Six-Year-Old Hooks Great White Shark Fishing on Cape Cod

Photo via iStock/Kenneth Wiedemann

During a family fishing outing off the coast of Cape Cod on Saturday, six-year-old Blake White only caught one fish.

To be fair, what he caught was a little heftier than a few bass.

A strong tug on his line prompted White to ask his father, Lars, to help him reel in his catch. According to the Cape Cod Times, the fish on the other end of the line towed the fishermen around Rock Harbor in Eastham for more than an hour.

When the catch surfaced, the Whites realized they were dealing with a creature that had a name similar to their own—a great white shark.

“I tried to catch a smaller fish, but instead I caught a shark,” Blake White told the Telegraph. “The line started pulling the rod like crazy.”

It turns out that the shark had gotten caught in the hook and couldn’t free itself. So, the group cut the line and the shark swam away.

White’s father estimated the shark was about 10 to 12 feet long. He sent photos of the shark to the Atlantic Great White Shark Conservancy, which confirmed the shark was indeed a great white.

The Times notes that there have been no previous reports of a fisherman catching a great white in that area of Cape Cod Bay.

Still, Blake told his father he’d like to go fishing again next weekend, suggesting they catch something a little bit smaller.