Massive 600 Pound Mako Shark Caught Off Popular Florida Beach
A group of anglers in Florida recently brought a 600 pound mako shark ashore on a popular gulf coast beach, just days after another team landed a 10-foot-long great white in the same spot.
Off the Beach Shark Fishing is a group headed by Matt Pemberton, a shark fishing guide, according to the Times-Picayune. Casting their lines off Panama City Beach’s east end on Friday, the team of seven anglers hooked a massive mako shark, which they fought for 90 minutes before bringing the animal out of the surf. When landed, the shark measured 10-feet-long, tipping the scales at over 600 pounds.
Threatened mako shark caught & killed off Panama City Beach, #Florida http://t.co/DiT7UMRmyt #sharks #overfishing pic.twitter.com/oYrOwLLmXD
— Blue Planet Society (@Seasaver) March 8, 2015
Pemberton noted that the fight with the mako shark wore out the group of fishermen, several of whom were stunned by the experience. Douglas Harlan, one of the anglers who was vacationing from Indiana, related how much the catch affected him.
“It was pretty impressive. I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It just blew my mind to land something that big – I never expected anything like that.”
Pemberton also pointed out that while some fishermen may be accustomed to lake and river fishing, catching an oceanic shark is a far different story.
“You catch a shark and you can’t stop it. You’ve got a drag for a reason because if you ain’t got a drag that whole thing will pull you in the water.”
Earlier this month, another group of anglers fishing off Panama City Beach at night made headlines when they caught a 10-foot-long great white shark. As the Inquisitr previously reported, the shark was believed to be the first great white ever caught from a shoreline along the gulf coast.
Men reel in 600-lb mako shark from Gulf of Mexico. http://t.co/OUEFSdigaw pic.twitter.com/I6R8tPuMDK
— WAFB (@WAFB) March 9, 2015
While the anglers who caught the white shark elected to tag and release the predator, the 600 pound mako wasn’t so lucky. Pemberton and his group decided to keep the shark, according to WFTV, fileting the mako. Unlike some other shark species, makos represent palatable table fare.
The anglers pointed out that the mako shark was caught at night, asserting that the predator posed little threat to any beachgoers. One of the fastest species in the water, mako sharks are regularly fished, despite the fact that they are considered ecologically vulnerable.
Describing the appeal of shark fishing, Pemberton noted that while there are species in the ocean far larger than the 600 pound mako shark, a shore-based angler is unlikely to land them.
[Image: Off the Beach Shark Fishing via the Times-Picayune]
