A fisherman is still reeling from his recent catch at Florida’s Jacksonville Beach that has people wide-eyed.
Owen Prior heads up First Coast Surf Fishing, a group that helps people catch some of the Sunshine State’s biggest coastal fish. When he hooked a 12-foot tiger shark on Mother’s Day, he realized it was his largest catch in that area, as Fox 35 reported on Friday.
The battle between Prior and the giant creature lasted nearly 25 minutes, and he released it afterward. However, he made sure to take a photo with his catch:
Florida fisherman unexpectedly catches 12-foot tiger shark in 25-minute battle: ‘One to remember’ https://t.co/jCSkpOKBJM pic.twitter.com/P0GhYbZsKk
— New York Post (@nypost) May 19, 2024
“I’ve caught hundreds of sharks, up to a 14-foot hammerhead, but that was my personal best tiger shark. I got the hook out by hand and released the shark with tons of energy in less than two minutes,” Prior explained.
According to 10 Tampa Bay, Prior caught the shark about 400 yards away from the pier. He and his companions were not specifically trying to catch sharks, but the creature simply took the bait, the outlet said:
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, tiger sharks are commonly found throughout the state in habitats such as river mouths, shallow bays, and open oceans.
The agency provided additional information regarding the sharks:
Voracious feeders that will eat just about anything. Stomach contents have been reported to include sea turtles, many species of bony fish, marine birds, other sharks, porpoises, skates, rays, conchs, crabs, and garbage (for example, pieces of coal and wood, burlap bags, small barrels, cans). Prohibited from commercial or recreational harvest in Florida state waters. Valuable commercial species in U.S. federal waters, with marketable flesh, hide, fins, and liver. Tiger sharks are second only to the great white shark in the number of bites on humans worldwide.
After his adventure, Prior said, “All in all, it was a great experience having the ability to feel the power of a large shark like that and even better being able to safely remove the hook and watch her swim away back into the abyss with a free meal.”
