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Texas Angler Lands 130-Pound Alligator Gar in Downtown Houston

One angler down in the Lone Star State was able to bring in a monster alligator gar in downtown Houston.

Outsiders — have any of you ever heard of the Buffalo Bayou? It’s a waterway in downtown Houston and it’s where one angler was able to reel in a 130-pound alligator gar. It was 27-year-old Alex Sosa who pulled the massive fish into his boat. It turns out that Sosa grew up in the Houston area and he learned to fish the Buffalo Bayou while he was attending the University of Houston-Downtown.

Sosa caught the alligator gar back in November of last year. He told the Houston Chronicle at the time that he battled for over a half hour to bring in the behemoth. When he finally was able to get it in his boat, the alligator gar measured in at nearly six-feet long and weighed an astounding 130 pounds. Then, like with all of the other fish he catches in the bayou, Sosa released it and it was able to swim away without being harmed.

Sosa reeled in the fish inside the 610 Loop that surrounds downtown Houston. One of the best parts about the entire experience for him is that there were several people nearby who also got to witness him bringing it in.

“Being able to share that moment with everyone who stopped to ask questions and take pictures is what reminded me why I love fishing,” Sosa told the outlet. “If I were to have been alone, and not have been able to share it with anyone, the catch wouldn’t have been as meaningful.”

Texas Angler Knew He Had Hooked a Big Fish

The young angler knew right away that he had a big fish hooked on the line — he just didn’t know how big. After all, Alex Sosa was using the head of a buffalo suckerfish for bait, which was a little bit bigger than the size of a softball.

“Here in Houston, most people don’t realize it but we are very fortunate to have our waterways the way they are,” he said. “We tend to have a warmer water temperature so we tend to have giant fish swimming around all year.”

It goes without saying that this particular catch was the biggest of Alex Sosa’s fishing career. However, despite it being his personal best, it still doesn’t come close to the state record. As a matter of fact, no alligator gar caught in Texas has been close to the record since it was set back in 1951 in the Rio Grande. That fish weighed an incredible 289 pounds and was nearly eight feet long.