A group of hunters in Central Florida caught the state’s second-largest gator in history.

Kevin Brotz, a hunting guide, and others of his crew caught a 920-pound, 13-foot-long gator.

Brotz told local media sources that it was the largest gator he had ever captured, and that his first thought after seeing the gigantic gator was whether the little boat he was in would hold up.

Take a look at this enormous gator:

'He was a giant': Hunters catch massive 920-pound gator in Central Florida https://t.co/5SwX9RSl2C

— KSDK News (@ksdknews) September 3, 2023

DINOSAUR OR GATOR?
The 920-pound gator was caught by Kevin Brotz and his group Friday. https://t.co/08gRIE9m0u

— NBC2 (@NBC2) September 1, 2023

 CBS News reported:

A Central Florida hunting guide said he and his team caught what could be the second-heaviest alligator ever harvested in the state.

On Friday, Kevin Brotz and his group captured a gator that weighed 920 pounds and measured 13 feet 3 ¼ inches long.

“I had fear like I never felt before,” said Brotz.

Brotz runs Florida Gator Hunting and has been a guide and licensed charter captain for almost 20 years.

“I’ve lived here my whole life, and I think about gators, but I’ve never really experienced this,” he said.

Brotz had his two buddies with him.

“Honestly, my first concern was safety because we were in a smaller boat,” he said. “And then you add a gator whose head is this big. All he has to do is turn, and we’re in trouble. So immediately, all we kept saying, all I kept saying was, ‘Guys, we have to be smart. We have to play this safe.’ And I couldn’t have been with better people.”

Darren Field was also on board.

“When we saw this gator, it was way bigger than anything we’ve ever caught before,” he said. “It was a giant dinosaur. Not every day you get a giant dinosaur in your boat.”

An Orange County man is celebrating a historic catch: the second-heaviest gator on record. The 13-foot, 3 ¼ inch behemoth weighed n at 920 pounds. https://t.co/UQLsXo80Wq

— FOX 35 Orlando (@fox35orlando) September 2, 2023

Fox 35 Orlando added:

An Orange County man is celebrating a historic catch: the second-heaviest gator on record. The 13-foot, 3 ¼ inch behemoth weighed in at 920 pounds.

Kevin Brotz led the hunt. He says reeling the gator in was scary.

“I mean, I can wholeheartedly say that and still keep my man card,” said Brotz. “It was absolutely insane.”

Brotz has a ton of experience. He’s been leading guided gator hunting tours for about 20 years, and he runs FloridaGatorHunting.com.

He says after they got several hooks in the gator, it took four hours to reel the behemoth in.

I am from that area and I am not surprised at all at the size.

Those things are crazy big out there.

I am just glad no one got hurt over it.