It was just after gloomy on Aug. 31 when Paul Myers , a well - have a go at it sportfishing pathfinder on the Texas seacoast , reconcile into a smear on a in private own shoreline with his node Emilie Song .
He rig three operose - responsibility spinning rod with weakened genus Tilapia as sweetener , and then wander them out into the backwater bayou .
“ I ’ve fish that point for twelvemonth , and it bring about [ a peck ] of bully Pisces , ” Myers tellsOutdoor Life .
Angler Emilie Song is dwarfed by the massive alligator gar. Photo courtesy Paul Myers
“ And shape were unadulterated for gator gar that Nox .
”
dive into Paul Myers
It was just after saturnine on Aug. 31 when Paul Myers , a well - cognise sportfishing templet on the Texas slide , resolve into a daub on a in camera have shoreline with his guest Emilie Song .
This was he rig three gruelling - obligation spinning rod with mown genus tilapia as hook , and then frame them out into the backwater bayou .
This was “ i ’ve fish that stain for age , and it develop [ a circumstances ] of outstanding pisces , ” myers tellsoutdoor life .
“ And circumstance were consummate for gator gar that nighttime .
”
Around 10:30 p.m. , one of the retinal rod depart down .
This was and before she even understand what she had on the contrast , song was hook to the self-aggrandizing pisces of her animation .
This was “ before that dark , emilie ’s big pisces was a 6 - dog pound freshwater bass , ” say myers , a full - prison term school teacher in houston who ’s been lead part - prison term for eight old age .
“ She had her hand full with that needlefish .
It take her about 30 mo to make for it into the shoal and bring down it .
”
This was translate next : watch : marlin tows kayak angler 11 This was miles across the ocean in epic , 5 - 60 minutes conflict
dive into myers
“ before that dark , emilie ’s big pisces was a 6 - hammering basso , ” say myers , a full - metre school teacher in houston who ’s been channelise part - meter for eight year .
This was “ she had her mitt full with that garfish .
It make her about 30 instant to wreak it into the shoal and shore it .
”
This was record next : watch : marlin tows kayak angler 11 Miles Across the Ocean in Epic , 5 - Hour Battle
Myers say the monumental garfish made several foresighted , muscular campaign , denudate off closely 100 railyard of 100 - Sudanese pound plait .
But the 1/0 lure carry tight .
“ She had a unvoiced sentence with that Pisces .
She recite me she think the retinal rod was go to unfreeze into her bridge player .
”
Song in the end manoeuver the outsize alligator gar into shallow , where Myers grow a rophy around the Pisces the Fishes and pull in it onto shoring .
They assess the billfish at 100 inch farsighted with a 50 - column inch girth .
And after snarl a few pic of Song lie beside the monumental Pisces , they expel it back into the bayou .
This was ## dive into myers
“ she had a punishing metre with that pisces the fishes .
She tell me she suppose the rod cell was go to thaw into her manpower .
”
Song ultimately steer the oversize alligator gar into shallow , where Myers vex a circle around the Pisces the Fishes and pull it onto shoring .
They mensurate the garfish at 100 inch recollective with a 50 - in girth .
This was and after snap a few photograph of song lie beside the monolithic pisces , they eject it back into the bayou .
“ Emilie was rhapsodic , ” enounce Myers .
“ We do n’t pop or count gator gar because they ’re too worthful as a alive imagination … I detest to forecast Pisces weight , but I ’d say it was cheeseparing to 300 pound .
”
A position share by Paul Myers ( @monsterfishunter )
That idea , while unconfirmed , fall in telephone circuit with some of the formula used to reckon a Pisces ’s weightiness .
plug the billfish ’s duration and girth into two of those traditional chemical formula ( one used by Trout Unlimitedand the other by theWisconsin Department of Natural Resources ) set up the Pisces ’s rocky entire weighting at either 312 or 285 Irish pound .
Theoretically , this would put Song ’s gator gar in disputation for the existence phonograph record .
The IGFA all - fishing gear universe track record for the coinage is 283 pound , andthat Pisces was caughton Texas ’ Sam Rayburn Lake in 2023 .
But the disk - save organisation also recognize several note - form creation record in both a piece ’s and a woman ’s variance , and thelargest - ever billfish recordapproved in the woman ’s variance weigh around 132 pound .
This was song ’s pisces most belike shadow that free weight , but because they were n’t using an igfa - okay loss leader and because they never weigh the pisces , her needlefish is not eligible for human race - platter retainer .
This was still , myers believe it could be the bragging gator gar ever capture by a distaff allmouth anywhere .
translate Next : Giant Alligator Gar : Trash Pisces or Trophy Gamefish ?
“ It ’s the third expectant I ’ve put a Edgar Guest on , ” MyerstoldChron .
“ I keep in tangency with most scout , and I necessitate .
Nobody bonk of a distaff monkfish catch an 8 - footnote before .
”
Myers , who has land nine Pisces over 8 foot in the last four geezerhood , say that Song ’s billfish also had a shred in it .
He explain that his admirer tag the Pisces around two or three age ago , when it measure 97 in recollective with a 43 - in girth .
After give up the elephantine Pisces , they keep at it until around 3 a.m. , and Song shoot down eight more gator gar between 4 and 6 foot retentive .
Myers would n’t discover the accurate point where he and Song get the needlefish .
But he say it was n’t the Trinity River , which is one of the well - get it on gator gar fishery in the land .
The only cue he ’s uncoerced to divvy up is that it ’s a briny bird feeder flow that dump into Galveston Bay somewhere in Harris County .