We recently spoke with Dylan Hann with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission representing southwest Arkansas. Over the last months, the AGFC has been conducting experiments on Alligator Garfish from the Red/Sulpher River junction. It was reported that among the fish was possibly a new record size!
We documented the gathering of the 2 dozen fish, all weighing 100 plus pounds, from the stock pond where they had been held, EZ Catch Catfish Farm provided one of their tanks for the study. (By the way, we recommend making the trip over there with the kids. If it’s a sunny day, bring some sort of shade.)
It was reported to the regional biologist, Dylan Hann, that one of the Alligator Garfish in the project weighed 144 Kilograms, roughly 311 pounds. That would not only beat the Arkansas Record of 240 pounds, but possibly a new national record. So when he came on the Texarkana Talks Podcast we wanted to see it for ourselves and were invited for the “Gathering of the Garfish” to place the surviving specimens back into the Red River at Springbank Landing in Doddridge. (Out of a couple of two dozen fish, three didn’t survive the study)
@jeffeasterling Arkansas Game & Fish Commission ‘Alligator Gar Fish Study’ Part 1 #agfc #alligatorgar #arkansas
@jeffeasterling Gathering of the Gar with AGFC
@jeffeasterling one of the little ones #arkansasgameandfish #alligatorgar
@jeffeasterling Alligator Gar Study Release (Hybrid Gar)
@jeffeasterling AGFC Alligator Gar Project Wrap-up
So, in the end, there was a mistake in the weight somewhere, or maybe the fish lost 100 pounds in the fight to get him out of the stock pond… (or tell the kids, “The Beast of Bradley is still in the Catfish pond.) Either way, this was a great opportunity to see how the AGFC conducted the study, and the care and real interest of the people of the agency. We hope to get to learn a lot more about how they work in other aspects of all they do in the Natural State. Visit the AGFC Website for more.
