LYNN – Laura “Ippi” Ippoleti, owner of Ippi’s Bait and Tackle on Parkland Avenue, normally keeps items in her freezer you would expect to find, but this week she has a shark’s head on ice.She brought the head home as a trophy after she and four others reeled in a blue shark last Wednesday during the Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Derby. The shark weighed 385 lbs. and was 10 feet and 10 inches long.”I got the head to take the teeth out of it,” said Ippoleti. “I collect them and have rows and rows now.”Ippoleti and 35 others were on board the “American Classic,” a charter fishing boat captained by James Walsh, when the two-hour battle between man and beast began.Using a Shimona rod, Ippoliti, Tom Eichel Jr., Nancy Balch, Sue Bagrowski and Andrew Mini took turns holding on with all their might before subduing the shark.The only means of tracking the shark was using an improvised bobber made from an inflated latex glove. Whenever the hand appeared to flail in a particular direction, the boat would turn to follow it. Captain Walsh had to turn the boat three times during the bout.”We were surprised by the awesome strength of the shark and amazed that the 60 pound test line held up,” said Ippoleti.The shark freed itself from the hook three times, but kept coming back, much to the surprise of the fishers. Then the shark took the last bite of its life before becoming exhausted.”We had to get a big rope and lasso the tail to pull it to the side of the boat. We couldn’t haul it in though, so four of us got on the top of the bridge and seven of us stayed on the bow. It took 11 people to finally lift it,” said Ippoleti.When the boat returned to dock, Ippoleti was too busy helping customers to see the shark weighed with the other victorious fishers. She did, however, manage to claim the head and take a sample of shark sushi from it. She said it was delicious and that she plans to cut several steaks from the head.The body of the fish was picked up by employees of Jade Pacific on Lynnfield Street, Ippoleti’s favorite restaurant.Captain and crew wanted to be sure none of the shark was wasted.Ippoleti will be entered in the Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Derby contest, in which the state Division of Marine Fisheries acknowledges catches of outstanding saltwater game fish that meet certain requirements, such as weight. This was the first shark caught this year while last year’s fishing derby brought in three blue sharks.Ippoleti previously worked as an electrician, a job that required her to travel to many locations. In 2000, she was laid off, and knew exactly what her next move would be.”Since there weren’t any places to buy bait around Lynn, I figured I’d just open a store,” she said. “I’ve been running Ippi’s Bait and Tackle ever since.”She says that she is pleased that business is good, but because of that, she has less time to fish these days.No stranger to the activity, Ippoleti has been fishing for more than 40 years. She says she enjoys it because it relaxes her.