It was the wildest day of fishing, according to one Florida man with an epic tale to tell.
Elliot Sudal was fishing in waters off Sanibel Island on Wednesday when a tug on his line turned out to be a catch much larger and exciting than he anticipated.
"I said, 'Guys, this isn't a beginner fish,'" Sudal recalled in an interview with WBBH.
Sudal had to enlist the help of a stranger to assist him in reeling in his line, which lasted from dusk until dawn.
Hours into his struggle, a crowd began to gather in awe with Sudal’s perseverance – Vice President Mike Pence among the spectators.
“A few hours later [and] some secret service agents show up, search my bags and temporarily take my fillet knives... then Vice President Mike Pence shows up with his family and hangs out,” Sudal recounted in a Facebook post.
Just after the 11-hour mark, the struggle came to a close as three fins broked the water near the beach, and the fisherman reeled in a massive 14-foot sawfish weight hundreds of pounds.
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With hands covered in blisters and barely being able to walk, Sudal deemed this “the most physically taxing experience” of his life.
No monster fish were harmed in this real-life tale. The sawfish swam off healthy and strong after it was quickly tagged and released.
