By far the most extraordinary man out on South Beah Pier Rene de Dios single handedly infected us with a desire to catch monsters that still burns in the shark club members today.We will slowly but surely recount all the adventures he shared with us and bring to life the passion with which he always fished.
Rene and his 14ft hammerhead shark caught in 1974.Luis Iglesias on his left and Ricky Pineiro on his right-what a team!
Rene with two sharks on the pier (1978).
Rene age 15 with one of his first sharks ever (1970). Notice the dog track parking in the background.
Rene with a 531 lb hammerhead shark caught under the Bahia Honda bridge (1996).
Rene with a 629 lb Tiger shark (Ocean Cay Bahamas) and weighed at The BIG GAME CLUB Bimini (1995).
Rene one of a hand full of fisherman that have been able to catch a hammerhead shark from the keys bridges.
Rene and William Fundora on a Miami Herald expedition to fish for sharks in the Bahamas(1991).
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
Rene was a friend to mi back then we used to hang out and watch him wooop the sharks.Very good that you guys keeping it alive.Thank you for the memorys.
I would loved to have a chance tom meet rene.I hear so many stories about him and all the history he started long ago with will and all the other old school members in the club.Its great to have a place to share all this for everyone to see,hopefully this club and web site will inspire a whole new generation of sharkers that will love and respecet this sport and give it all they have to make their impresions on it like rene and all the others that make it what it is.
Here is a picter i found of the grand master himself wit a hammer on the old pier.i think it whas 1976 or 1977.Enjoy.
good old rene he was so hard core and had so much passion it was at times scary going fishing with him, from battling 400 lb + beast on his 16 , 17, foot skiff, to fighting double headers on long key bridge through some of the scariest thunder and lightning ive ever seen, to lowering him over a bridge in to the water at night 2 get a shark off a buoy, to having a 400 lb plus lemon shark roll into his skiff next to my feet and clamp onto his boat making the loudest,scariest crunch ive evr heard, the list goes on with these wild stories alongside one of my biggest teachers and mentors rene de dios. i love him like an uncle and i truly miss him, but my times with him out there shark hunting will stay in my memories forever.
SFSC -East Coast Events Coordinator
Here's a 8'6" tiger Est. at 238lb by Rene himself and if I recall correctly 2 bulls and a blacktip but don't quote me. The back of the pic says Oct 15, 2001 doesn't sound right to me but that was the night before the night that Rene got bit. A few more pics to follow soon.
Rene my mom and I on Channel 2 or 5 bridge. Both sharks are about 5'6" One of these started tailwalking while next to the bridge!
Re:Alex with the Tiger Pic.: Actuallt You Are Right The Very Next Night I Was With Rene At South Beach And He Caught 5 Sharks That Night. 2 Were Black Tips 3 Were Spinners. The Last Spinner Was Still Alive When Rene Went To Get His Rig Out And It Bit Him Good. I Had To Kick The Shark 3 Times On The Side So It Would Let Go! Fortinuetly The Researcher From N.O.A.A. Was There And Took Rene To Clean His Wound. Kevin Pagen Was There Also That Day. Thats Why We Got His Gear Back To Him. I Believe It Was Nov. When That Happened, Not Sure.