Mass. family reels in great white shark off Florida coast

A Massachusetts family vacationing in South Florida encountered an unexpected catch: a 10-foot great white shark.

Donovan Smith and his father, Judd Smith, of Redding, were on a fishing trip outside Fort Lauderdale with Fishing headquarters When they spotted the huge shark a mile offshore.

Captain Paul Paolucci, who has worked with the charter company since 2003, said he has only encountered six great white sharks.

“In Fort Lauderdale, catching one is like getting a Super Bowl ring,” he said. “It’s really rare, because the water is so warm.”

Paolucci said that the trip began with the group catching medium-sized fish. In the final hour, he switched to using heavier rods and larger lures, and it quickly paid off.

As the great white shark approached the boat, 16-year-old Donovan Smith climbed into a fighting chair and engaged the shark before his father took over. Together they fought the fish for about 45 minutes before bringing it alongside the boat.

The crew then measured the shark, took photos of it, then released it back into the water, Paolucci said. They also introduced a tracking tag, which allows researchers to monitor how far the shark travels and how it grows over time.

Paolucci described the moment the huge shark appeared as “extreme excitement.” He noted that his boatmate caught his first ever shark that day and was ecstatic.

Although Paolucci described the Smiths as “balanced people,” some excitement still seeped through them, he said — and it was clear. In the video.