Wildlife officials are saying this is the largest ever caught in the Peach State.
It didn't take long for one Georgia man to realize he had a monster on the other end of his line, but "monster" is typically a relative term among anglers.
Derrick Snelson and his daughter were fishing on Lake Eufaulna in Quitman County, Georgia, when something bigger than any fish started pulling their line.
After more than five hours of fighting, they had the evidence to back up theories that it could indeed be a reptile and not a fish.
It took the entire five-man crew to get the gator into the boat, as it measured 14 feet, 1-3/4 inches, and weighed over 700 pounds.
"It was just unbelievable," Snelson told ABC Atlanta affiliate WSB-TV. "I really can't describe it. You need to see it."
In Georgia, sportsmen are allotted one alligator tag per year with a special permit. However, it's probably safe to say he'll never need to chase alligators again after this catch.
"We'll have it 'life-size' mounted," he said. "I guess I'll have to build a house around it. It's going to be a monster lying on the living room floor for a while."
To no one's surprise, the gator broke the state record, seemingly leaving little room for doubt. The previous record was a 13-foot gator caught in 2013.
"It was just crazy," Snelson said. "The boat started going right to left, right to left. It was just wild."
Lethal Guide Service Deckhand John Trammel told reporters he knew the significance of the animal when they started to pull it up alongside the boat, as it was bigger than any alligator they'd ever seen.
"That's when Derric and I got the most excited," Trammel said. "we were pretty stoked at the moment knowing he could possibly be 14 feet or bigger."
The Georgia alligator hunting season runs until the middle of October, so perhaps Snelson's catch will motivate others to try and top the new record.
NEXT: MISSISSIPPI DUO HARVESTS MASSIVE NEAR-RECORD ALLIGATOR
WATCH
https://rumble.com/embed/u7gve.v3totb/
