Fishermen Catch 1,000-Lb. Great White Shark from North Carolina Shore — and it Was All Captured on Video

Two North Carolina fishermen made one of the most impressive catches of their careers when they caught a great white shark.

Luke Beard and Jason Rosenfeld were fishing on an island in the Outer Banks on Saturday, March 15, when they landed an approximately 12- to 13-foot-long shark that weighed over 1,000 lbs., according to CBS affiliate WTKR.

“I set hook on the fish and it just felt different,” Beard recalled of the experience.

Meanwhile, Rosenfeld told the outlet that he's still "on cloud nine" and "probably will be for the rest of my life."

The friends have been fishing for decades, but Beard’s catch was so large that Rosenfeld and five other people had to help bring in the shark, according to a video of the catch Beard shared on Facebook. 

Beard wrote in the post that they released the great white “as fast as possible” back into the ocean. 

“The biggest priority is keeping the fish safe and getting a good release on all fish that we catch,” Beard told WTKR. The catch, while a surprise, was one they had hoped for. 

“We were going out to catch something big,” Rosenfeld told the station. “That’s the thing. That’s what we do. That’s our passion.” 

Releasing the shark is standard practice for anglers fishing in the Atlantic Ocean. “Recreational fishermen who hold the appropriate permits are allowed to intentionally fish for white sharks with rod and reel gear as long as they release the shark immediately without removing the shark from the water and without further harming the shark," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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In other Facebook pictures, Beard and fellow fishermen pose with images of large fish and sharks they’ve previously reeled in. But fishing isn’t without its dangers. 

In a Tuesday, March 18 Facebook post, Beard shared a snap of his thigh covered in a bright red rash, attributing it to the great white shark. He wrote, "It sucks, but it’s totally worth it!"