Just days after Thanksgiving, Keith Dees and his son Huntley had an unforgettable catch while fishing in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. The father-son duo, who have a tradition of fishing on holidays, caught the biggest alligator gar in the state, weighing in at 165-175 pounds. It took 2.5 hours to reel in the 7-foot fish and secure it in their boat. Though they later found out that it broke the state record of 151 pounds, for them the catch was more about creating a memory they would never forget.
Keith Dees’ Facebook post about his record-breaking alligator gar catch received a lot of attention and admiration from the online community. Many were in awe at the sight of the massive fish, and congratulated him on the impressive catch. Some even urged him to weigh the fish on certified scales to officially confirm its weight. The fish, which was described by some as a “fish of a lifetime” and a “dinosaur” due to its huge size, was officially weighed at Orange Beach Marina and broke the state record with an official weight of 162 pounds. The post also generated curiosity among some asking what line was used to catch the fish and if the boat flipped when they took it home.
A fisherman in Alabama has caught an alligator gar that broke the state record for weight. The fisherman, named Dees, was surprised to learn that the fish he caught was a record breaker, as he had caught it primarily for its delicious meat. The alligator gar, which gets its name from its crocodilian head and sharp teeth, is the largest of seven known gar species. These fish can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh up to 350 pounds, and are native to North and Central America, where they live in freshwater. Historically, they were found all throughout the Mississippi River Valley and were believed to have lived as far north as Iowa and as far west as Kansas and Nebraska.
