My friend Kiki Ferrer who used to work on the "Reel Mc Coy" charter boat in Islamorada (Bud & Mary's marina)is now a commercial fisherman and just last week they were out on the 409 hump catching big amberjacks on the bandit hydraulic reels when they had two aj's taken whole on the way up.The last aj to get eaten was bitten in half by the yet unseen monster down below so they took that half and they put it down on a 80 Shimano with a shark rig and as the bait started to sink the beast came up and showed itself .Kiki tell me that it was 7 foot wide from pectoral tip to tip and atleast 1200 lbs.Anyway it sucks down the the last aj and takes off and nearly empties the Shimano before biting thru the leader.It's a known fact that great white inhabit the Keys humps top feed on the Amberjack but I thought it was mostly in Feb,and March,,,,,i guess not.
This one was caught in 1995 or 96 at Pickles reef off Key Largo by commercial fisherman Joel Prouty and was near 1500 lbs . Prouty then sold the jaws to Dr Gordon Hubble and had the meat smoked.Rene de Dios and I got to eat smoked great white after we made J Prouty an honarary member of the SFSC.
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
Do these guys ever venture close to shore on the west coast? I wouldnt be surprised if one did after the oil spill. With all the deepwater species that have been caught or washed up this year. I know that Louver that washed up here in Englewood was a long way from where it should have been.
Thats unreal, what I would give to have one circle my boat..
Maybe they are making a little bit of a comeback.
wow