READING, MASS. (WHDH) - A father and son duo from Reading made an unforgettable catch off the coast of Florida Monday, saying they were on a fishing charter when they reeled in a 10-foot great white shark.
Donovan Smith and his father Judd Smith were fishing approximately one mile off the coast of Fort Lauderdale when they said they hooked the massive animal.
“We didnt know what we had until we were reeling it in,” Judd said. “It took forever to reel in, it was huge.”
“It was a crazy fight, probably the craziest moment I’ve ever had,” Donovan said. “It’s one of the best moments of my life.”
A shark conservationist said catches like this could become more common as great white sightings in the Atlantic Ocean increase, including off the coast of Massachusetts.
“The data is showing that white sharks are increasing in numbers off the east coast of the United States and Canada, and that’s a great sign for population recovery overall, but we’re not necessarily seeing more, so much as noticing them more,” said Catherine Macdonald, Director of the University of Miami Shark Research And Conservation Program. “We know that they’re present off of our coasts, especially in the cooler months.”
The captain of the fishing charter said this isn’t the first time he has seen someone catch the apex predator. He said since 2003 he has caught six of the sharks.
The captain’s mate, however, said this was his first time seeing one up close.
“It was absolutely amazing,” said Logan Graf, Fishing Headquarters Captain Mate. “I’ve been fishing here for seven years and I’ve never caught one.”
Great whites are a protected species, so the family said they released the shark back into the water.
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