Most people would be afraid to get anywhere near a shark, but one Florida man took his love for fishing to the extreme.
Peter Buban was fishing in Palm Beach County for the Blacktip Challenge Annual Fishing Tournament when his line caught something big. He and his friends struggled for about an hour before getting it to shore. The catch? A huge hammerhead shark! (Via WPTV)
The more than 13-foot shark weighed an estimated 1,000 pounds and won Buban first place in the tournament. (Via SharkingSport.com)
Not only is this beast his personal best, but it also won him the record for the largest fish ever caught in the competition. His catch beat his competitors' by nearly 3 feet. (Via Blacktip Challenge)
This isn't Buban's first rodeo. Originally from Czechoslovakia, he says he's been fishing since he was just 9 years old.
"Basically I was born with the rod in my hand. I started fishing on small rivers." (Via WPTV)
He has caught different types of sharks before such as bull sharks. Just last year he and his friends caught another — but much smaller — hammerhead. (Via YouTube / BlacktipH)
So what's next for the extreme fisherman? Well, he says he hopes to outdo his recent catch.
"If you catch one huge fish, it's like a drug, you cannot stop. It's like a little motivation to catch bigger and bigger fish." (Via WPTV)
And animal lovers — don't worry. Those participating in the annual shark tournament are believers in catch-and-release fishing.
