An angler may have broken a world record after reeling in a massive prehistoric-looking fish.
Art Weston, a Kentucky resident, went to Lake Livingston, Texas, to catch an alligator gar with the help of an expert guide and fisherman, Captain Kirk Kirkland.
“It was an epic battle, lasting nearly 4 hours, and covering over 2 miles of lake,” Weston told Fox News Digital.
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The massive fish weighed 153 pounds and stretched 7 feet 3 inches long.
It was caught on “The Garship Enterprise” boat.
A Kentucky angler caught a 153-pound alligator gar while in Lake Livingston, Texas, in a battle lasting over four hours. (Art Weston)
Alligator gars are a unique species of fish.
They’re often referred to as “living fossils”; records for the creatures have been discovered dating back almost 100 million years, as Fox News Digital previously reported.
Weston said the fish was swimming 8-12 feet below the boat and kept resting on the bottom for 10 minutes at a time — making the catch difficult.
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“Kirk and I have practiced light line before, so we were prepared with 6-foot steel leaders, the max length allowed, and a sturdy j-hook,” said Weston.
“The drag on the reel was set very low to allow the fish to take the line out of the reel without breaking it.”
The alligator gar weighed 153 pounds. (Art Weston)
“This is a situation where you can’t rely on the force you can apply to the fish, but [rather], just put enough pressure on them to keep swimming and tire themselves out,” said Weston.
He said that in such a situation, multiple things can go wrong — such as lines getting twisted, obstacles snagging the line and the fish spitting out the bait.
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Weston said he predicts the fish will break a record for the largest worldwide freshwater fish ever caught on ultra-light tackle, a 2-pound test — and the 6th largest if you include saltwater species.
“It will be a pending 2-pound line class world record by the [International Game Fish Association],” said Weston.
Weston is predicting the fish will break a record for the largest worldwide freshwater fish ever caught on ultra-light tackle, a 2-pound test — and the 6th largest if you include saltwater species. (Art Weston)
There was probably a less than 1% chance of catching the massive fish on the line, he also said.
Last May, Weston and Kirkland accidently reeled in a 200-pound alligator snapping turtle while trying to catch a massive fish.
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“The only consolation was a very unusual and unplanned catch: a 200-plus-pound alligator snapping turtle,” Weston said at the time.
Fox News Digital reached out to the International Game Fish Association, headquartered in Florida, for comment.
