Alligator Gar Are Texas Dinosaurs You Can Catch

Back in early April, two Texas fishermen in a jon boat caught a monster! After years of trying to hook one, they managed to catch a 209-pound, 8-foot alligator gar. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, the species is millions of years old, and some can grow to weigh 300 pounds.

Because their population is in decline, TPWD imposed a one-per-day bag limit on alligator gar back in 2009, but the guys in the video are kind enough to measure their catch and release it back into the wild.

Alligator gar can be found at some supermarkets. Their white meat usually goes for about $3.oo/Ib. Fried gar, fillets, boiled fillets are all popular in the deep south. Sometimes locals make jewelry out of the scales, or tan gar hides to make leather for lamp shades, purses and other customized items.