Texas Angler Catches 9.5-Foot Tiger Shark: 'Exhausting But Exciting'
By Dani Medina
April 29, 2022
A Texas angler made an "exhausting but exciting" catch this week.
Michael Ploch, a fisherman from San Antonio, caught a 9.5-foot tiger shark at Port Aransas beach on Thursday (April 28), according to MySanAntonio.
Alongside his friend Patrick Reyes of Poteet, Ploch used a drone to drop his baited hook near the end of the Port Aransas South Jetty, the beach shared on Facebook.
"After the shark bit, Ploch walked his rod and reel down the pier, toward shore, and dropped it to his friend, standing on the beach below. Ploch then ran down to shore, took the rod again and reeled the beast in from there," the Port Aransas South Jetty said on Facebok.
Ploch said he fought the tiger shark for over two hours. After measuring it and taking photos, Ploch released the tiger shark back into the ocean.
"It was exhausting but exciting to catch one of my bucket list sharks. I have been saltwater fishing for the last five years, but have been grateful to learn a lot of pointers from local fishermen that helped me land this fish," Ploch told MySanAntonio.
You can watch the video below.
San Antonio resident Michael Ploch (wearing the gray shirt) poses for photos with a 9.5-foot tiger shark just after reeling it in at the beach in Port Aransas today. With him was friend Patrick Reyes of Poteet. The adventure of catching the big fish started when Ploch walked to the end of Horace Caldwell Pier, then used a drone to drop his baited hook near the end of the south jetty, several hundred yards to the north. After the shark bit, Ploch walked his rod and reel down the pier, toward shore, and dropped it to his friend, standing on the beach below. Ploch then ran down to shore, took the rod again and reeled the beast in from there. Ploch said he fought the shark for more than two hours. He released it after measuring it and posing for photos with it. The shark last was seen swimming toward the horizon. (South Jetty staff video by Dan Parker, © 2022.)
Posted by Port Aransas South Jetty on Thursday, April 28, 2022