Giant gar

Continued from page 1 to start pulling up lines, Paul started tugging on what at first felt like a problem. under a popping cork and croaker. Redfish are fair on shrimp.

PORT O’CONNOR: 75 degrees. Speckled trout are good in the surf on live croaker and artificials, and near Bird Island on croaker. Redfish are good at the ends of both jetties on blue crab and Spanish sardines. Black drum are good on dead shrimp and blue crab.

“I actually thought we got hung on a log or some thing,” Paul said. “We had that huge live tilapia on and when I first pulled it up, it was super difficult, obviously. I figured the tilapia had gotten wrapped around a tree limb or something. I guess it was sleep ing or something because I was pulling up dead weight and the first thing I saw was its head. You re ally couldn’t tell how big it was in the water. It was crazy.”

In fact, it wasn’t until they got it to the bank that they ever suspected the fish was over 7 feet long. But once they drug it up onto shore, they knew they’d hooked up with a fish few anglers could even dream of laying hands on.

They were able to measure the fish at 7 feet, 6 inch es, and weigh it at 207 pounds before finally releasing it back into the water.

ROCKPORT: 77 degrees. Redfish are good drifting grass flats with live bait, cut bait and soft plastics. Speckled trout are good on top-waters, soft plastics and live bait. Black drum are good on dead shrimp.

PORT ARANSAS: 76 degrees. Redfish are fair on shad. Speckled trout are fair on croaker.

CORPUS CHRISTI: 74 degrees. Speckled trout are fair to good on croaker and free-lined shrimp. Redfish are fair on cut mullet.

BAFFIN BAY: 80 degrees. Speckled trout are good wading or drifting with scented plastics under a popping cork and top-waters. Redfish are good shallow on artificials.

“It’s certainly going to be hard to top this trip, especially now that I have a full-time job,” Paul said. “But I’m definitely glad I made a point to do this.”

FREEPORT: 76 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair to good in the surf on shrimp and soft plastics.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: 74 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair on croaker, shrimp and artificials.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: 74 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp

PORT MANSFIELD: 75-78 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair to good on soft plastics and top-waters.

SOUTH PADRE: 74 degrees. Speckled trout are good on shrimp and artificials. Redfish are slow.

—TPWD