Hopefully, man can be their greatest proponent moving forward.Īll these safeguards, however, were not enough to forestall their near or complete extirpation during the last half-century from much of their northern range, including Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, and Arkansas. Perhaps the greatest challenge to their continued existence has been humans during the last century. They outlasted dinosaurs and survived environmental and climate extremes through the millennia, without any significant changes. That puts them in the Jurassic Period-existing side by side with the fiercest terrestrial vertebrates ever to roam the earth. Fossil records speak to their ancestry dating back more than 150 million years. They are a relic to the age of dinosaurs.

These fish not only possess unsurpassed size but also unique characteristics that set them apart from all other fish. Giant fish surpassing 200 pounds are safely caught and released or shot and killed on an annual basis, and true monsters topping 350 pounds almost certainly reside in remote areas of the Gulf of Mexico drainage.

With proper management and good stewardship, these treasured fish can be passed down to future generations, or, they can be lost if we fail to recognize and protect them as one of North America’s greatest sportfish.Īlligator gar over 100 pounds are caught regularly with the assistance of top fishing guides. Catching and releasing one of these magnificent giants is a momentous event for any angler. Once hooked, alligator gar can make long, powerful runs, doggedly hug the bottom, bolt through submerged cover, tail-walk across the surface, and erupt at boatside with mouth agape and rows of prominent teeth in full display.

Anglers currently have the opportunity to catch these gargantuan fish throughout the southern United States, but they should do so with knowledge and respect for these rare treasures. Alligator gar are the largest scaled freshwater fish in North America.

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