What kind of monster spools a 12/0 packed to the top with brand new 130 lb dacron and then almost spools a 14/0 full of 130 lb mono ?You read it right two reels packed with line .A freakin HUGE BEAST that could be a thousand plus pound hammerhead or a 1500 pound Tiger.Tonight it happened ,,,,the reason we shark fish with such passion -things like this keep us chasing the dream and keeps us hoping that if we try hard enough it can some day become a possibilty.
I was not there but i was in phone communication the whole time since the giant was hooked.
Shannon Bustamante (seaweed)fishing on the beach with a large group of shark club members including JD hammer hooked the shark of dreams.Using a half a cuda on a 20 foot wire rig with two double strength Mustad 12/0 hooks the shark hit the bait at a slow moderate speed and when Shannon set the hook the shark was pulling like it did'nt even know it was hooked.The shark was spooling the 12/0 and then turned around for a short while and then headed back out without stopping .It was in Shannon's words probably bigger then the current world record hammer of 1280 lbs.As the dacron on the 12/0 got to the bottom a 14/0 with a small swivel was prepared and as the line got low they backed up cut the primary line and quickly tied into the swivel with the packed 14/0.Jd was right by shannon the whole time instructing and helping with everything.
The shark continued peeling line off the second reel and would occasionally turn towards the beach and then turn on the afterburners and head out again .The battle raged on for over an hour and the shark headed North and the fellas ended up two blocks north of the campsite.The shark did what it wanted ,when it wanted and there was no stopping it just slowing it down occasionally .The equipment was in top shape ,and the terminal tackle was the best available and all of it held up perfectly.In the end the hooks pulled free and the mighty beast was free to hunt again.
Shark fishing is a lonely endevour and not many people understand why we go through so much hardship and work so hard.At times we are laughed at told that we are old fashioned ,that the new style reels are better and that such big reels are'nt necesary but we know differently.We know there are monsters out there that can destroy dreams and empty any reel no matter how large.We toil, suffer and sacrifice so much while we patiently wait for the next huge beast that will test our every ounce of resolve.The oppurtunity to hook such a beast and to go toe to toe with it makes all the hardships we endure in shark fishing worth the wait.It is a chance to test your physical limitations ,to test your determination and a chance to test your fighting spirit. MAN AGAINST BEAST
This is the kind of fight that only happens once every 5 or more years.Shannon saw many epic battles when he fished with Rene and has hooked many 12-14 foot hammers and he says this was the biggest thing he's ever hooked or seen anybody hook .In the end the hooks pulled and Shannon is heart broken right now but not defeated by any means,,,,,,,,,,,we will be back.Tommorow Shannon will elaborate on the epic battle.Time to hit the sack.
I leave you with this question WILL ANYONE BE ABLE TO BREAK THE HAMMER OR TIGER WORLD RECORD FROM LAND? I think it's just a matter of time .Will Fundora 7/3/09
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
i just got back and i cant belive what happened it stripped a 12/0 all the way and a 14/0 more than half with no current to help him and would have kept going if the hook hadnt
during the fight shannon rested the rod on my shoulder and it was stripping the reel so fast it might as well have been on free spool this hammer could eat the current world record hammer for a snack this is the size shark that you hear in legends like old hitler shannon did everything he could and fought it like a pro but this shark wasnt being stopped without a few more tie offs
gino #7419
This was amazing to take part in.. Ive never witnessed a shark with such power. Before the hook pulled we were about to connect a third rod. This shark was definitely not lost because of any mistake anyone made but mabye just wasn't meant to be caught. This experience makes me really want to get out there and hook up and catch a big hammer just to feel the amazing power behind that thing. I hope to learn from Shannon, JD, William, and all the other members of the club in order to make this a reality. Well I better get off to sleep its like 7 in the morning lol..
Colby Uva : Bullbuster Team Captain
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/107013063084498996341/
SFSC-Tagging/Fishing Science Coordinator
TO WILL OR SHANNON, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHEN THIS STORY HAPPENED?
that's what we fish for the chance to hook a true monster
wow, did you guys had a video camera to film this?
This happened last night
Colby Uva : Bullbuster Team Captain
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/107013063084498996341/
SFSC-Tagging/Fishing Science Coordinator
this happened to me last night on the beach with a bait i dropped close in, well before the reef to avoid the nurse sharks!!!! Since watching the second biggest battle of my life in renes hammer that stripped his 16/0 on south beach, i always knew that those close baits sitting right there in the shallow white sand always get picked up by king kong!!!!!
Renes boat sank on south beach before he reached the swim buoy and he left his bait there the night he hooked a similar monster!!!!
Like will said it, I honestly believe this Hammer was in the 1500 plus range!!!! a shark that would get one of those 50tw internationals,or tiagra reels that bucky and the other record holding boat fisherman use, and would have stripped them to deep water than laughed at them!!! this shark would have CRUSHED the record!!!!!! we would have been talking to news reporters as we speak!!!! A 12/0 packed to the tippy top with dacron, then a whole 14/0 without showing any signs of stopping? come on think about that for a second!!!! and dont forget we are talking a beach with no current to help this fish!!! This hammer, because im positive it was a hammer, would have eaten my 12 ft2 for bait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was the world record god damnnnnnnnnnnnnn it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I waited all my life for her, and she proved that even with all the tie ins, the perfect tackle,the perfect open water beach, everything right, she just proved that she was one of those Ancient hammers that must die on her own will, deep at the oceans bottom, the size shark that man probably never gets to see!!!! 18 ft and well over 1500lbs, she fought off nets,long lines, fisherman,and other sharks for so so many years!!!!! Im hurting and pretty down right now, but thinking of this magnificent creature being so smart, strong , and massive that no man can stop her and she will one day die of old age on the bottom of the sea humbles me!!!!!!!!
Sincerely Shannon Bustamante (seaweed)
SFSC -East Coast Events Coordinator
shanon u will get that chance agan just keep doing wat u have been doing 
Delray Beach, Fl 07/02&03/2009
boy you talk about shark madness i have never in my life seen a 12/0 spooled then a 14/0 tied in
and then the shark takes the 14/0 down to a 1/4 spool then we had another 12/0 ready to tie in to
i dont know what shannon hooked but it was a big ass fish good job shannon
i know more than got out of the truck and got to the beach and reels started screeming
One thing everyone should remember is big sharks head north
Hammer said the monster is going north shannon and i dont like it
seaweed bowed up
12/0 spooled
seaweed with 14/0 tied in
hammer on phone with will
my 12/0 getting it ready to tie in Baby Brianna is helping get it ready
and our very own future land based sharker Baby Brianna
"2017 Team little rock
Never test the depth of the water with both feet"
I DO NOT SWIM IN THE OCEAN
GO BIG OR GO HOME
Wow what a great story! Shannon, you will be telling your grand kids this story.
"He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction" (Proverbs 13:3).
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what ill never forget is when the legend jd hammer said to shanon "he is heading north and i dont like it. only huge sharks head north. " and he was right that shark wasnt going to stop any time soon he didnt even know he was hooked. it would have took 2 more change of reels to stop him
DIRTY SOUTH SHARK HUNTERS
2012 1st place BLACKTIP CHALLENGE
2011 NO LIMIT TOURNAMENT CHAMPION 2nd year in a row
2010 BHC biggest hammerhead shark on 80 lb test
2010 NO LIMIT TOURNAMENT CHAMPION
2010 BHC 3rd and 5th place biggest shark
2010 april sharker of the month
2009-2010 Rookie of the year
its a sure shame that fishing wasnt landed
i would have loved to see those pics
Man i am jellous. I always dreamed of meeting that chalenge. I always tie loops at the last 100yds but never had to use them. One thing about a hammer is he will be back. I think yall will get another chance at the same fish. It may have been wraped up in the leader and eventualy rolled out of the tangle. He is gona be smarter next time. hammers have the largest brain of all sharks. All sharks are difrent some come streight to the beach and some dont some are crazy and some ant. May be the record breaker wil not be one of those crazy ones. Good luck I hope yall top ole Buckys new record with out a boat. If he keeps fishing out of that flats boat he is gona have a big hammer load up on his boat with him with intent to bite.
Land Based World Record #5 short fin Mako 700lbs
Team
Land Based World Record #8 Tiger shark 928lbs
True
Land Based World Record #9 Tiger shark 949lbs
Blue
SFSC Panhandle Events Coordinator
Shannon this was a great time to show what you can do and you did everything right. To all you new commers i hope you learned somthing. Shannon you will be back.