I have been captivated by this man, Rene di Dios.
First off, let me say, I have been fishing for as long as I can remember. And, I have been shark fishing for a year, and couldn't love it more. All of the pressures of school, and trying to live up to everybody's expectations, and make my mark in the world, that every young man, like myself feel, just go away, when I'm sitting on the sand watching my rod. I am a dedicated baseball player that practices 4-5 hrs. a day EVERYDAY, and I put twice the thought to shark fishing than baseball 
I can't get my mind off of it. When I'm in math class, and I don't want to take notes, or I want to talk to the girl behind me, I keep listening. Why? Because if I don't have good grades, I DON"T HAVE SHARK! This and baseball are what drive me.
Anyway, I have been looking on this site for a little while, and every time I look at the section about him, I can't stop. I just got 8 stitches in my foot, and I can't do much for 10 days, so I have been reading about him a lot lately. I can't imagine what drive this man must have had. From winning the MET tournament, to hooking "old moe" on 14/0, he sounds like he was a great man, and better angler. I must have no clue what it takes to do everything he did. It blows me away to think this man could go out, and say what he wanted to catch... and catch it!
I don't want to sound like a stupid kid asking this but this is the best way I can put it:
What could have driven him to be one of fishing's greats? What set him apart from the other fishermen?
-Kevin
Thanks Kevin for picking up on Rene's vibe and passion for the sport.First of all let me say that my best advise to you would be to please continue with your studies and get a college degree or a trade ,,,,a good education makes you capable of making a living wherever you go and NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU.
Rene was so very different then anyone I have ever known that I doubt there will ever be another like him in land-based shark fishing ,with the same set of circumstances ,a pier close to where he grew up ,the drive and passion that he had completely defined him and set him on a different PLAIN then anyone I have ever met .The internet,boatlessfishing (where I first started on the net)this site,the Big Hammer Challenge ,other good fishing sites where I frequent and read everything I can- NONE OF THESE HAS AFFORDED ME THE OPPURTUNITY TO MEET ANYONE LIKE RENE.
Rene with his biggest pier caught hammerhead at almost 14 foot it was never weighed and estimated by the then young shark fisherman at 450 lbs -way under what it would of actually weighed 750 to 900 lbs
Rene was not the best representative ever of this sport BUT what he was- was the most single minded and focused land-based shark fisherman of all time ,,,,,don't take it from me just ask anyone who ever met and fished with the man.
I don't want to get into another long drawn out explanation as to what Rene was or what he meant to us but suffice it to say 'there will never be another like him'
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
oh my god he was a real monster slayer (a legend)