Just in time for the start of shark week, a family fishing trip in North Jersey's Hudson Canyon produced a record-setting whopper of a sea creature.
On Saturday afternoon, Captain Dave Bender of The Jenny Lee sportfishing boat posted a jaw-dropping photo on Facebook. During an all-day Friday charter expedition with family and friends, Captain Kevin Gerrity reeled in a 926-pound shortfin mako, a 90-minute overnight battle that cemented a state record.
"I want to say that my friend and co captain kevin gerrity deserves 100% of the credit for (catching) this beast," Bender wrote. "He has waited 35 years for todays moment. every night offshore for the last ten years he puts out a shark rod, and every night I tell the customers, 'we aint gonna catch no mako.' Kevins passion and persistence has paid off today for a fish of a lifetime. I salute you cap you deserve this fish!!!!!"
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The previous New Jersey record for a shortfin mako was an 856-pound catch in 1994. Gerrity's catch on Friday was 12 feet in length. On average, adult shortfin makos grow to about 610 pounds.
While impressive, the current world record catch for a shortfin mako stands at 1,221 pounds, caught off the coast of Massachusetts by Luke Sweeney in 2001.