In the realm of world record seeking fishermen, Art Weston stands far apart from many other record-chasing folks. The 54-year-old Kentucky banker most recently caught and released a giant 153-pound, 7-foot 3-inch long-alligator gar from Texas’ Lake Livingston on April 8, breaking his own line-class record.
Once this record is certified, Weston will hold all 12 IGFA men’s line class records for alligator gar, for a total of 44 IGFA world records for 15 species of fish from six different countries.
The fish was weighed, photographed, and released according to IGFA regulations while fishing with noted gar guide Kirk Kirkland, who specializes in gar fishing on varied Texas waters. When approved by IGFA, Weston’s 153-pounder will break his old 2-pound-test record for alligator gar that he set in 2022 with a 110-pound fish he also caught in Texas, on the Choke Canyon Reservoir.
Weston’s pending catch will be the largest freshwater fish recognized by the organization for catches in the 2-pound test category. Using such gossamer-thin line requires superior skill, finesse, and dedication to tackle preparation and use. Weston and Kirkland battled this fish for over three hours, covering two miles of Lake Livingston as they kept pace with the gar, until it could be boated and weighed.
Weston also holds the all-tackle world record alligator gar, another Texas catch that weighed an astounding 283-pounds; he caught that fish on 6-pound-test on the Sam Rayburn Reservoir in September 2023. That day, he was also guided by Kirkland, who owns “Garship Enterprise” charter fishing service.
Sticking to the Rules to Rack Up Records
Kirkland is an expert at guiding clients to catches while abiding by IGFA rules. He says has many foreign clients who travel long distances for his expertise and that he’s helped his charter anglers record 170 IGFA records.
Another Weston-Kirkland alligator gar record was set on Lake Sam Rayburn on Apr. 7, 2024. Weston caught a 188-pounder using 4-pound test line, using a cut carp for bait. They weighed the gar on shore using a special sling to cradle the fish, and a certified-accurate scale – as they do for all their IGFA record catches. This portable weighing technique allows them to release record fish instead of killing them for later weighing at a distant tackle shop or marina.
Weston holds all 12 IGFA men’s world records for alligator gar. He also holds IGFA line-class records 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, 12-, 16-, 20-, 30-, 50-, 80- and 130-pound-test, plus the all-tackle alligator gar record (which is also the 6-pound test record).
From Record Exotics in Uruguay to a Record Muskie in Minnesota
But Weston doesn’t just chase gar. His 44 total current IGFA records include Texas spotted bass and a wide array of exotic species like all-tackle records for streaked prochilod and tararira from places like Argentina, Bolivia, and Uruguay.
When in Argentina in May, 2023, Weston set IGFA fly-rod tippet-class records for hard-fighting and leaping freshwater dorado on 2-, 4-, 6-, 8- and 12-pound lines, including a 20-pound dorado on 8-pound tippet, and a huge 31-pound dorado on 12-pound tippet. These five world fly records were caught over the course of just three days.
Closer to home, Weston has IGFA length records (catch and release) for a 54.3-inch muskie he caught in in Minnesota in 2024, a 15.7-inch spotted bass from Texas, and a 58.3-inch longnose gar also from the Lone Star State.
Along the way, while chasing his IGFA record fish, Weston has caught plenty of aquatic oddities. One of the most unusual and scary was a tremendous alligator snapping turtle he and Kirkland caught while fishing for gar on Sam Rayburn last year.
The gnarly-looking, ancient, and very angry turtle weighed an estimated 200 pounds and took a bait intended for gar.
Weston’s specialty is light-line catches for large and toothy fish that many other anglers overlook. His fish fighting tactics require patience, timing, and specialized tackle and strategies.
“I don’t like to admit it, but I wear a small fighting belt for exactly these situations,” said Weston. “It makes it a lot easier to relax your arm muscles if you can put the butt of the rod in the belt.”
