They are ugly, intimidating and can be dangerous. For years, the alligator gar was intentionally killed by fishermen who felt they were undesirable.
But these days, there is a renewed respect for the unique fish, especially by professional fishermen like Coryea Frances.
“Just to be in the water with a real-life living dinosaur, it’s beautiful. It’s actually the best,” said Frances.
Frances is an alligator gar angler whose lifelong passion for the outdoors became his profession about eight years ago when he began fishing for gator gar.
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“After a while, I started catching them and then once I started catching them and posting them and actually blogging, and you know, putting them out there on the internet, you know, it started blowing up,” said Frances.
Whether he's face-to-face with the fish's two rows of razor-sharp teeth, or holding one bigger than him, more than 300,000 followers across social media platforms are hooked.
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“They love the fact that I have a passion for these fish, and I take care of them, and I make other people take care of them as well,” said Frances.
Frances took NBC 5 to a spot on the Trinity River south of Dallas where, as a fishing guide, he brings people from around the world who want the experience of reeling one in.
After his bait hit the bottom of the 50-foot-deep channel, alligator gar began to break the surface of the water. Seconds later, his reel began spinning and the five-minute fight was on.
“She’s about to make a jump,” warned Frances as he reeled the fish close to shore.
Once ‘she’ calmed down, the nearly five-foot fish was pulled onto the bank by hand.
Then, its jaws are pried open so Frances can remove the hook.
In the process, he barely avoids being bitten by a fish that despite perception, is no threat to humans.
“A little while ago, they were on the endangered species list. People were riding around killing them with bows calling them trash fish just because of how they looked,” explained Frances.
The living fossils are now adored by people like Frances. “I love ‘em,” he said. “They’re literally my babies.”
After safely removing the hook, he used a lasso to gently release the fish back into the river.
“I just love making people’s dreams come true when they finally get to hold that fish that they’ve been waiting to do,” said Frances.
Not much has changed about the alligator gar in more than 100 million years. But through both his fishing and social media reels, Frances hopes our understanding of them has.
Proper catch-and-release practice is encouraged by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to help protect the alligator gar for future generations to enjoy.
