Vicious Tournament Team member Blake Shelby was bass fishing in a bayou behind his home in Monroe, LA when he spotted a fin cutting the water. He decided to set down his rod and take aim with his bow fishing rig.

“It was a huge alligator gar and it looked like some prehistoric monster rising up out of the water.  I was able to get some of my line back, tie it off to the seat of my boat, cut the line and retie it to another arrow and put a second arrow into the fish. “The fish pulled me another 200 yards or so until I was able to tie off again, attach another arrow which allowed me to launch a third arrow. My job was to hang on and keep it in open water away from trees until it expired or until I could get some help.”

It took the help of a friend in another boat and some rope to roll the expired alligator gar into his jon boat. The following morning, Shelby's suspicions the this might be one for the record books were confirmed. He had broken the old record for a Gar taken in Louisiana with a bow by 45lbs, just shy of the 225lb world record.