Texas fisherman catches 809-pound tiger shark

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

photo In this Aug. 3, 2014, photo provided by Ryan Spring, Spring, right, handles an 809-pound, 12-foot, 7-inch tiger shark he caught after reeling it in for more than seven hours in the Gulf of Mexico off Port Aransas, Texas.

PORT ARANSAS, Texas - A Texas fisherman has landed an 809-pound tiger shark in the Gulf of Mexico after reeling it in for more than seven hours.

Ryan Spring of San Antonio says he caught the shark Sunday about 5 miles off Port Aransas (uh-RAN'-suhs). He says the 12-foot, 7-inch shark was about as big as his boat. He says it pulled the vessel south for more than 15 miles.

It took about a dozen men to haul the male shark onto the dock. Spring plans to donate meat from the shark to charity.

The catch falls short of the tiger shark state record, which according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says is 1,129 pounds.