Man lands 573-lb. shark with 13-lb. line

KARRATHA, Australia, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- An Australian man participating in a fishing competition set a world record when he landed a 573-pound tiger shark using a 13-pound line.

Brett Sinclair, 27, of Sydney said he was participating in the Dampier Classic Aug. 1 near Karratha when he landed the tiger shark, which weighs more than 220 pounds more than the previous largest catch for a 13-pound line, The (Perth) Sunday Times reported Monday.

"We had already caught a small tiger shark an hour or two before," Sinclair said. "When this one took the bait, I thought it would be about the same size. I actually asked the other lads if they wanted to grab the rod and have a go, but luckily they said no."

The King Bay Game Fishing Club, which organized the Dampier Classic, said the tiger shark was the largest catch in the history of the competition.