This year we are considering incorporating a Jon boat and rope ladder combination to be able to chase and catch some of the very large sharks that have been playing with us on the Florida keys bridges.In years gone by we have on occasion been lucky to find local boaters to lend us a hand in capturing some of the big specimens but nothing can compare to having a boat ready to go on a moments notice.
Here are some examples of boat assisted captures:
In 1990 Eddie Grosso's 12 foot hammer and 200 lb bull.Made possible by a good gaff man and a willing commercial lobster fisherman.
The 12 foot hammer.
Bahia Honda 1981-70 feet up on the hump and fighting a large Jewfish for over an hour.
The Jewfish was gaffed and a boat from the state park marina was found to secure the fish.
The large grouper was finally hauled into the vessel.
The small boat was very helpful in the capture.Unfortunetly one of the boaters suffered a gash from one of the bridge gaffs as the jewfish was being pulled over the gunwale.
The prize on the fish house scale.1981
My buddy Mark Jacobsen and i with the jewfish on the dock.My old Penn 12/0 and Harrington rod in hand.
It might be a dangerous way to target the big sharks from the bridges but it might mean finnally catching those 1000 lb plus hammerheads that have been destroying our gear and taking all our line.I think it's worth the risk and i live for the adventure.
WILL EXCELLENT IDEA.THIS WAY IF WE GET STUCK ON A TRAP ROPE WE CAN FOLLOW THE LINE OUT AND MEASURE THE SHARK AND SET HIM FREE. TO BE SAFE WE COULD TIE A SHARK REEL TO BOATS BOW AND REEL HIM BACK TO THE BRIDGE. I"LL BE THE FRIST ONE OUT THERE LOL.
THE HAMMER.
WILL HOW MUCH DID THE JEWFISH WEIGH.
That jewfish weighed 285 lbs.Weighed it at the Marathon seafood scales.We sold it because we were out of money after spending three days on Bahia Honda bridge we were sunburned,tired and anxious to get home.I was twenty years old then and could sleep on top of a rock if i had to but now it's a little more difficult to hang on the bridges for 3,4 or 5 days.
SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB -President SFSC-Founding Member est 1983 SFSC-Website Administrator BIG HAMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT -Founder Rene Memorial Sharkathon -Founder NMFS Shark Tagger
nice fish will i was talkin 2 hammer about this idea before but usin a yack i think this will work..ill be the second one out if hammers goin first...if not im in first
godda do what you godda do to get the big ones burns cut anything in the end is worth it
2009 Team Hammer N The Phenoms
Go BIG or go home
Will did you ever get to try this again?
Did it work as wel as you ad hoped and planned?
I came close to having to get in my yak fighting a fish on lighter tackle. It wouldn't count as a land based catch though.