Was a World Record Just Broken at This Texas Lake?

Don't you know that everything, and I mean everything, is bigger in Texas?

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And now, even a man from Kentucky can testify to the giants that walk, fly and swim in the Lonestar State.

According to the International Game Fish Association, IGFA, just a couple of weeks ago, on Saturday, September 2, Kentucky angler, Art Weston was fishing Sam Rayburn Lake in Jasper, Texas when he landed a massive 283 pound alligator gar, which could potentially set both the IGFA All-Tackle and IGFA Men’s 3-kg (6 lb) Line Class World Records for the species.

In a story about this massive catch, kplctv.com writes that the current all-tackle world record for that type of fish is 279 pounds and was set by Bill Valverde on Dec. 2, 1951, in Rio Grande, Texas.

In another story, outdoorlife.com writes that this was a battle of endurance which Weston ultimately won. "He battled the fish for nearly three hours, letting it run as much as possible and doing everything he could to keep the 6-pound line from breaking."

But this certainly wasn't Weston's first rodeo.  At present he has already broken 53 IGFA records so this fish had certainly met it's match and now we all have the pictures to prove who won that championship belt.

However, the real story behind this one might actually be the fishing guide that Weston selected for his record-breaking outing. Weston was out with Captain Kirk Kirkland aboard the "Garship Enterprise".  Now tell me that's not fate at it's best!

The IGFA does state that after recording the official weight of the fish on a certified scale, and documenting a number of measurements, Art was able to release the fish safely. And speaking of measurements, lufkindailynews.com writes that this fish was an absolute monster, measuring 8 feet, 4 inches long with a 48-inch girth.