A fisherman holds an 8-foot-long alligator gar in Dallas, Texas. (Bubba Bedre's Garzilla Alligator Gar Guide Service)
Bubba Bedre has been chasing alligator gars since he was just a kid.
The 43-year-old Texas fishing guide, along with his clients, has a total of 16 International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world records — and he believes he could have added to his impressive list with Monday's catch. Bedre's clients reeled in an 8-foot alligator gar.
"It would have been a IGFA world record for 100-pound line class if I had my scales. I wasn’t prepared to go after records so I didn't bring all the appropriate things needed to register the catch," Bedre, who has owned Bubba Bedre's Garzilla Alligator Gar Guide Service for more than a decade, told Fox News.
He explained that guides get the same credit as record holders.
Bedre was leading clients from Denmark — journalists who work for a fishing magazine — on a trip along the Trinity River south of Dallas when he spotted the "monster" gar. The veteran fisherman estimates the fish weighed at least 250 pounds.
The state record for largest alligator gar ever caught dates back to 1953, with a fish weighing in at 302 pounds, according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.
Bubba Bedre shares a photo of the massive alligator gar pulled out of Trinity River south of Dallas on July 9. (Bubba Bedre's Garzilla Alligator Gar Guide Service)
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"[At first] didn’t budge one bit,” Bedre recalled to Fox 4. “I’ve been after him for several years. I ended up hooking that fish up about five years ago. It did the same thing and ended up breaking my line. We couldn’t catch it that time.”
Eventually, the crew was able to catch the creature and snap some impressive pictures before safely released it back into the water.
"Over 8 foot with 43” girth. This fish will be featured in a Denmark fishing magazine. Caught her on a piece of cut carp bait using a Eagle Claw Fishing 974 4/0 treble hook," Bedre revealed on Facebook.
The post, which included several photos and a video of the large fish, has been shared nearly 10,000 times as of Friday evening. Dozens of people commented on the alligator gar, expressing their disbelief.
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"That just looks scary," one Facebook user commented.
"She's a beast," another added.
"Nice one Bubba - proper," a man wrote.
While it may seem like a "beast" to some, Bedre admitted he's seen bigger.
"I have seen them 10-foot before, but haven’t been lucky enough to land one," he told Fox News.
Bedre is hoping to top the catch — and next time, he'll be prepared. After all, he loves catching gars.
"You never know what you gonna reel up next. They are living dinosaurs going back 60 million years," he said. "They are older than me."
