PV Man Helps Snag Giant Alligator

A Palos Verdes man was one of four hunters who snagged a record-breaking-sized alligator in Mississippi in mid-September, according to multiple reports.

The 697.5-pound male alligator—which beat the previous state record by 7 pounds—was caught by Michael Robbers of Palos Verdes; Tom Grant of Cleveland; and Kenny Winter and Jim Reed, both of Greenville, Miss.

"When we snagged the alligator with two rod and reel snatch hooks, we knew he was big—we just didn't know he would be this big," said Grant. "It was an hour-and-a-half of pure tug-of-war and chaos before we finally had him restrained."

Caught on a private hunting club in Issaquena County, the alligator was officially measured at 13 feet, 1 1/2 inches long, with a belly girth of 65 inches and a tail girth of 45 inches, according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. The longest alligator on record in Mississippi was measured at 13 feet, 6 1/2 inches.

“The recovery of the American alligator in Mississippi from an endangered species to a population that now has reached levels to sustain limited hunting status is a true wildlife conservation success story," said MDWFP Alligator Program Coordinator Ricky Flynt.