Garzilla Guide Service

06/02/2026

The alligator gar in your fishing photo might be older than your grandparents.

In 2024, scientists used carbon dating on alligator gar otoliths (the tiny bones in their inner ears) to age these fish. The result confirmed what TPWD biologists had long suspected: alligator gar are a centenarian species. One fish came back at exactly 100.5 years old.

The growth timeline from the research:

🐟 3 feet = ~3 years old
🐟 6 feet = 20-30 years old
🐟 7 feet = ~40 years old
🐟 8 feet = 50-80+ years old
🐟 8'5" world record = 95-100+ years

Our newest blog breaks down all the TPWD research, the nuclear-bomb carbon dating science (yes, really), and why every 7-foot fish on the Trinity should be released to go grow another 30 years.

Read the full breakdown:
https://www.garfish-texas.com/how-old-is-an-8-foot-alligator-gar

19 seasons. 41 IGFA World Records. Every trophy released to keep growing.



https://www.garfish-texas.com/how-old-is-an-8-foot-alligator-gar

06/02/2026

The alligator gar in your fishing photo might be older than your grandparents.

In 2024, scientists used carbon dating on alligator gar otoliths (the tiny bones in their inner ears) to age these fish. The result confirmed what TPWD biologists had long suspected: alligator gar are a centenarian species. One fish came back at exactly 100.5 years old.

The growth timeline from the research:

🐟 3 feet = ~3 years old
🐟 6 feet = 20-30 years old
🐟 7 feet = ~40 years old
🐟 8 feet = 50-80+ years old
🐟 8'5" world record = 95-100+ years

Our newest blog breaks down all the TPWD research, the nuclear-bomb carbon dating science (yes, really), and why every 7-foot fish on the Trinity should be released to go grow another 30 years.

Read the full breakdown:
https://www.garfish-texas.com/how-old-is-an-8-foot-alligator-gar

19 seasons. 41 IGFA World Records. Every trophy released to keep growing.



https://www.garfish-texas.com/how-old-is-an-8-foot-alligator-gar

TPWD research using carbon dating shows alligator gar can live 100+ years. Here's how long it takes one to reach 8 feet and why these fish deserve protection.

06/02/2026

🏆 FOUR FISH OVER 100 POUNDS — ONE TRIP.

Captain Lance just put his clients on the kind of day most anglers chase their whole lives. Four trophy alligator gar, every one of them over the century mark. One boat. One guide. One Trinity River.

This is what the 100% Success Rate looks like.

Every one of those monsters released safely back to the river. We catch ‘em, measure ‘em, photograph ‘em — and let ‘em go to fight another day. That’s how we keep this fishery strong for the next generation of anglers.

Hats off to Captain Lance and the crew that made it happen.

🎣 Want your shot at the 8 foot club
📅 Book your trip — link in comments
📞 Or call (903) 724-6888

Garzilla Guide Service • Trinity River • Est. 2007
41 IGFA World Records • 258+ Five-Star Reviews • 100% Catch-and-Release

06/02/2026

For 19 years, we’ve kept our prices steady while everything else — fuel, bait, gear, insurance — has crept up every season. It’s time to make a small adjustment.
2026 rates are unchanged through the end of September. Starting April 2027, rates go up modestly to keep the boats running and our guides paid like the professionals they are.
🎣 2026 (still in effect): $850 per boat, 1–3 anglers, 6 hours • 4th angler +$100 • $250 deposit
🎣 2027: $950 per boat, 1–3 anglers • 4th angler +$150 • $300 deposit • Extra hours $150/hr
If you’ve been thinking about a trip — book the 2026 season and save. If you’ve already fished with us — thank you. None of this works without you.
Link in comments. Or call me direct at (903) 724-6888.
— Bubba

Alligator gar fishing prices from $850/boat for 1-3 anglers. 6-hour Trinity River trips. 41 IGFA World Records. Palestine, Texas. April-September season.

05/31/2026

Known as Gar Pike in the UK. Fishing holiday to Texas from Britain. Jeremy Wade, Gordon Ramsay & Fred Sirieix fished here. World's #1 guide. +1 (903) 724-6888

05/31/2026

Some interesting history of the river.

The Trinity River carried steamboats, ferries, and 15,000 cotton bales a year. The same deep holes that sank the Black Cloud now hold our trophy alligator gar.

05/26/2026

Couple of big fish from over the weekend!

05/22/2026

Need to weigh your gar but don’t have a scale.

Free alligator gar weight calculator for all 5 North American species. Enter length and girth for instant weight estimate. Includes Texas state records and IGFA all-tackle records.

05/09/2026

Alligator gar are relics from the Jurassic period. Armor plated. Teeth fiercer than any muskie. Bigger than lake sturgeon. They can live fifty to eighty years and spawn only a handful of times. For decades, people called them trash fish. Shot them with rifles. Left them to rot. That attitude nearly wiped them out.

Texas turned things around. A one fish per day limit. Special permits for fish over forty eight inches. Mandatory reporting within twenty four hours. Now the Trinity River holds healthy populations. Captain Bubba Bedre puts clients on seven to eight foot fish regularly. One of his guides lands fifteen to twenty fish per day. Enough hundred pound class fish to keep things interesting.

Most anglers use fresh cutbait. But early in the season when the river floods, big gar move into flooded fields. That is when lures shine. Rat L Traps with upgraded hooks. Whopper Ploppers. The thought of a two hundred pound gar blowing up on a topwater bait in four feet of water is enough to make anyone book a trip.

They fought a tagged fish that measured seventy nine inches. The tag was blackened with algae. Hard to read. The data was enlightening. The fish was tagged in 2009 at seventy two inches. Over a decade, it had grown only seven inches. That is slow growth. That is why conservation matters. Kill a big gar and you erase decades of survival. Release it and someone else gets to feel that prehistoric pull. Your choice. Make the right one.

11/15/2025

Preparing for a record-breaking gar catch is no small feat — it's a full-on adventure before the adventure even begins!

From scouting the best spots on the Trinity River to fine-tuning gear that can handle the fight of a lifetime, every detail counts. Our expert guides study the water, weather, and gar behavior so you get the best shot at landing that monster fish.

It's about patience, passion, and knowing the river like the back of our hands. Whether you're a seasoned angler or a first-timer, we tailor the trip to make sure it's unforgettable.

Ready to chase real living dinosaurs with the world record holders? Let's make your next fishing trip legendary. Book your adventure today!