Got this e-mail from of a friend of mine in ARK.

[Jmax]

Guys,

Jason Berry (DeWitt resident) was successful in taking an Arkansas state record alligator this past weekend. He had a permit and the kill was certified by the AGFC. It was 13'-6" long and weighed 680 pounds. The head was 22" across. Jason is the taller man in the picture and he is 6'-2". It was taken around Lake Merrisac near Arkansas Post in the back water of the Arkansas River.

Jason said that this was not the biggest gator that he saw during his two nights of hunting during the recent season. The "battle" took over 2-hours! Jason's boat is dented and his hands are raw and cut up from the fight. After they had killed the gator, they put floats on each of the four legs and floated him back to the launching ramp where the AGFC Game Wardens were waiting. A winch was used to get him out of the water and into a truck (partially in the truck). The AGFC had the scales to weigh the monster and a game biologist took the measurements. The gator was estimated to be 50+ yrs old.

 

[hookset]

WOW! That is impressive.

 

[Jmax]

That is a big gator, I have bass fished both Arkansas Post Lake and Marrisac Lake on the Arkansas River. I have seen several gators while fishing there but never remember one being that big. emoEek Jmax

 

[Oldman]

dang that could eat their whole football team.on wait not a bad idea.

 

[cb1340]

WHOAH!!!!!!! emoWorthy emoEek

 

[fredsharky]

I have seen two over 10 in Marrisac Lake and I think i saw one on Millwood that was about the size of the one here.

That one scared the crap out of me and my fishing partner because we were sitting right next to in a 16 ft aluminum boat and my buddy just happened to look over the other side and saw just the tiniest ripple and there it was. Needless to say I had to change my draws and we got the heck out of there. It was like 6 in the morning...

Yeah we only caught two fish that day because we kept thinking about that stinking gator all day..

There are some big ones in Arkansas, I know for a fact. Just go frog gigging one night out on Millwood..

 

[Jmax]

emoUpsmile I think I may have seen your big gator at Milwood. I told my wife yesterday when I received this that I may have seen one that big at Milwood but not at Marrisac. I had one at Milwood charge the bass boat and then hit the bottom of it. I was in a 18 foot boat. emoEek It was the biggest one I had ever seen and I feel we may have been near or around her nest. She would not leave and for sure wanted us gone. We got out of there pretty quickly. emoGoofy Jmax

 

[kdxdude]

WOW!!!! that's a big gator!!

 

[bent rod]

I didn't even know they had email in Ark.

 

[fredsharky]

Please let's not get into and Arkansas vs. Tennessee battle here..

 

[SpurHunter]

bent rod - 9/30/2010 2:46 PM I didn't even know they had email in Ark.

</p>

They dont, he took the picture to Memphis and had somebody at the Library do it for him. </p>

Nice gator for sure, miss my days in the Florida swamps seeing stuff like that!</p>

 

[ARbigguy]

Actually, John Baxter harpoon that gator. Jason got a 8ft 5.5in gator I think. I am from this area and my family has been neighbors and good friends with the Berry family for around 40 years. John and Jason are cousins. John is the one on the right and is about 6ft 2in. Jason does not break the 6ft mark.

here is a link to the news story

http://www.kwgn.com/news/kfsm-news-nwa-big-gator,0,170187.story

 

[outcaster]

I honestly did not know that were gators in Ark. As the climate continues to warm..... Expect to see them in a lake near you.

 

[fredsharky]

@outcaster, we have had gators in Arkansas I know for a fact since my dad was a kid. They have a picture of one that was killed; I believe in 1961. Most all of them are in the Southern part of the the state but we have had some in the Central part also.

 

[outcaster]

fredsharky - 10/31/2010 11:16 AM

@outcaster, we have had gators in Arkansas I know for a fact since my dad was a kid. They have a picture of one that was killed; I believe in 1961. Most all of them are in the Southern part of the the state but we have had some in the Central part also.

You're right... the southern portion of the state is on a line that gets down into gator country. Lake Eufaula in AL has a good population of them.