Fishermen investigated over bull shark catch

The father and son from Verrierdale, near Noosa, caught the shark about 15km upstream from the mouth of the Noosa River on December 27.

At about 70kg and 2.8m in length, the shark is almost double the legal size limit introduced in July last year.

The catch was reported in two Queensland newspapers, accompanied by a photograph of it hanging from a tree.

The son boasted to the Courier-Mail newspaper about an 80-minute struggle with the shark, saying it put up a "hell of a fight".

But the story has drawn the attention of the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol, which is now investigating.

Sunshine Coast district officer Greg Bowness said that if the matter went to court, the men could face a maximum $75,000 fine.

Queensland had a 1.5m limit for all sharks and rays, and people were limited to one per recreational fisherman.

"Certainly, the onus is on a person who does go fishing to ensure that they're familiar with the rules and regulations required for their practices," Mr Bowness told AAP.

He said it was not unusual for bull sharks to spend a lot of time in rivers and canals in their range.

"We don't hear about it very often but I'm certainly not surprised that there is a shark like that up in the top reaches of the Noosa River," he said.

"It's part of its natural habitat."

Anglers have been urged to check their catch this summer, after more than 750 recreational fishing fines were handed out in 2009.

Most were handed out after very basic rules were broken.

On-the-spot fines of up to $1000 apply for fishing offences, but people can also be taken to court if they blatantly flout or repeatedly break the law.