Fishermen Dragged Along For Two Miles After Hooking Great White Shark

A major part of the rush of fishing is not knowing exactly what is on the other end of the line, like when you return a missed call from an unknown number.

But while the suspense when making such phone calls is undeniably both thrilling and terrifying, it probably isn't quite as thrilling or terrifying as having a great white shark on the other end of the line.

A group of fishermen in the US experienced this rush firsthand on Saturday after they were dragged along for two miles after inadvertently hooking a great white.

The crew of seven were fishing for Sevengill and Soupfin sharks around San Francisco Bay when they bit off more than they could chew... or something else bit off more than they could chew.

In footage taken from the boat, the guys can be heard quite understandably losing their collective s**t as they realise what exactly the massive force was on the other end of the line.

Golden State Sportfishing

"It's a great white! We got a great white!" one bloke shouted giddily.

The ship's captain, Joe Gamez, of Golden Gate Sport Fishing, said he had been making excursions like this four or five times a week for 20 years, but had never experienced anything like the power of the great white.

Indeed, reeling in the beast took all seven of the fishermen, some of whom had never even been out on the water before - so those first-time fishermen may as well go ahead and hang up their rods after this experience.

Speaking to CBS, the 42-year-old said: "The force was almost like hooking into a Volkswagen that was a hundred feet deep and just trying to hold on to the rod and reel.

"It almost pulled me into the water at one point. It's the biggest thing I've ever fought in my life that's for sure."

Facebook/Joe Gamez

Mr Gamez said the shark appeared to be between six-and-a-half to eight feet long and they released it immediately, as it is illegal to fish for great white sharks in California, where the species is protected.

Mr Gamez said: "We're in their home so, it's a scary thing, but it was an adrenaline rush, for sure, for everybody on the boat.

"We've never hooked into a big shark like that, we've caught sharks 3 to 400 pounds but we've never caught a great white shark."

Jaws-dropping stuff.

Topics: US News, Animals

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey