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Florida Fishermen Catch 347-Pound Monster Grouper

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BRADENTON (CBSMiami/AP) -- A team of fishermen are celebrating big after reeling in a 347-pound grouper -- a fish so large it barely fit on their boat.

Capt. Paul Christie, a defending champion at the Crosthwait Memorial Fishing Tournament, and his team Jumbo Shrimp decided to target Warsaw grouper to maximize their points in the tournament. They lowered a line more than 600 feet into the Gulf of Mexico earlier this month.

Anthony Panipinto hooked in the team spent the next hour reeling it in.

The Bradenton Herald reports the fish didn't fit through the tuna door, so they made a makeshift pulley over the t-top.

The Bradenton Yacht Club had to use a crane to lift the Warsaw out of the boat.

The big fish landed the team in first place with a $10,000 prize.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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