BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – It was a pretty good day out on the boat for Dustin Richter Monday.
“The kingfish almost took all the line out of my reel. Those fish are very strong and put up a good fight,” said Richter told WPTV.com.
But the fight doesn't even compare to what Richter caught early Sunday morning.
Richter and four of his buddies headed out to the Boynton Beach Inlet, and they reeled in the catch of a lifetime.
"We got in close, and it didn't seem that big then. We saw the entire fish, and saw it was huge, and the fight was on," said Richter.
Ritcher says the fight lasted more than a hour before the sawfish was reeled in.
'"Oh my God. It's a saw shark.' That's the first thing I thought, the rarest species of all. We've never even seen one in person, pictures or anything," said Richter.
Sawfish are shark-like fish with a long, thin snout covered in razor-sharp teeth. The snout looks like a saw. They are endangered, making it a rare catch.
"He was just so powerful, just so strong of a fish. It's like he wasn't even hooked. He kept swimming out. It was like he wasn't even on our line," said Richter.
The line was cut and the fish ultimately swam away.
"Just incredible. That's the word I've been saying. We are going to remember this for the rest of our lives," said Richter.
