Fisherman Hooks 130 Pounds Prehistoric-looking Alligator Gar After Battling For 30 Minutes

A fisherman in Houston has caught a massive alligator gar after a half-hour battle.

The 6-foot, 130-pound gar — often referred to as a “living fossil fish” because its lineage dates back nearly 100 million years — was pulled from the 610 Loop that surrounds downtown Houston by angler Alex Sosa.

Sosa made the surprising catch while fishing on Brays Bayou in November 2021. He had his 16-foot john boat on a section of the bayou in the greater East End, near the Gus Wortham Golf Course.

Now as for the haul, Sosa says the bait he was using was a big buffalo head. So when he got a bite, he knew it was a big fish.

“Between the time that the fish picked up the bait and getting the fish onto the boat, I believe it was about 30 minutes,” Sosa recalled.

Sosa took a took few photos with the fish before releasing it back into the water unharmed.

“Being able to share that moment with everyone who stopped to ask questions and take pictures is what reminded me why I love fishing,” Sosa told the Houston Chronicle. “If [I] were to have been alone, and not have been able to share it with anyone, the catch wouldn’t have been as meaningful.”

This is not the only alligator gar to have been caught in Houston recently. In 2021, two Memorial High School students caught an alligator gar that was nearly seven feet in Buffalo Bayou.

Alligator gar is the largest species in the gar family, and among the largest freshwater fish in North America.

The fish bears no relation to alligators, but derived its name from the wide, crocodilian head and razor-sharp teeth.

It can grow up to 10 feet long, and historical reports suggest it may grow to weigh nearly 350 pounds.

The prehistoric relatives of the species first appeared 157 million years ago and inhabited many parts of the world.

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