“It was like hell for a little while,” David Griffen said of his battle with a bull shark.

The first shark of the second to the last Shark Saturday was lugged onto the docks at about 2 p.m. It weighed in at 96.6 pounds.

The shark was “pissed off” when they got him to the boat, and the Hinesville, Ga., angler said his arms were aching after the fight. But the thrill of it all has Griffen hooked on shark fishing.

“It was my first shark, but I hope to God it won’t be my last. I’ll be back,” he said.

Griffen’s shark was initially the leader in the battle for the $250 jackpot in the weekly Mako My Day Division. But hours later his catch was knocked off by a 126 pound bull shark.

At about 6 p.m., Rodeo Executive Director Helen Donaldson said three shark had already been weighed and two more were expected before the Rodeo closed for the day.

To read about other shark tales from the 61st Destin Fishing Rodeo, click here.

For more photos from Day 24 and to read about a protest on the docks Saturday, click on the links.

— William Hatfield

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