Fishing for sharks requires a lot of specialty equipment. You’ll need a good offshore rod, a steel leader, and the right hooks. At least, that’s usually the case. Other times, you just need to have a little luck, a touch of fearlessness, and a fishing pole. That’s all this barefoot Australian man had when he caught a bull shark directly out of a river in his home country.
“Shark boy’s on.”
The video starts with an air of nonchalance or perhaps boredom. A barefoot man stands in the grass near a river’s edge. He’s reeling in what his cameraman claims to be a shark. The two are standing on the banks of the Pine River in South East Queensland, Australia.
Although it may seem unusual to most people to have a shark swim up a river, it’s not all that uncommon. Bull sharks have been swimming through various sections of the Pine River for years. They use the freshwater area as a temporary habitat, sometimes for as long as a year while they give birth and raise their young.
The man reeling in the shark and his cameraman continue to talk and strategize as the shark fights to get free. Suddenly, the shark swims near the river’s surface, allowing the camera to get a look at it. This shark appears to be a few feet long, a juvenile.
The original fisher reels the shark in a little more and then hands off the pole to someone offscreen. He decides to grab the leader line and pull the shark out of the water. The shark thrashes in the shallow water as it’s being pulled out.
Finally, the cameraman steps back as the shark is finally dragged out of the water. The fisher lifts it by the leader line, revealing it completely. It’s not a large specimen, but it is impressive. Also, the chances are that it was not alone in the water.
Schools of sharks have been making their way into parts of the Pine River and causing some people to put a pause on their activities in the area. Although this brave barefoot Australian had no problem fishing one out of the water, few people want an encounter with a bull shark of any sort!
Watch More Shark Footage from Around the World
Do you want to see other people get up close and personal with sharks around the world? Take a look at these videos and witness some amazing interactions.
- Meet an Incredible Woman Who Has Removed 300 Hooks from Shark Mouths. This video shows a very daring woman and the harm that the fishing industry can do.
- Shark Makes Record-Breaking 15-Foot Jump Out of the Water. Scientists seek shark breaches for the sake of a contest.
- See a Great White Shark Attack a Drone! Provoking attacks from a great white shark is never smart unless it’s for science.
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