Fisherman Catches Massive 200-Pound Alligator Gar, Struggle Lasted 40 Minutes

A kayak fisherman was victorious in reeling in a 200-pound alligator gar after a 40-minute struggle. The incident took place on a river by the outskirts of San Benito, Texas, on Nov. 4.

Chris Hernandez came close to the 7-foot alligator gar when he was fishing on the river using his kayak. He hooked the giant gar which was followed by a fierce 40-minute battle before he could successfully drag it on to land.

Hernandez told My San Antonio recently that he didn’t realize the massive size of the gar until the head of the fish appeared above water. He said he was extremely scared at first, adding that the gar gave him "a really good fight" and used its tail to try and flip his kayak over, making it shake back and forth.

“If my yak would’ve tilted a couple more inches, it would’ve took in water,” he said. "He was dragging me all over the river. For a minute I thought I was going to lose my pole because it was like halfway in the water."

The massive size of the gar made it impossible for Hernandez to put the fish onto his kayak, therefore, he had to drag the fish to the land while holding his fishing pole in one hand and using the other to paddle the kayak.

A friend helped him drag the gar to the bank. Hernandez mentioned that his heart was pumping throughout the awesome experience.