This story will make me swim a bit faster this year. Caught about 90ish miles up the coast from Panama City Beach:
A Florida man has pulled in an 11-foot, 805-pound mako shark from the shores of the Gulf in what may be a new world record for land-based shark fishing.
Joey Polk from Milton, Fla., spent an hour wrestling the monster onto land last Tuesday night, sometimes with almost 900 yards of line pulled out of his reel.
The mako is the fastest of all sharks and can swim at speeds up to 60 miles per hour, and Polk said he now knows that is the truth.
That’s a sad picture. While I wouldn’t want to meet that shark in a dark alley, it is a massive and magnificent animal. It doesn’t belong dead in some guy’s pick-up truck …
That’s a sad picture. While I wouldn’t want to meet that shark in a dark alley, it is a massive and magnificent animal. It doesn’t belong dead in some guy’s pick-up truck …
Agreed. As an aside… who casually goes out to the beach with that sort of test line?
What is the difference between that picture and one of a deer in the back of the pick up truck on the way to the butcher?
As far as I know Mako sharks are not protected. As long as this guy doesn’t just ditch the carcass to rot I am ok with it. There is a lot of good meat there.
Was in Destin last week with the wife and some friends and we got a guide and did some shallow water fishing from 100 yards to 1 mile off of the coast. I guess I always knew big fish were out there, but seeing the large volume of much larger than expected marine life less than 50 yards off shore really opened my eyes.
Also, the guy that caught this Mako tried to set it loose after he caught it but the fish was too tired from the fight and would have died anyways, so they kept and ate it. Mako is not a protected species and tastes really good.
it is a massive and magnificent animal … doesn’t belong dead in some guy’s pick-up truck
Disagree. They fed hundreds of people with it. That honors it’s life. It wasn’t wasted. Most of us, including me, eat magnificent animals daily. Beef, pork, chicken, lamb, fish.
it is a massive and magnificent animal … doesn’t belong dead in some guy’s pick-up truck
Disagree. They fed hundreds of people with it. That honors it’s life. It wasn’t wasted. Most of us, including me, eat magnificent animals daily. Beef, pork, chicken, lamb, fish.
If it was actually eaten, that’s a big improvement. Many sport fish that are caught are wasted or just mounted on some guy’s wall.
Another thing to consider is that there are fewer and fewer sharks, not sure about this species, but the oceans in general are in pretty serious trouble. Also, not sure how shark tastes (never had it), but given that they are a top of the food chain predator, it seems like their meat would not be the best to eat. Kind of like eating a cat or another meat eater. Have you tried shark?
it is a massive and magnificent animal … doesn’t belong dead in some guy’s pick-up truck
Disagree. They fed hundreds of people with it. That honors it’s life. It wasn’t wasted. Most of us, including me, eat magnificent animals daily. Beef, pork, chicken, lamb, fish.
If it was actually eaten, that’s a big improvement. Many sport fish that are caught are wasted or just mounted on some guy’s wall.
Another thing to consider is that there are fewer and fewer sharks, not sure about this species, but the oceans in general are in pretty serious trouble. Also, not sure how shark tastes (never had it), but given that they are a top of the food chain predator, it seems like their meat would not be the best to eat. Kind of like eating a cat or another meat eater. Have you tried shark?
The couple of times I’ve had shark steak it was delicious. Very white meat with very little to no fat. I can’t say for certain that what I had was Mako and I also don’t know if the taste varies amongst the different sharks.
If they ate it, fine. I have nothing against anglers that actually consume what they kill.
Having swam/surfed around many sharks over the years they don’t “scare” me too bad. I understand the fear people have of them, but killing them because they threaten the occasional swimmer or surfer is insane. Beatiful creatures that deserve to be respected and preserved.
I guess the gruesomness of shark attacks scares people. Still far more likely to have a family member knock you off than a shark though.
it is a massive and magnificent animal … doesn’t belong dead in some guy’s pick-up truck
Disagree. They fed hundreds of people with it. That honors it’s life. It wasn’t wasted. Most of us, including me, eat magnificent animals daily. Beef, pork, chicken, lamb, fish.
If it was actually eaten, that’s a big improvement. Many sport fish that are caught are wasted or just mounted on some guy’s wall.
Another thing to consider is that there are fewer and fewer sharks, not sure about this species, but the oceans in general are in pretty serious trouble. Also, not sure how shark tastes (never had it), but given that they are a top of the food chain predator, it seems like their meat would not be the best to eat. Kind of like eating a cat or another meat eater. Have you tried shark?
The couple of times I’ve had shark steak it was delicious. Very white meat with very little to no fat. I can’t say for certain that what I had was Mako and I also don’t know if the taste varies amongst the different sharks.
trav
A few years ago we went deep sea fishing off Sanibel island. I caught a hammerhead (see below) and my BIL caught a couple of Spinner (black tip) sharks. The HH went back into the water but we kept the Spinners. The guides fileted them for us and we grilled them up that night.
Unbelievably delicious…light, flaky white meat. HH apparently aren’t good for eating.
If they ate it, fine. I have nothing against anglers that actually consume what they kill.
Having swam/surfed around many sharks over the years they don’t “scare” me too bad. I understand the fear people have of them, but killing them because they threaten the occasional swimmer or surfer is insane. Beatiful creatures that deserve to be respected and preserved.
I guess the gruesomness of shark attacks scares people. Still far more likely to have a family member knock you off than a shark though.
Clearly this shark got to 800lbs by feeding on people. I have no issues with them keeping the shark. If they did indeed feed 200-250 people like the article says they’re doing better than most fisherman
Yeah, sharks can make for good eating. I’m glad this one didn’t go to waste like so many others.
Y’all should try parasailing or flying over the beach sometime. It’s quite a sight to see so many enormous sharks so close to the swimmers. I’ve met more than a couple of tourists who completely stayed out of the water once they discovered that nature actually has wildlife in it. You should be fine so long as you aren’t flailing around in a big school of other people as if you’re all wounded and on the verge of death.
