He was fishing for catfish, but this Texas teen reeled in a 190-pound alligator gar

Mike Stunson
·2 min read

A Texas teenager hauled in an impressive alligator gar earlier this month, and it wasn’t his first imposing catch.

Jack Pytel, an 18-year-old from Needville, told McClatchy News he was at a friend’s ranch on the Brazos River on Feb. 1 fishing for catfish, when he hooked a giant alligator gar. This one gave him a 30-minute fight and he pulled it onto land with the help of his friends, he said.

The alligator gar was 7 feet, 7 inches tall and weighed a massive 190 pounds, Pytel added.

Pytel previously caught a 90-pounder and a 150-pound gar in 2018, according to the Houston Chronicle. He told McClatchy News it’s a combination of using the right gear, including big hooks and the right bait, that has allowed him to haul in the large gars.

“And knowing when and where to fish where the big ones are,” he added. He says he finds the gar by noticing them get oxygen near the surface of the water.

He usually releases his catches, but Pytel gave this one to a friend’s dad because he “really wanted them to eat,” he said.

View this post on Instagram

They keep getting bigger and bigger. #alligatorgar #texasoutdoors #texasfishing #mustadhooks #costasunglasses #castawayrods #abugarcia #fishingislife #trilineline #prehistoric #200lbs #brazosriver #texasgiants #everythingisbiggerintexas #pikefishing #garfish #fight #freshwater #freshwaterfishing #freshwaterfish #giants #livetofish #bigfish #liveforit #fishingaddict #makingmemories #loveit #trump2020 #2020 #30lbtest

A post shared by Jackpytel (@jackpytel8) on Feb 2, 2020 at 10:49am PST

It was a personal best for Pytel, but far from the largest alligator gar ever caught. The Texas state record is 302 pounds, which was captured in 1953, Texas Park & Wildlife said.

Alligator gar is considered a “trash” fish that is “not worth their efforts” by many anglers, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The species gets its name by ”having the body of a typical gar and a head that resembles that of an alligator,” the FWC said.

But the FWC pushed back against those classifying the gar as “trash.”

“FWC biologists believe no native fish is a trash fish. In fact, alligator gar play an important role in river ecosystems,” the release reads. “This species represents a critical component of the food web as a top carnivore. Unfortunately, the numbers of alligator gar in much of their range have decreased. That’s why the FWC strengthened protection for this species.”

Alligator gar keep Texas waterways healthy by feeding on other fish, helping “maintain healthy numbers of many other species,” according to Texas Parks & Wildlife.