Fisherman catches shark near Bay of Plenty coast in Bowentown in New Zealand

A brave fisherman has celebrated his 21st birthday by reeling in a massive great white shark.  

Josh Lonergan was fishing in the Bay of Plenty near Bowentown, New Zealand, on Monday night when he noticed the four-metre beast eyeing up his dinner. 

The shark locked on to a school of fish and chased them just three meters away from the boat. 

A brave fisherman reels in shark before it suddenly burst from the waters and violently chomped on the bait in New Zealand 

Mr Longergan was reeling in trevally to smoke up for his birthday party when he suddenly felt a powerful tug at the end of the line. 

‘At first I wasn’t sure if it was a bronze whaler or a white, so I quickly brought in my lines,’ he told NZ Stuff. 

He teased the ocean predator with a kahawai head when the shark suddenly burst from the waters, violently chomping on the bait.   

‘I’ve never had a great white jump above the boat like that. It was huge,’ Mr Longergan said. 

Josh Lonergan caught a four metre great white shark while fishing for trevalley for his 21st birthday 

‘I’ve caught a few sharks when I’ve gone game fishing – hammer heads and mako – but nothing like that.’     

Mr Lonergan, who has been fishing near the bay since he was young, said great white shark numbers have increased in the area.

Another ‘pretty scary’ incident saw a shark circle his father’s and his own boat in the harbour.  

The Bowentown area has been a hotspot for shark attacks after a 19-year-old woman died on the beach in January. 

She was pulled from the water alive but paramedics could not revive her.