Official 2011 Big Hammer Challenge Reports,Pics,Leaderboard

TEAM SHARK HOOKERS

Team Shark Hookers on the board again with a 5'7 bull shark last night. It seems we are sharking in the land of the bulls and getting many, many runs. Figured out what was wrong with how we were hooking our bait so we're hoping the hook-ups will increase drastically. One shark made our 9/0 scream consistently on a locked down drag until it finally spit the bait . . . wish we could have landed whatever it was. Sorry for the lack of marks on the tape measurer, it will be fixed by the next time.

TEAM HAMMER N THE PHENOMS

APRIL-16th-17th

many fish caught and many more lost at the great 7-mile bridge in the keys, we fished the first night and jd got a lemon at sunrise and there was some snapper and tarpon action, fished the whole next day and caught plenty of bait, midday team late night hookers came out with tons of aj's and just caught a 40in or so cobia on the flats, they ballooned out aj's and the 16/0 goes off ncie and steady, big bull straight up and down, we walked it down but when it got into the current of the first rips near the begining the fray gave way so close for team late night hookers to getting a big bull to take the lead.

jd still tries to get a better pic

16 inch mangrove

two tarpons were trying to eat the cuda we jsut caught

daytime snooze holes

masterbaiters

get ready sharks we're comin to get you

team late night hookers hooks something in the late night

turned out to be an 8ft bull that popped the fray in the line while we walked it down

TEAM TOTAL RELEASE

Rob from Team Total Release caught this 90.5" Nurse off the beach early Sunday am on 9/0 Penn. Bait was only wet for 10 mins.

TEAM HAMMER WRANGLERS

Team Hammer Wranglers on the board finally!

Team Picture

66 inch Black tip caught by mallory

TEAM BULLBUSTERS

Last night me and team member Ryan Peters went out last night to get some sharks. We ended up with two little ones. One on a spinner and one on 50lb test. On the spinner we got a 5'4'' lemon and on the 9/0 w/50 we got a 5'5'' blacktip.

TEAM BITE PRESSURE

4/17/11

Team Bite Pressure is on the board with a 7' 6 1/2" Nurse with 50lb Line.

4/17/11

Team Bite Pressure is on the board with a 7' 6 1/2" Nurse with 50 lb line.

next time make sure that all the foot marks are easily visible when you take the picture of the shark. decreases a lot of confusion and questions about the sharks size if one can clearly see them

TEAM TOOTH FAIRY

Hello out there. Looks like a tiger to me. 8 feet even. caught a spinner and 3 more bulls between 6 and 7.5 feet. It has taken me 2 hours to send 2 pics to photo buckett and get em back to the thread. I live in the woods and cant get nothing but hughs sattilight net and i ant paying 69$ a month so i still have old fassion dial up. I guess i will only post if its a winning fish from now on. that is why there are no pics on the bulls. Met a couple young sharkers on the beach and they took the pics. Thanks for snapping a couple pics Glen and Brandon. Supprising what ft pickens has swimming around just off shore.
Oh yeah, # 19 wire has failed again, third time this year, but this time it was on a tourniment winning fish. Where to from here, back to my ole cable, its come in freyed a couple times in 25 years but has never broke on me. 5 times the 19 has broke in less than a year. Good luck everyone.

tiger

tail shot

Team Stellarol on the board with a 6 ft 9 inch Nurse by team member Dustin on his 9/0. Just read how to post the pics, will be up soon. Unfortunately his 9/0 is out of commission now due to a crazy boater catching his line and frying his reel. Same boat almost had me lose my 12 everol on a harnell as I was dragged down the pier

Theres way too many people that are measuring there shark the wrong way!!!!!!! .
At the end of the tournament dont get mad when you thought you won biggest bull or any other shark and they give it to someone else.For example if you catch an 10ft 8 hammer but they cant see the measurement and they give it to the person with the second place and they have an 10 ft 6 inch hammer because they measured it correctly and you did not- don't blame anybody but yourself......

Again below we have an example of the correct way to measure your sharks.The tournament committee's job of keeping things running smoothly is not made any easier by angers that are not complying with the TOURNAMENT RULES.These rules are VERY SIMPLE -you don't have to be a rocket scientist to comply with them.They have been set up to simplify the judging of overall lengths and determine the winners in each division.If someone challenges your measurement because we cannot see the overall length in the picture -guess what we have to consider the challenge a legitimate one and more then likely the Tournament Committee will rule against your shark and with the person filing the complaint.THE RULES ARE PLAIN AND SIMPLE PLEASE FOLLOW THEM.

1)PLEASE USE A WIDE RECOIL TYPE CONSTRUCTION MEASURING TAPE THAT SHOWS FEET AND INCHES

6)PLEASE TAKE PICTURES OF THE ANGLER IN THE FIGHT WHEN ENTERING SHARKS IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES

SPINNING
50 LB TEST
80 LB TEST

AGAIN HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE MEASURING TAPE THAT IS RECOMMENDABLE FOR THIS TOURNAMENT.THE WAY THE TAPE SHOULD FACE DURING MEASURING AND THE WAY THE TAPE IS HELD AT THE TIP OF THE SHARKS HEAD AND STRETCHED TO THE TIP OF THE TAIL

THIS IS HOW YOUR SHARKS SHOULD BE MEASURED AND PHOTOGRAPHED-thanks to Team 'Smokin Senators'

The tape measure should be held straight from tip of the sharks nose to the tip of the tail.Please do not bend the tape measure up or down along the Tail,Head or mid-body--- A Straight line Front To Back.

TEAM DIRTY SOUTH SHARK HUNTERS

dirty south shark hunters tony medina aka "seawolf" are back on the board with seems to be the biggest lemon of the early tournament 8 ft 9 inch..

this lemon was all thanks to will and team shark fever for inviting us to fish with them up north the.

TEAM SHARK FEVER

Preparation is everything".
The challenges a shark fishermen faces are many the weather ,the sea conditions ,the elements,the heat ,the mosquitoes,the discomfort of salt on the skin and temps close to 100 degrees can make anyone miserable and ready to call it a day.The hardcore shark fishermen welcome and accept these conditions as part of the game .The hardcore seek the knowledge that will set them apart,they develop the relationships with the best and most knowledgeble to learn and grow.They push themselves in the face of daunting odds.
When one fishing spot is not producing you pack it up and find the next one that will-even if it's 100 degrees mid day and you don't look forward to lugging all your gear over the sand dunes and into your truck you do it becaiuse you are a competitor and not folding to the heat ,the waves ,the discomfort or the exhausted body and tired mind that wants you in comnfort--YOU PUSH YOURSELF AND PUSH SOME MORE AND THEN WHEN YOU CAN'T ANYMORE YOU SEEK THE VOICE OF SOMEONE VERY IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE AND TAP IN TO THERE SPIRIT AND YOU GO ,GO ,GO FAR AND BEYOND ANYWHERE YOU'VE GONE BEFORE-this is what makes a CHAMPION

A BIG NASTY SURF IS NO PLACE FOR THE WEAK HEARTED-PREPARE YOURSELF MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY AND ALWAYS WEAR A LIFE VEST.RAY(clack,clack,clack) TAKES ON THE BIG WAVES OF SEBASTIAN AS HIS BROTHER JOE SEES HIM OFF

YOU TAKE ON YOUR FEARS AND PUSH THROUGH THE WAVES

YOU STRUGGLE,FIGHT AND SACRIFICE and in the end you do a little a dance- a Rumba ,the jitterbug or is it a Cha,Cha,Cha by clack,clack ,clack???

crossing the intracoastal bridge on 510 east bound

the State Park sign at Sebastian heading north to Melbourne

Tony ,joe and Ray in front of Wabasso Tackle a very old but shark fishermen friendly place

finding the right beach to shark fish is important to safeguard our sport

searching for the best beaches is simplified we know what we are lookinmg for all facets of a beach should be considered -accesability-parking lot gates or lack of-posted signs-wave height-water clarity-beach contour-distance to houses or hotels-swimmers in the area-lifeguard stands-

we read all the signs to carefuly make a determination whether we will fish a beach or not.Some beaches are just overly regulated as is this state that old town feel is being lost and traded FOR BIG MONEY=WHAT A SHAME

On this day the waveS of Sebastian held true to there reputation for being the nastiest in Florida.Brealkers that broke over 7 feet on occasion crashed down in close and 200 yards out.Scary waves that crush small kayaks and weak hearts were everywhere but this was not the thrill that we were after-we are not surfers although we share many of the same traits THRILL SEEKERS SEARCHING FOR THE MONSTER WAVE -VS THRILL SEEKERS SEARCHING FOR THE BIGGEST MONSTER SHARKS theres lots in common.High waves and murky nasty water on the south side of the inlet (The Monster Hole)kept us in search of cleaner quieter waters where we could fish 24 hours straight through and catch some MONSTERS.

In the end we found our place.By 3pm we are at a very nice beach that possesed all the key ingredients we search for in place but with tons of seaweed flowing north along the surf .The south east winds created this phenomena that always makes fishing on days such as this a task.Cleaning your fishing lines of weeds all day is not the ideal situation but we deal with it from time to time.We waited for the high tide for the weed out but it did not ,so before nightfall Ray ,Joe ,and Tony started to yak out the bulk of there reels .I had my 14 and 16 out early for a few hours without any runs but at nightfall I rebaited and took out one last choice bait on the high tide after seeing Tony catch his big lemon shark despite the very aggresive movement of seaweed moving left(north) along the beach.

choice bait and reel of choice

LEMON 8 FT 2 INCH by Will

end result on a tough day of fishing with many challenges but ALL OVERCOME

We have a Hammer...
7ft 10in
Trying to post pics.

Frank Palmer Team No Limits 5'7 blacktip