VIDEO: Texas Man Catches Record-Breaking 207-Pound Alligator Gar While on Fishing Trip With His Dad

VIDEO: Texas Man Catches Record-Breaking 207-Pound Alligator Gar While on Fishing Trip With His Dad
Courtesy of Paul Hefner
Anna Mason
Updated:
0:00

A Texas fisherman who snagged a humongous alligator gar only realized just how big it was when he saw the picture of him laying beside it.

Measuring a staggering 7.5 feet (2.28 meters) and weighing in at 207 pounds (approx. 93.9 kilograms), the torpedo-shaped mega-fish set a new record for Lake Corpus Christi.
Paul Hefner with the 207-pound alligator gar. (Courtesy of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tx_fisher/">Paul Hefner</a>)
Paul Hefner with the 207-pound alligator gar. Courtesy of Paul Hefner

Paul Hefner, 23, used a jug line (a line suspended from a floating jug) to catch the whopping gar on April 13, before releasing it safely back in the water straight after weighing. Mr. Hefner and his father lassoed the gar behind its gill plates in order to drag it to the bank.

Although the fish was already tired after several hours of tugging on the line, it still presented a big challenge.

“A fish that big can really displace way more water than you think with its tail when it wants to swim,” Mr. Hefner told The Epoch Times. “There isn’t really anything else you can do except let it swim. Good luck controlling something that big!

“We didn’t really realize how big it was until we actually got it fully on the bank and measured it. We had caught one other gar that was 6 feet 9 inches [approx. 2.05 meters] and I didn’t think it was all that much bigger until I saw the picture of me side by side with it. When I saw that picture, I knew it was a potential record.”

(Courtesy of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tx_fisher/">Paul Hefner</a>)
Courtesy of Paul Hefner
Watch the video:
(Courtesy of Paul Hefner)

The father-son duo knew before they set out that they’d want to release any large catch, so they prepared a harness in advance to allow them to weigh a big fish without causing harm.

“Me and my dad both had to lift while my mom looked at the scale,” Mr. Hefner said, adding that their scale is certified through Texas Parks, making it good enough to capture the record.

Born and raised outside Austin, Mr. Hefner studied aerospace engineering before moving to Utah, where he works as a systems engineer. He’s been fishing since his childhood, starting in the Central Texas area, where he and his dad mostly sought out catfish.

Since relocating, the young fishing enthusiast tries to make it to Texas as often as possible to pursue his sport, clearly taking after his father, who has also broken records for the largest catfish. The pair had their latest trip, which took place from mid-March to mid-April, planned for over a year.

Paul Hefner as a kid in the early 2000s. (Courtesy of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tx_fisher/">Paul Hefner</a>)
Paul Hefner as a kid in the early 2000s. Courtesy of Paul Hefner
Paul Hefner and his father. (Courtesy of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tx_fisher/">Paul Hefner</a>)
Paul Hefner and his father. Courtesy of Paul Hefner

Lake Corpus Christi is abundant in several varieties of fish; the alligator gar being one of the largest native freshwater fishes of them all.

Calling the alligator gar “Texas’ largest and most misunderstood freshwater fish,” the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department wrote, “[T]hey look like something that should be swimming around with dinosaurs, not bass and crappie.”

With gar season soon to be over in Texas, what does Hefner have planned next?

“I’m just starting to get into shark fishing from the surf as well, so my other goal is to catch a shark above 8 feet [2.4 meters],” he said.

Share your stories with us at [email protected], and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Anna Mason
Anna Mason
Author
Anna Mason is a writer based in England. She majored in literature and specializes in human interest, travel, lifestyle and content marketing. Anna enjoys storytelling, adventures, the Balearic sunshine and the Yorkshire rain.
Related Topics