Man catches 200-pound alligator snapping turtle followed by 188-pound alligator gar in Texas

After setting a world record with a massive alligator gar catch last year, Kentucky angler Art Weston embarked on a new mission to find an even larger one. His target: a gar weighing 293 pounds or more.

In early April, Weston traveled with professional fishing guide Captain Kirk Kirkland to Sam Rayburn Reservoir in East Texas, approximately 100 miles north of Beaumont, aiming to accomplish this feat.

200-pound alligator snapping turtle caught in Texas

On three occasions, he nearly managed to catch another world record-sized alligator gar, reported Fox News, but didn't manage after a lengthy battle. But to their delight, they hooked something possibly even more exciting — a 200-pound-plus alligator snapping turtle.

"We had to remove the hook from his foot and [this reptile's] bite can remove fingers — so you have to be extra careful with them," Kirkland told Fox News Digital. "They also have to be released unharmed since they are a protected species."

Weston added that the turtle was tracking his movements "with its mouth open, ready to strike" if he made the wrong one. After a few minutes, the fishermen were able to remove the hook and avoid any injuries to themselves or the reptile.

188-pound alligator gar caught the next day

The following day, Weston and Kirkland returned to the lake, hoping to find another substantial alligator gar. The two caught an 188-pound alligator gar on a four-pound line before releasing it back into the wild. Though the prior record was 117 pounds, it is still pending with the International Game Fish Association.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Angler catches 200-pound alligator snapping turtle in East Texas lake