Texas man reels in 7-foot, 200-pound alligator gar while out fishing on his kayak

Chris Hernandez of San Benito, Texas came out victorious and reeled in a 7-foot, 200-pound alligator gar after a 40-minute fight while he was out fishing on his kayak earlier this week. Chris Hernandez of San Benito, Texas came out victorious and reeled in a 7-foot, 200-pound alligator gar after a 40-minute fight while he was out fishing on his kayak earlier this week. Photo: Chris Hernandez Photo: Chris Hernandez Image 1 of / 26 Caption Close Texas man reels in 7-foot, 200-pound alligator gar while out fishing on his kayak 1 / 26 Back to Gallery

A South Texas man came out victorious and reeled in a 7-foot, 200-pound alligator gar after a 40-minute fight while he was out fishing on his kayak earlier this week.

Chris Hernandez from San Benito told mySA.com he caught the fish Monday afternoon out by a river that was not that far from the city.

Hernandez said he didn't realize how large the gar was until the fish submerged his head above water, adding he got a little scared at first.

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During the back-and-forth battle, Hernandez said the fish gave him a "really good fight" as the gar used his tail to try to flip over his kayak.

"He was dragging me all over the river," he said. "For a minute I thought I was going to lose my pole because it was like halfway in the water."

Due to the gar's size, Hernandez couldn't put the fish onto his kayak so he said he had to hold his fishing pole in one hand and then use the other to row his way back to land.

Although it was an "insane" catch, Hernandez said he "loved it" and was proud as it was the biggest gar he's ever caught.

Priscilla Aguirre is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre