sponsored by
Zeiner's Angler Supply
The Kansas Angler Online
and Swim Tail Lures |
New record alligator gar for
Oklahoma, 184 pounds
Sean Chatham of Ardmore set record in
Red River
 March
4, 2006 - Sean Chatham, of Ardmore, pulled in a 184-pound, 3-ounce
alligator gar Feb. 25 from the Red River in Love County, establishing
a new state record.
Chatham snagged the monstrous fish about 2 p.m.
using a stainless steel leader and 25 pound test line. "We
try to go after the big ones, but when I saw how big this one
was I was really surprised. I fought the fish for about 35 minutes
before it got into some shallow water near the bank. When it
did, I jumped on it and tried to keep it from making another
run into deep water," Chatham said.
The record-breaking alligator gar measured seven
feet, eight inches long and was an impressive three feet, two
inches in girth.
Chatham's fish broke the previous alligator gar
record by four pounds. Deryl Landers set the previous record
a 180-pound fish also caught from the Red River in 2002.
Chatham, an avid gar angler, is helping the Oklahoma
Department of Wildlife Conservation in a research project to
learn more about these unusual fish. Each time he catches an
alligator gar he places a tag near the dorsal fin before releasing
the fish. This allows researchers to
learn more about the gar population, seasonal movements and general
life history.
"Alligator gar are truly unique fish and the
Red River is one of the few places left where they can be found,"
said Kim Erickson, chief of fisheries for the Oklahoma Department
of Wildlife Conservation. "We really appreciate the help
that anglers like Chatham have provided on this ongoing study."
Anglers across Oklahoma are also an important part
of the study. They are funding the project by buying fishing
licenses, as well as purchasing sporting goods. Sporting goods
manufacturers pay a federal excise tax for items such as firearms
and fishing lures. These revenues go into the Sport Fish and
Wildlife Restoration Program, which distributes millions of dollars
to worthy conservation projects throughout the nation. The study
is being conducted through the Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and
Wildlife Research Unit at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
Those interested in seeing a big alligator gar
for themselves will soon have the opportunity at the Oklahoma
Aquarium in Jenks. Aquarium personnel and Wildlife Department
fisheries biologists recently collected two gar (one weighing
nearly 100 pounds and the other tipping the scales at 70 pounds)
from the Red River. The pair will go on public display after
a quarantine period.
For a complete list of record fish and the procedures
regarding certifying state record fish, consult the "2006
Oklahoma Fishing Guide." If you think you may have hooked
a record fish it is important that you weigh the fish on an Oklahoma
State Department of Agriculture certified scale and a Wildlife
Department employee verifies the weight.
Back to
Zeiner's Angler Supply | Kansas
Angler Online |
Swim Tail Lures
|