Texas Woman Reels In 9-Foot Tiger Shark During Fishing Tournament

A woman reeled in a nine-foot-long tiger shark while participating in a fishing tournament in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Labor Day.

The woman, identified as Josie Silva, caught the huge fish while taking part in the Texas Shark Rodeo on Sept. 2. It took her around 40 minutes to bring the fish to the shore after which it was measured, tagged and released back into the ocean.

"My initial reaction to the catch was complete excitement. knew it was going to be a big shark, but I was in complete shock when we found out she was a 9-footer. Tiger sharks can be as large as 12-15 feet. So, she was definitely up there in size," she told local daily Corpus Christi Caller-Times on Tuesday.

"I hooked on at 7:39 p.m. and it took me 40 minutes to bring her to shore, [and] five minutes to measure her and send her back out," Silva told KSAT last week.

Photos showed her reeling in the shark and measuring it on the shore.

She revealed that she caught the fish using the homemade fishing rod she designed.

"I made the rod about a week before the tournament. The rod I used is by Steadfast and the reel is an Avet TRX80. My fiancé is a rod builder with MLJ rods and is showing me how to build as well. The fact that I made the rod, it just made the catch so much more special for me," she told Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

"Our team the 3rd Coast Beach Bums participates every year. I've been with the group for about a year and a half, and in that time, this is my second shark catch, but it's definitely my personal best," she added.

Silva went on to say the tournament she participated in is "for a good cause" as it emphasises on tracking sharks which will further help experts observe their health and migration pattern.

Asking people to not be afraid of sharks while visiting the beach, she said, "I just want people to understand that these animals are out there and should be respected like all marine animals. I thought that I was going to be afraid of sharks when I started fishing, but it really isn't. The most important thing is to have fun, keep the beaches clean and respect the waters."