I often fish and bowfish the bayou behind my house out of my little, 14-foot johnboat but had no idea there was a fish this large in the area. It was 80 degrees on May 26, 2009, and around 5:30 p.m., I was trolling along and caught a glimpse of a large fin underneath a grass mat.

I drew my 45-pound Browning Barracuda bowfishing bow and put an arrow into it. The fish took off and pulled me over a quarter mile before I was finally able to tie the line off to the boat, tie on another arrow and get a second arrow into the fish. After a 45-minute fight, I was able to land the monster alligator gar, It measured 8 feet, 5 inches long and weighed 210 pounds. It is the new Louisiana state record. – Blake Shelby, Monroe, La.