MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla. – Kip Houghton gripped the rod firmly.
The 8-foot tiger shark on the other end of the line wouldn't budge.
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"It felt like the reel was locked," the 12-year old Melbourne Beach boy told Local 6 News partner Florida Today .
Things had been a bit slow on the water this day off Fort Lauderdale.
"We hadn't had a bite for a really long time," his mother, Wendy Houghton, said of the fishing charter trip they took on Thursday. "It was hot, it was boring."
Then it wasn't.
A large splash broke the lull.
"They basically said: 'you're on kid,'" Wendy Houghton said of the moment the shark was hooked.
After a 40-minute battle, Kip Houghton was able to reel the shark up to the boat.
"It was a big deal for them, which made it a huge deal for us," Wendy Houghton said of what the charter boat staff told them.
After taking the shark's measurements, they let it go. The Houghtons plan to make a tiger shark replica to hang in their home.
"Its tail was pure muscle," Kip Houghton said.
"It was just incredible. I can't describe it," he said of the experience. "It was the hardest 40 minutes of my life."
Then, for a few minutes, the shark seemed to gaze upon its captor.
"Right when we were letting it go, he just looked at me for five seconds and swam off," Kip Houghton said.