Louisiana is home to some of the most impressive specimens of alligators in the world, and the largest alligator ever caught in the state is no exception. On August 13, 2010, Brandon Meadows, a hunting guide, captured a monster alligator in Wallace’s Lake in the Atchafalaya Basin. Measuring an unbelievable 13 feet and weighing 805 pounds, this massive reptile was the largest alligator ever measured in the state of Louisiana.
The alligator was initially spotted by Meadows and his clients who were hunting in the area. After they noticed the large reptile, they immediately called the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, who came to the scene to help capture the animal. In order to trap the alligator, the team set a baited hook and waited for the alligator to take the bait. After two days, their patience paid off, and the alligator finally took the bait, allowing the team to reel it in and measure it.
When the alligator was finally brought ashore, the team was amazed by its sheer size. Measuring in at 13 feet and weighing 805 pounds, this gator was the largest alligator ever recorded in Louisiana. It was so large that it shattered the previous record of 11 feet 9 inches set in 1962, making it the largest alligator ever caught in the state.
The alligator was humanely euthanized and its meat was later shared among the team and their families. The alligator’s hide was also preserved and mounted at the Grand Isle State Park in Grand Isle, Louisiana.
Although this alligator was the largest ever caught in Louisiana, it was not the largest ever caught in the world. That title belongs to an alligator caught in Alabama in 2014, which measured in at 14 feet and weighed 1,011 pounds. However, the Louisiana alligator remains an impressive specimen, and it will always hold the record for the largest alligator ever caught in the state.
