From Dallas
~2 Hours Southeast
Take US-175 or TX-19 south. Most Dallas clients leave by 4:30 AM and are on the water before 7. Palestine is the closest world-class gar water to Dallas that actually produces IGFA records.
Dallas Trip Details →Garzilla Guide Service · Palestine, Texas
Alligator Gar Fishing Palestine, Texas
I grew up in the Trinity River bottom. I have been fishing this water since I was 10 years old. The professional guiding started 19 years ago — but the knowledge of this river started 41 years before that.
41+
Years on This River
41
IGFA World Records
258+
5-Star Reviews
172+
Countries Served
Home Water
Why Palestine Produces The World's Biggest Gar
The stretch of Trinity River running through Anderson County near Palestine is not just the best alligator gar water in Texas. It is the best alligator gar water on earth.
I know this because I have fished it since I was 10 years old. I am 51 now. I grew up in the Trinity River bottom. I remember when you never saw a boat on this river for weeks at a time and the alligator gar were so thick in parts you could almost walk across them on the tops of their backs.
The professional guiding started 19 years ago. The knowledge started decades before that. No guide can learn this water in a year, or five years, or ten. The knowledge that produces IGFA World Records is built across a lifetime of days on the same river.
The middle Trinity near Palestine is slow, deep, and warm — exactly what alligator gar evolved for over 157 million years. The fish here are not transient. They are residents. The same holes that produced fish for generations are producing fish today — older ones, because the population has been protected and allowed to mature.
TPWD research estimates this Trinity corridor holds approximately 9,200 alligator gar 42 inches or longer, and 1,400 fish 78 inches or longer. The concentration of trophy-class fish in the middle stretch near Anderson County is higher than any other reach of the river.
This is the water Bubba Bedre was born into. It is home. That is not a marketing line. It is the only explanation for 41 IGFA World Records.
Getting Here
Palestine From Every Direction
Palestine sits at the center of the world's premier alligator gar fishery. Here's how far you are from trophy water:
From Houston
~2.5 Hours North
Take US-287 north through Crockett or I-45 north through Huntsville. Houston clients who want to fish Garzilla's home water drive up the night before or leave early morning.
Houston Trip Details →International Clients
DFW or IAH → Palestine
Airport pickup can be arranged from Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) or Houston Intercontinental (IAH). Clients from 172+ countries fly in specifically to fish the middle Trinity near Palestine. We handle everything — airport, lodging, launch.
WhatsApp +1 903-724-6888 →More IGFA World Records Than Any Other Guide on This River
What You Will Catch
Trophy Sizes Near Palestine
The middle Trinity near Anderson County produces the highest concentration of trophy-class gar on the river. Here is what our guides see year after year on this specific stretch:
Routine Catch
60–100 lbs
Bread-and-butter fish on a typical six-hour day near Palestine. Powerful, prehistoric, and photo-worthy. Most clients land several in a full day.
Trophy Class
100–150 lbs
Shows up most weeks during the season. These are the fish that made the middle Trinity famous and brought the film crews from BBC, National Geographic, and River Monsters to Palestine.
Record Class
150–200+ lbs
The fish that produce IGFA World Records. Our team has landed dozens of 200+ pound alligator gar near Palestine. These fish are the reason clients fly in from 172 countries.
Credentials
19 Years. One River. 41 IGFA World Records.
Every record our team has ever set came from this water. Here is why no other guide can match what we have built here.
41+ Years on This River
Bubba Bedre started fishing the Trinity River at age 10. At 51 years old, he has been on this specific water for over four decades — and guided it professionally for 19 of those years
41 IGFA World Records
More than any other guide team on the Trinity River or anywhere else in the world — all set on this specific stretch of water near Palestine
Gordon Ramsay Fished Palestine
The world's most famous chef chose our home water. So did Jeremy Wade, Matt Hughes, Sommer Ray, Robson Green, Steve Backshall, and 22 more global celebrities.
30+ International TV Productions
BBC, National Geographic, Animal Planet, NHK Japan, Fox News, and River Monsters with Jeremy Wade — most filmed on or near the Trinity near Palestine
172+ Countries
Clients have flown into DFW and IAH from six continents specifically to fish the middle Trinity near Palestine — because this is where the records live
TPWD Freshwater Fisheries Advisory Committee
Bubba Bedre sits on the body that sets management policy for the Trinity River fishery — the same water he guides on every week of the season
Texas Gar Fishing Association
Founded by Bubba Bedre and headquartered in Palestine — the industry organization representing responsible alligator gar fishing across Texas
Common Questions
Palestine FAQ
Is Palestine, TX really where Garzilla Guide Service is based?
Yes. Palestine is home base. Bubba Bedre was born and raised in Anderson County and has fished the Trinity River his entire life — he is 51 years old. Our Palestine operation is not a satellite office — it is where the world records were set, where the celebrities fished, and where international clients fly in specifically to fish. When you book a Garzilla trip and request our home water, you are fishing the middle Trinity near Palestine with someone who grew up on it.
Why does the Trinity near Palestine produce so many IGFA World Records?
The middle Trinity near Anderson County combines the ideal mix of slow current, deep structure, warm water, and abundant prey that alligator gar thrive in. Add 19 years of guide knowledge on this specific stretch — knowing exactly which holes hold fish at which water temperatures, which bends produce in a drought year versus a flood year — and you have the recipe for world-record production. Our 41 records are not luck. They are the result of decades of focus on one river.
Can I arrange airport pickup from Dallas or Houston?
Yes. Airport pickup can be arranged from Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) and Houston Intercontinental (IAH). We regularly coordinate transportation and lodging recommendations for international clients. Contact us when booking at BubbaBedre@yahoo.com or reach us directly on WhatsApp at +1 903-724-6888.
What is the best time of year to fish the Trinity near Palestine?
Our season runs April through September. Peak months on the middle Trinity near Palestine are June and July — water temperatures reach the high 80s, surface activity peaks, and trophy-class fish are most concentrated in the deep holes we fish. June and July weekends book 6–8 weeks in advance. Book early.
How many guides work out of Palestine?
Bubba Bedre personally guides from Palestine and is the guide for VIP, celebrity, and media trips. Our full team of seven guides covers the entire Trinity corridor from Dallas to Houston — with two to four guides working the middle Trinity near Palestine on any given week of the season.
Is there lodging near your Palestine launch points?
Yes. Palestine has solid hotel options within 10–20 minutes of our primary launch areas. We recommend specific properties when you book. Many international clients run two-day trips — drive down from Dallas or fly into Houston, fish a full day near Palestine, stay overnight, and fish again the next morning before heading home.
Can I bring a large group to fish out of Palestine?
Yes. Our 7-boat fleet handles groups of any size. Multiple boats, multiple guides, same day — all coordinated from our Palestine base. Corporate groups, bachelor parties, and international tour groups have all run multi-boat days near Palestine with our team. Call (903) 724-6888 to plan your group trip.
Do I need a Texas fishing license to fish near Palestine?
Yes. All anglers aged 17 and older need a valid Texas freshwater fishing license. Purchase one online at tpwd.texas.gov before your trip — day licenses are available so you do not need an annual license. Our guides walk you through the process if needed.
Ready to Fish Palestine?
Book the Home Water Trip
You are not booking a generic Texas fishing trip. You are booking 19 years of knowledge on a specific stretch of river that has produced 41 IGFA World Records. Peak season spots — April through September — fill fast.