A pair of fishing buddies from Milpitas hoping to catch bluefin tuna earlier this month in the waters off the Santa Cruz County coast instead hauled in a 12.1-foot-long thresher shark.

While Dave Woodward piloted an 18.5-foot-long Seaswirl Striper boat named “Limit Out,” Gil Higbee fought to reel in the shark, which took their white mackerel bait.

The nearly three-hour tussle between shark and Higbee’s 50-pound monofilament fishing line transpired over a distance of more than three miles about 350 feet from the Davenport shoreline on Nov. 8.

“It’s the biggest fish I’ve ever caught on a rod and wheel,” said Higbee, once a commercial fisherman in Florida.

Higbee said he believes the “monster fish,” which jumped completely out of the water three times, would snap the line right off. However, that wasn’t the case.

“It was breathtaking, a moment of total excitement and thankfulness that we landed the fish,” said Higbee, who has lived in Milpitas for 11 years.

The shark, estimated to weigh between 250 and 300 pounds, has been cut up and is in freezers waiting to be grilled, according to Higbee.

“They’re delicious,” he said. The taste is close to that of a swordfish, he added.

Gary Morris, part owner of the boat but who did not make the trip, said he was trying to determine whether the catch is a record for the size of boat and type of line.