Eddie Carroll, a fisherman from Connecticut, went angling on Sunday morning with the intention of landing a sizeable bluefish. His goal was aligned with his participation in the ongoing bluefish tournament. However, what emerged from the water was far from what he had anticipated, catching him off guard.
Positioned on his paddleboard, Mr Carroll ventured out, paddling several hundred yards beyond Tuxis Island. Suddenly he hooked a large brown shark, which was so big it started dragging his 12-foot paddle board.
"I was hoping it was a big blue to potentially win the tournament," Mr Carroll told NBC Connecticut. "After a while, I thought maybe it was a world record for striped bass or at least a personal best."
Carroll said the fish dragged him out further into Long Island Sound, even with a small anchor that he had dropped when he first cast his line.
After an intense struggle lasting around an hour, he managed to gradually reel in the catch, finally bringing it to the water's surface to reveal its identity. To his surprise, it wasn't the anticipated bluefish or striped bass; rather, it was a considerably large brown shark.
"I was shocked myself when I first got it close enough to see the size," he said.
At an estimated length of 8 feet, the shark presented an impressive spectacle.
Eddie Carroll took the opportunity to capture this significant catch on his mobile phone, recording the rare moment.
"It could have just been another fishing story. You have to get some sort of evidence, right?. A lot of adrenaline was pumping. Definitely a shade of fear," he said.
