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Texas teen catches 190 pound alligator gar in Brazos River

Posted at 12:01 PM, Feb 14, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-14 13:01:40-05

NEEDVILLE, TX — A Texas teen is going viral after catching a 190 pound alligator gar in the Brazos River.

Jack Pytel was trying to catch a catfish near Needville when he reeled in a 190 pound alligator gar instead.

"I was planning on catching some catfish. I didn't even bring my stuff for gar that night,” said Pytel.

The gar was 7 feet 5 inches.

"It's really cool to catch stuff like that, something so old too-- and prehistoric," said the Foster Highschool senior.

Pytel says he’s been fishing since he was three, and has caught alligator gar before, but nothing like this.

He says he’s caught one around 6 and a half feet, but nothing pushing 7 feet tall.

Pytel even let his girlfriend try reeling the alligator in at first.

"I actually gave her the rod for a minute, tried to get her to fight it and she said no this is too much for me."

Big fish like this are common in Texas.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says the state record for an alligator gar catch is 302 pounds caught back in 1953.

Pytel says he hopes to catch another fish one day that breaks the record.