Avery Fuller, 26, of Texas City reeled in a very rare 1,000-pound shark 40 miles off the coast of Galveston July 1, hauling it into a boat not much larger than the fish.
Fuller and his brothers, Clint and Tyler, were out fishing for a tournament when they got a bite around midnight. Once the hook was set, the fight took about 20 minutes, they said.
Weighing in officially at 1,004 pounds, the catch just inched passed Avery’s goal to match his father, who caught a 1,000-pound tiger shark 30 years ago and won first place in a tournament.
Texas Parks and Wildlife says it is legal to catch and keep a tiger shark, but it has to be at least 64 inches. Fuller's shark was more than twice that at 12 feet, 6 inches.
And in the end, the Fuller brothers walked away sure winners. Avery said he was only aware of three 1,000-pound tiger sharks having been caught, and two are now credited to his family.