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An alligator gar in Texas has earned one fisherman an award from state authorities.
John Harrington earned an "Outstanding Angler Award" from the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) division for his "GAR-gantuan" catch in July.
The wildlife agency announced Harrington’s noteworthy alligator gar on Friday, Aug. 25, in a public Facebook post.
207-POUND ALLIGATOR GAR CAUGHT IN TEXAS BREAKS LOCAL RECORD, APPEARS LONGER THAN FISHERMAN
"John Harrington caught this GAR-gantuan alligator gar out of the Trinity River on July 18 with a rod and reel," the TPWD wrote in its Facebook announcement.
John Harrington, an fisherman from Texas, received an Outstanding Angler Award from the Texas Parks and Wildlife's Angler Recognition Program. He caught and released a large alligator gar on July 18, 2023. (John Harrington/Texas Parks and Wildlife)
"He earned an Outstanding Angler Award for his incredible catch," the post continued. "The gar was released to swim another day."
Exact measurements of Harrington’s alligator gar are not known since the fish was caught and released, a spokesperson for the TPWD told Fox News Digital.
"The angler did not have any weight or length data that we could verify, so he earned an Outstanding Angler Award to commemorate his amazing catch," the TPWD’s spokesperson wrote in an email.
Alligator gars are a ray-finned fish that can tolerate a wide range of salinity, according to multiple wildlife encyclopedias and glossaries.
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Fish identification guides published by the TPWD state that alligator gar have "short" and "wide" snouts that have a "distinct" appearance, which many say resembles that of an alligator when viewed from above.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife reports that alligator gar are species that's "as old as the dinosaurs" and lives in rivers, reservoirs and estuaries throughout the state. (Texas Parks and Wildlife)
"Alligator gar can be huge, reaching lengths of up to 10 feet and weighing over 300 pounds," the TPWD wrote in its "How to Identify Alligator Gar" webpage.
"It is the second-largest freshwater fish in North America, second only to the white sturgeon," the TPWD continued.
RECORD-BREAKING FISH: HUGE CATCHES THAT MADE HEADLINES IN 2022
In May 2023, the TPWD recognized a Texas angler for breaking the alligator gar record in Lake Corpus Christi with a 90-inch, 207-pound catch.
Paul Hefner of Texas caught a 7.5-foot alligator gar from Lake Corpus Christi, Texas, which broke the local fishing record for alligator gar. (Paul Hefner)
The Texas state record for an alligator gar caught by rod-and-reel is 279 pounds, and it was established on Jan. 1, 1951, by angler Bill Valverde, who caught the fish from the Rio Grande.
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The TPWD also has verified records of alligator gar that have been caught with various methods, including fly rods (56.25 inches, 40.7 pounds), bow and arrows (96 inches, 290 pounds), catch-and-release rod-and-reels (89 inches) and other means (302 pounds, 90 inches).
The current world record for the largest alligator gar belongs to Kenny Williams of Vicksburgh, Mississippi, who accidentally caught a 327-pound alligator gar that was over 8 feet in length from Lake Chotard in 2011, according to the TPWD.
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The alligator gar got tangled in Williams’ fishing net before he caught it with a rod and reel. Experts estimated the world-record fish was around 95 years old.
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