Giant Alligator Gar 7.5 Feet Long Caught On Red River in Arkansas

It was a wild weekend in Arkansas for biologists from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission fishing on the Red River for gars to be measured, tagged, and released.

😮Massive 7.5 Feet Long Alligator Gar

😮Can You Eat Gar?

😮Bonus: Monster Paddlefish Caught

New Tagging Method From AGFC To Catch Alligator Gar

The six-hour netting was to test a new method of the AGFC, the biologists caught more than twice as many gars, 67 alligator gars to be exact compared to the old method of tagging, catching, and releasing.

Now That's a Monster Beast!

In the process, they weren't expecting to snag a monster-size gar reaching 7.5 feet in length. Alligator gars can grow to be over 7 feet long, the largest alligator gar ever captured in Arkansas weighed 241 pounds, and it was caught on the Red River too.   Alligator gars are the second largest freshwater fish in North America.

They are the largest gar species with some weighing up to 300 pounds in some cases. Typical adult gars are brown or olive with a lighter belly and have a row of rather large razor-sharp teeth with a long alligator snout-type nose.

Can Anyone Fish For Gar in Arkansas?

Yes, with an Alligator Gar permit from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, anyone can as long as it's on a catch-and-release basis. Note: Only one alligator gar under 36 inches is allowed to be taken per day, anything bigger than that must have an Alligator Gar tag.

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Can You Eat Gar Fish?

Yes you can, but it's a lot of work to cut through their armor, once you do the meat is very flavorful similar to swordfish without any mud taste. People claim alligator gars are one of the best-eating fish in American waters. I've never eaten one before so that's a surprise to me.

Are Alligator Gars Dangerous To Humans?

No, they are not. Much of their bad rap comes from movies that turn them into creatures that attack humans but there has never been any report of that happening. Alligator gars are rather docile creatures and have been called gentle giants by many folks even though they look menacing and fearful, according to the Witt Museum in San Antonio, Texas.

Another River Monster -  Paddlefish

In the AGFC quest, they also caught a rather large Paddlefish! It kinda makes you wonder what else is lurking beneath the waters in the Red River.

For more information check out the AGFC website or Facebook page.