'A monster': Texas man catches 12.5-foot tiger shark at Padre Island National Seashore

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A man set a personal best last weekend after reeling in a 12.5-foot tiger shark at the Padre Island National Seashore.

Christian Haltermann, 36, of Kyle, Texas, was on a weekend fishing trip with his 8-year-old son when he caught the shark. Haltermann learned to fish at the national park with his dad and returns about twice a month.

Haltermann loaded up his custom 9-foot rods, kayaked about 1,000 yards and dropped his bait, a 10-pound stingray, into the water. He returned to shore and waited for a bite.

"(Last) Saturday evening, we got picked up at about 7 p.m., and I instantly knew it was a monster," Haltermann said. "We knew it was a big one for sure."

'Give the sharks their space':Video shows group of sharks swimming off west coast of Florida  

After about two and a half hours of fighting, Haltermann sent his son to recruit the help of two nearby campers.

As a volunteer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Haltermann takes measurements and collects data on the sharks he catches before tagging and releasing them back into the water. He determined that the shark was female.

Shark tale:A great white shark is cruising the Atlantic Ocean from New Jersey to the Carolinas  

"I don't ever want to remove them from the water because the priority is getting released," Haltermann said. "We got the hooks removed, took a couple quick pictures and sent her on her way, but she was super lively, and she swam off real strong."

The catch set a personal record for Haltermann, who plans to return to the beach soon.

"I have quite a few tiger sharks over the 10-foot mark and even more over the 9 foot, but nothing over 12," Haltermann said. "That was a new benchmark that we were trying to achieve, and it's so cool that we got that."

What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter today