Angler makes big catch off Grays Harbor coastline, establishes shark sport fish record

Published 3:00 pm Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Ten-year old Isabella Tolen of Lake Stevens has established the state record for the largest tope shark caught off the coast of Washington.

Tolen was bait fishing with a strip of salmon belly in Grays Harbor in late July when she snared the 41-pound, 68-inch fish.

“It was really hard to catch, because the shark was pulling around the boat, and my dad kept telling me to follow my fish,” Tolen said. “It seemed like it might pull me into the water, but I just kept following my fish.”

Tolen, who has fished with her father since she was little, stated the variety of species in the ocean is a reason she is attracted to the sport.

“I like it because you can catch different types of fish and you can see incredible things in the ocean,” she said. “You just have to find out what you can catch.”

This was the first tope shark submitted for a state record in Washington.