Angler Reels in ‘Monster’ Texas Alligator Gar in Record-Setting Prehistoric Catch

An angler and his professional guide have potentially set multiple world records after reeling in an alligator gar in Texas that weighs nearly 300 pounds.

On Sept. 2, Art Weston, who is from Kentucky, joined Captain Kirk Kirkland on his boat, the "Garship Enterprise," and embarked on a voyage out to Lake Sam Rayburn in East Texas with the hopes of catching a gar, which is one of the largest freshwater fish in North America and Texas Parks and Wildlife says is "as old as the dinosaurs."

The duo set up multiple lines and eventually, they got a bite. After almost three hours of fighting to catch the gar, Kirkland told Fox News they began to realize just how large this particular fish could turn out to be.

Even after they were able to get the fish to the surface, it still took another 20 minutes to get the 'monster' ashore.

When they had finally caught the gar, Weston and Kirkland began to speculate how much it would weigh. But neither of them anticipated the actual number, as the gar weighed in at 283 pounds, which is an all-tackle record.

"It was a pretty unbelievable accomplishment to have on your books," Kirkland said.

After the catch and subsequent weigh-in, Weston and Kirkland released the behemoth back into the water.

The catch is currently under review and assuming it holds, it will break the International Game Fish Association's (IGFA) all-tackle and Men’s 3-kg (6 lb) line-class world records for alligator gar, both of which have been held for more than 70 years.