Owen Prior is an experienced fisherman, but even he was surprised when he reeled in a 12-foot tiger shark off Jacksonville Beach, Florida, over the weekend.
This is definitely something to definitely keep in mind,” said Prior, who owns First Coast Surf Fishing in Jacksonville Beach. fox 35 Orlando achieved a personal record.
“I’ve caught hundreds of sharks up to 14-foot hammerheads, but that was my personal best tiger shark,” he said.
Prior said it took about 25 minutes for the giant shark to be reeled in, but because tiger sharks are protected in Florida, “we took a quick photo and let it go.”
Florida man nearly loses femoral artery after being dragged underwater by Apex Predator, but survives shark attack
Owen Prior reeled in and released a 12-foot-long tiger shark last weekend. (FOX 35/Owen Prior)
Prior and his friends had been waiting on the beach for about 12 hours when the shark bit the ray’s bait around 4 a.m.
“I was actually sound asleep when it happened and my friend was yelling ‘Owen!’ and I woke up,” he said.
He ran down to the hook, “and the rest is history.”
Female great white sharks were spotted twice off the coast of Alabama last month.
The tiger shark was captured off Jacksonville Beach, Florida. (Getty)
“I definitely felt the weight and knew it was going to be a bigger fish,” he explained. “Believe it or not, some sharks fight harder than others. Tigers don’t fight as hard as they seem.”
He called tiger sharks “notoriously lazy” and added that they, and sharks in general, are often “opportunistic” when it comes to food.
“I was definitely lucky, it was just barely a hook,” he told FOX 35, explaining that he didn’t use a barb on the hook to make the release smoother.
“Overall, it was a great experience to feel the power of such a large shark, and to be able to safely remove the hook and watch her swim back into the depths with a complimentary meal. was even better,” he said. news station. “It’s memorable.”
A tarpon jumps out of the water while being reeled in by a fishing line. (Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images)
Pryor said he has his sights set on tarpon next.
The tarpon are coming,” Pryor said, adding, “I’m not just a shark guy.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He said he reeled in a “huge tarpon” last year and the water is “talking to the tarpon.”
