us will soon forget. The alligator gar is a must catch(!) on any serious American angler's bucket list.
