Florida Angler Catches, Releases 1,000-pound Hammerhead
OutdoorHub Reporters 02.17.14
Palm Beach County angler Peter Buban made the astounding catch of a 13-foot, nine-inch hammerhead shark earlier this month, and in the middle of a tournament no less. According to WTFV, Buban caught the 1,000-pound fish while competing in the 2014 Blacktip Challenge fishing tournament. Not surprisingly, Buban ended the day with the largest fish caught in the tournament’s six-year history, as well as a personal best.
“We just saw the reel start screaming, and I jump, I put up my harness and I start to fight the fish and I realize it’s going to be a huge fish!” Buban told WPTV.
The veteran angler was well-rewarded for his hour-long battle with the fish. Buban estimated that he beat out his closest contenders for the tournament victory by at least three feet. On his personal website, Buban wrote that he has long held a passion for shark fishing. The angler also says he respects the fish as large predators and that he practices a strict catch-and-release policy.
True to his word, the angler took extra precautions to make sure his tournament hammerhead went home safely. After releasing it, Buban followed the shark in his kayak for 200 yards to ensure that the fish had no complications from the fight.
“Hammerheads are definitely the biggest fighters among the sharks, but they can very easily be fragile as well,” Buban told other anglers on his website. “Never pull them out of the water fully, because they can die after only two minutes. Try to pull them out as fast as you can, remove the fishing hook, and safely let them back to the ocean.”
As for his future prospects, the Florida angler said he hopes for even a bigger catch down the road. Last year Buban and his friends fought another hammerhead roughly the same size, you can see the video of that catch below:
