Three thrill-seeking fishermen have caught what may be a record-breaking catch an 11-ft long, 8-ft round, 1,323-pound mako shark.
Prior to Monday's catch, the largest mako ever caught by sport fisherman was approximately 1,121 pounds according to Jack Vitek, the records coordinator for the International Game and Fish Association.
"Any time you're dealing with an apex predator at a food source, its frightening," said Corey Knowlton, an associate hunting consultant with The Huntington Consortium who was a part of the team that caught the shark told ABC News. "You are three to four feet away from something with the absolute ability to kill you. When it comes towards you, it comes with the purpose of killing and eating something."
Knowlton who is the co-host of the hunting show "The Professinoals," caught the fish with the help of, Jason Johnston and boat captain Matt Potter caught the fish off the coast of Southern California. The battle to get the massive shark on board the ship lasted more than two hours.
"Really, it was Jason who caught it and Matt who is the real genius behind it. He's able to look at the water temperature and underwater structures and see where the sharks are based on how they are feeding," Knowlton told ABC News.
If the catch is confirmed and meets the necessary conditions, it would win the record for biggest mako shark ever caught. However there is a lengthy process before the official channels can confirm that this shark is officially a world record-breaking catch by the standards of the International Game Fish Association.
"I've hunted lions and brown bears, but I've never experienced anything like this," Johnston told the Orange County Register. "It felt like I had a one-ton diesel truck at the end of the line, and it wasn't budging.
