Marine Reels In Great White Shark from Shore
OutdoorHub Reporters 12.13.13
While many shark species have been reeled in by enthusiastic anglers from shore, very rarely—if ever—has video been taken of a great white shark captured in this manner. According to the New York Daily News, Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant Jeff Fangman emerged victorious after a 25-minute battle with a great white earlier this year, pulling the large predator near land. The incredible catch happened in late October off the coasts of Marine Base Camp Pendleton in California.
“Seeing it in the water was just […] it was almost mind blowing,” Fangman told ABC 10 in a recent interview. “It’s taken several weeks to get the whole ordeal to sink in.”
The Marine had recently moved to the area with his wife and daughter from the Gulf Coast, and decided to test out the local waters with a family fishing trip. Fangman is an experienced angler and has a love for fighting sharks, although he was expecting another species when the great white took the piece of stingray he used as bait.
“I didn’t realize it was a great white while I was catching it, but I knew it was something heavy,” he told CBS News 8.
The nine-and-a-half foot shark did not lose without a fight however, and Fangman’s wife Andrei was able to capture a part of the battle on camera. You can see the video below.
The shark was later released and guided back into the ocean. You can see a video of the catch embedded below.
Update 12-15-2013: article amended for errors.
