Ten-year-old Isabella Tolen, of Lake Stevens, has established the state record for the largest tope shark caught off the coast of Washington, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Isabella was bait fishing with a strip of salmon belly in Grays Harbor in late July, according to a press release. The 41-pound fish measured 68 inches.
“It was really hard to catch, because the shark was pulling around the boat, and my dad kept telling me to follow my fish,” Isabella said. “It seemed like it might pull me into the water, but I just kept following my fish.”
Isabella has fished with her dad since she was little.
“I like it because you can catch different types of fish, and you can see incredible things in the ocean,” she said. “You just have to find out what you can catch.”
Her advice to new anglers is to just give it a try. “If you can hold a pole, you can fish,” she said.
A family member said on Facebook that “the shark was sent for research for those who are curious.”
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