Sun Sentinel interview and 4 sharks on the beach(2009)

About a week ago i recieved a phone call from Maria Herrera a Sun Sentinel newspaper columnist/writer who asked to join us on the beach with a photographer in order to interview members of the South Florida Shark Club.The young writer wanted to do a story on the increasing popularity of land-based shark fishing and the changes that are being proposed by FWC and local municipalities that will affect our sport .Our Shark Club's long history in this sport gives us a different perspective as we have lived and fished through all the changes in the laws that have impacted our sport. We agreed to the interview and set up a date to meet on the beach but on our first scheduled date we had to cancel because of the persistant rain.The following day everything fell into place and with a cooler full of fresh bomber bonitas courtesy of Capt Mike Rodriguez and my buddy Kenny we headed north for our rendevous on the beach.On the way to the beach i picked up Kenny who lives in Pompano and we meet the other Shark Club members Colby Uva ,his friend Eddy,Meir Ceriouru, Shannon Bustamante(seaweed) , wife Sandra ,and baby Brianna on the beach .When we got to the beach the Sun Sentinel writer and photographer were allready there and interviewing Zach Miller of team Rebel who happened to be fishing down the beach from where we set up our camp.We started yakking out our baits just as the sun was setting and by 9.15 pm we managed to get out all 8 baits on reels ranging in size from from a 9/0 to 16/0.

The interviews ,the filming, and the picture taking start and we are delighted to have the oppurtunity to answer the many questions that are put to us.We are asked how we feel about the possible tightening of restrictions on sharks that can be taken and we reply that "we welcome any change that the Authorities make to further protect the sharks as long as we are allowed to continue to practice our sport in a safe responsible way".I also state with full committment "that what is needed is an internatinal organization that we can all be involved with that will fight to ban shark longlining around the planet".Finding a way to ban the longlining of sharks is the one TRUE WAY of helping the shark stocks rebound.All the bashing that takes place on the shark fishing websites when someone kills a shark is useless if we don't attack the problem at it's root. The reporter and her photographer are very nice , easy going people and we try to make them feel comfortable while they interview different Shark Club members but the mosquitoes are out in full force and we pass the spray repellent to them to ease the attack.
We chose the right night to shark fish because every single bait that is yakked out gets hit and we end up catching 4 but should of had 6 without a doubt.

The interview gets under way

Every time the reporter and her photographer were leaving one of the reels would start screaming and they would scramble back beside us to record the hot shark action.This happened three times and we got a big laugh out of there supposed departure every time they came running back and the mosquitoes on there tail.On this night the biggest shark was not any that was caught but the one Colby hooked on his 14/0 that flung him around and almost dragged him in when he set up using the "running man"The shark did not get hooked but spit the bait that only had a single hook in it.Later in the night Kenny hooked a nice shark on his 9/0 and lost it after the #12 wire leader parted at the hook.What did these two young shark hunters learn tonight#1 to always use a secondary hook when using a large bait and #2 always use #19 wire.The rain that had threatened to soak us and make us miserble became a reality and although we were ready for it's arrival with tarps I ended up fighting my lemon shark in the rain but i did not feel a thing in the heat of battle

The first hookup of the night seaweed(Shannon)is bowed up on a gummer

Baby Brianna wants to help out her daddy

A nurse over 8 foot is the first shark of the night,,,,,,,,I need a ne camera my lens cover is not opening completely

the quick release

Eddie with the second shark of the night

Colby Uva the U of M marine Sciences student helps out his buddy with the release

Shannon gets the next shark a brown (sandbar)shark that is almost 7 foot long


this sandbar shark is a rare catch for July in south Florida but they are a very scrappy indeed

fighting the lemon on the 16/0




the final shark of the night a 8 foot 8 inch female lemon shark that has many mating scars on it's back and head

This lemon shark was caught thanks to Josh Jorgensen for letting me have the huge head from the 50 lb kingfish he caught in West Palm Beach a few weeks ago.Thanks to Colby for yakking out my big king head late in the night

Kenny helps with the release

see you later lemon

We are looking forward to the Sun Sentinel report to hit the newstands around July 19.We had a great night of shark fishing and an oppurtunity to discuss our point of view on many different issues affecting the land-based shark hunters in south Florida.Shark fishing in Florida is evolving and changes are on the way but we have always adapted and survived and will continue to do so.We will continue to work at uniting the land-based shark fisherman so that together we can represent a much stronger voice to bring respect and recognition to our sport and the fisherman involved in it.

"UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL"