Baby great white shark caught at Bay of Plenty beach

Waihi's Holly Manukonga won't forget her first catch in a hurry.

Taken fishing by her boyfriend Josh Lonergan last night, the pair were looking to hook some bronze whalers off Bowentown's Cave Bay when she snagged what felt like a big one.

Upon reeling the fish in they discovered it was a baby great white shark.

"I just did the usual, threw some bait out and we hooked a white," Lonergan said.

Holly Manukonga reeled in a baby great white shark in Waihi before releasing it back into the ocean. Photo / Supplied

He estimated the shark was 70 to 80kg.

"So not the biggest but it's still a shark, it'll still bite you. We went in the harbour a few weeks ago, in the boat, and we had a white behind in the burley trail. There have been a few seen around.

"It's all part of it, I take the bait out to about waist deep, throw it out and sprint back as fast as I can. It doesn't take long until you get a hit.

Josh Lonergan unhooks the shark. Photo / Supplied

"I do a lot of game fishing, a lot of harbour fishing. I enjoy the buzz, the adrenaline, it gets me pumped up."

He said the encounter had not deterred his girlfriend Manukonga. In fact, he said, she was more enthusiastic than ever.

"She's allergic to fish so it's pretty funny - she had never caught a fish before. She was pretty sore after reeling it in. She wasn't as excited as me, I've been catching sharks since I was about 10, but if anything it's made her more keen to go out and do it again."

After reeling in the baby great white shark they unhooked it and released it back into the ocean.

Holly Manukonga caught a baby great white shark in Waihi. Photo / Supplied