The 1,129-Pound Monster of a Fish Caught in Texas

Fishing in Texas is a beloved pastime thanks to the state’s huge variety of waters and fish species, ranging from Gulf Coast saltwater to sprawling inland lakes and winding rivers. Anglers can chase redfish, speckled trout, and flounder along the coast, or head inland for largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, and sunfish in famous lakes like Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend, and Lake Fork. Texas Parks and Wildlife has invested heavily in stocking programs, habitat restoration, and public access points, making fishing accessible for both beginners and experts year-round. With diverse landscapes, mild winters, and countless fishing communities and tournaments, Texas stands out as one of the best and most varied fishing destinations in the country.

When it comes to fishing, Texas really does live up to its reputation for size. The Lone Star State has produced catches so enormous that state and even world records are routinely challenged. Anglers can test their luck in sprawling freshwater lakes such as Lake Texoma or Sam Rayburn Reservoir, both of which are known for excellent bass, catfish, and crappie fishing. Beyond the lakes, the Gulf of Mexico delivers another level of adventure, drawing sport fishers from around the globe in pursuit of powerful tuna, marlin, and even sharks. With such a wide range of environments and species, Texas has become a true destination for anyone hoping to land a trophy fish. In this article, we’ll explore ten of the biggest catches ever recorded in Texas waters — including one that earned its place as a remarkable world record.

5. Freshwater: Smallmouth Buffalo – 82.00 pounds

When it comes to buffalo fish, you can find three main species in Texas, including smallmouth, bigmouth, and black buffalo. All are in the sucker fish family, but look quite similar to carp. The biggest smallmouth buffalo ever caught in Texas was pulled from Lake Athens on January 13th, 1993, by Randy Collins.

Freshwater: Smallmouth Buffalo (cont.)

Lake Athens is a smaller lake about 80 miles SE of Dallas, but it produces some good-sized fish. Besides the 82.00-pounder Randy caught with a traditional rod and reel, another smallmouth buffalo record was made on Lake Athens by angler Tom Sherman. In the bow fishing category, Sherman got an 81.30-pound smallmouth to break the record on January 31, 2017.

4. Freshwater: Bighead Carp – 80.50 pounds

The three species of carp that Texas keeps records for are bighead carp, grass carp, and common carp. The biggest bighead carp ever caught in the state was an 80.50-pound bighead caught by Timothy Connor on Kirby Lake.

Freshwater: Bighead Carp (cont.)

Connor used cut carp as bait to snag this beauty on July 22, 2000. Kirby Lake, which is located just south of Abilene about 185 miles west of Dallas, is actually smaller than Lake Athens, but clearly still has some big fish.

3. Freshwater: Flathead Catfish – 98.50 pounds

Catfishing in Texas is very popular with anglers finding good-sized channel catfish, flatheads and blue cats. When we say “good sized” we are talking about 100-pound catfish! The biggest flathead ever caught in Texas was nearly 100 pounds weighing in at 98.50 pounds. James Laster caught the record-breaking flathead using a live sunfish as bait on Lake Palestine back on December 2, 1998. Lake Palestine hosts largemouth bass tournaments but also has excellent fishing for white bass, hybrid striped bass, and catfish.

3. Freshwater: Flathead Catfish (Cont.)

The biggest channel catfish didn’t quite make our list but is worthy of a shout out. One of the female anglers on the Texas State Record list is Mrs. Joe Cockrell. You can tell this is an older record due to how they recorded her name, but nevertheless her record stands today dating back to March 7, 1965. Her channel cat weighed in at 36.50 pounds and was 38 inches long.

Freshwater: Flathead Catfish (cont.)

Mrs. Cockrell reeled in while fishing on the Pedernales River, a Colorado River tributary. Channel catfish are usually smaller than flatheads and blue cats, but for a channel catfish, anything over 20 pounds is a good catch!

2. Freshwater: Blue Catfish – 121.50 pounds

Here is a catch that breaks the hundred-pound mark. A 121.50-pound blue catfish was reeled in by Cody Mullenix on January 16, 2004, to break the all-time catfish record. Mullenix used shad for bait, a common favorite of blue cats while fishing on Lake Texoma.

Freshwater: Blue Catfish (cont.)

Texoma is a popular recreational lake on the border of Oklahoma, north of Dallas. On the Oklahoma side of the lake, the biggest blue catfish ever caught weighed a tad smaller at 98 pounds. Billy Nabors nabbed that one the same year as Mullenix later in the year on November 11, 2004. A good year for blue cats!

1. Freshwater: Alligator Gar – 279 pounds

The biggest freshwater fish ever caught in Texas blows all the other records away. This is the Texas state record, though the current world record is 327 pounds, caught in Mississippi in 2011. Dating back to December 2, 1951, Bill Valverde’s record-breaking alligator gar weighed 279 pounds! Valverde was an avid fisherman and a respected city council member in the community.

Freshwater: Alligator Gar (cont.)

He grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, so it is only fitting that he caught his record-breaking gar in the Rio Grande. A photo of Valverde standing next to the massive alligator gar shows that it is longer than he is tall, with an official length of 7 feet 9 inches! Quite a fishing legacy for the Valverde family.

5. Saltwater: Largetooth Sawfish – 736 pounds

Largetooth sawfish have shark-like bodies with a long chain-saw-like snout with teeth along the edges. Although they look like sharks they are actually in the ray family. The fifth biggest saltwater fish ever caught in Texas was a largetooth sawfish. This is a unique record because largetooth sawfish are no longer found in US waters.

Saltwater: Largetooth Sawfish (cont.)

This record dates way back to January 1, 1939 when Gus Pangarakis is credited with catching a 736-pound largetooth in the Gulf of Mexico. Largetooth sawfish are now considered critically endangered by the IUCN and have not been reliably recorded in US waters in over 60 years.

4. Saltwater: Bluefin Tuna – 876 pounds

In contrast to a record from 1939, the bluefin record was very recently broken on April 13, 2021. Due to regulations trying to protect the bluefin tuna population, anglers can not purposefully try to catch bluefin. Certain permits can be obtained to record one if accidentally caught and that is how Troy Lancaster was able to register his record catch. He was out fishing with friends for marlins when he accidentally snagged a bluefin tuna.

Saltwater: Bluefin Tuna (cont.)

According to the news report, 50-year-old Lancaster fought to bring the tuna in for nine hours! He knew he had a big one but was pleasantly surprised to find out he broke the record with a weight of 876 pounds. The tuna was caught off the shores of Port Aransas, where Lancaster is from.

3. Saltwater: Blue Marlin – 972.70 pounds

Marlins are some of the fastest fish in the sea. They also put up a good fight if you can land one on your line. The biggest blue marlin ever caught in Texas was caught by Richard Richardson Jr. on July 11, 2014. Richardson was fishing in the Gulf when he got a massive blue marlin on his line. When it was officially weighed, it was nearly 1,000 pounds at 972.70 pounds. More surprising is how long blue marlins can get! This catch was 132.25 inches, which is 11 feet long!

Saltwater: Blue Marlin (cont.)

If you are considering catching the next biggest marlin, be sure to research the regulations on billfishing. The Billfish Conservation Act prohibits the sale of billfish like blue marlin, black marlin, sailfish, longbill spearfish, shortbill spearfish, white marlin, and striped marlin. Due to overfishing and commercial fishing, these fish species now need to be protected to ensure that future populations can be maintained.

2. Saltwater: Great Hammerhead Shark – 1,033 pounds

Sawfish have a very unique look, but so do hammerheads. With a hammer-shaped head with eyes on the ends, these sharks stand out from the crowd. They can also get quite large, with some reaching 20 feet long. The biggest great hammerhead ever caught in Texas was a 1,033-pounder caught in the Gulf by Timothy W. McClellen. McClellen reeled in this thousand-pound shark on July 9, 2017. An 11-foot marlin doesn’t seem that impressive when you compare it to the 173.25-inch hammerhead, which is 14.45 feet long!

1. Saltwater: Tiger Shark – 1,129 pounds

The biggest trophy fish ever caught in Texas was a tiger shark. Tiger sharks are considered one of the three most aggressive sharks towards humans, with a record of several fatal shark attacks. They can get to be more than 1,500 lb,s with the world record tiger shark weighing 1,785 pounds.

Saltwater: Tiger Shark (cont.)

The biggest tiger shark in Texas weighed 1,129 pounds and was caught by Chap Cain III on May 24, 1992. Cain was out fishing in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Texas when he was able to snag and reel in this impressive catch. The tiger shark measured 162 inches, which is 13 ½ feet. For reference, a typical queen-sized bed is about 6 ½ feet long, a typical bedroom is around 12 feet long…this shark certainly wouldn’t fit in a bed, but would also be too big for a typical bedroom! Now that is a trophy fish worth bragging about!