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Don’t get in the water: Florida man catches 800-lb. shark

Sarah Hofmann Contributor
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A Florida man has broken the record for the largest catch made by a land-based fisherman. Joey Polk, 29, caught an 805-lb. mako shark off the Florida Panhandle last week.

Polk needed the help of his cousins Ernie Polk and Kenny Peterson to pull the 11-foot fish out of the water. The struggle lasted over an hour as the shark was trying to swim away at top speeds.

Polk told SFGate, “She was pulling line out of my reel at easily 60 miles and hour. We call that ‘smokin’ the drag’ round here.” WKRG posted a photo of Polk filling up his truck while the giant shark was strapped to the back.

While the Polk family normally catches and releases the fish, the Polks decided that their catch shouldn’t go to waste after the shark exhausted itself. They barbecued the behemoth and served it up to about 250 residents of the community.

The Polks won’t give out the location of the beach where they caught the shark, for fear of it becoming crowded with tourists.

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Sarah Hofmann