This story was told to me by 2 people Rene and Jimbo. I don't know the exact year but I know it was in the early 90's, I also don't know what bait was being used on this particular 12/0 when it got dumped to the knot on South Beach but I hope you guys enjoy this story.
So here it begins: Rene and Jimbo are shark fishing together on the infamous South Beach, Rene has his 12/0 out and Jimbo has a 14/0 out, the sun had gone down sometime back and it was very dark out, Rene is dead asleep in front of his 12/0 and Jimbo is lying down about 50 yards away in front of his 14/0 everything is quiet and peaceful but that’s all about to change.
Sometime later Rene's 12/0 goes off, Rene jumps out of his sleep and runs to attend his rod, with the rod now in his hands, he lets the shark run for a few more moments and Rene sets the hook, the shark takes very little drag and is easily turned, Rene screams at Jimbo who was some distance away in the dark and says it’s a "hush puppy" one of Rene's favorite terms to use when describing a small shark. After a short time of Rene reeling in his so called "hush Puppy" his reel is almost all the way up to the top with line and is about to be beached when suddenly the shark takes a turn to the north with some drag. Rene thinks nothing of it, he thinks his "hush puppy" is making one last attempt from being beached, but the shark turns to the north; is becoming the sharks main objective and no longer an attempt, and now the very familiar sound of a big senator drag being burned is now appearing right before Rene's eyes, it is now obvious it is not a hush puppy.
Rene begins to scream at Jimbo "it’s big!!" Jimbo arrives a short time after Rene's screams, he is slightly out of breath from running to Rene's aid and is thinking "first it’s a hush puppy and now it’s big?" but just as that thought crossed his mind Jimbo sees it; he hears it the distinct sound of a big senator in distress, Rene's 12/0 is already lost 150 yards since the shark turned, the shark is still headed north and Rene begins to walk up the beach to gain line but Rene has a problem the shark is headed north but slightly east towards the open ocean, The sharks problem is that Rene has the rod and Rene is like a pit bull jaws locked on what he wants, you better get a gun and kill him cause he isn't letting go cuts, loss of limbs and human life are all at the bottom of Rene's concern list when he is hooked to what he wants. Don't believe me!! Ask Lui capt of the boat that sunk in the middle of the Atlantic cause Rene wouldn’t let go, anyways back to the story Rene is still hooked with the shark and at tug of war with this monster shark. Rene’s eyes are narrowing on the tip of his rod trying to focus on what direction the shark is headed, but there is no change it is still heading north, and at this point Rene’s 12/0 is at half a spool and the shark hasn’t slowed down a bit, Jimbo comments to Rene we are going to have to tie in to my 14/0 Rene screams “no I got it, I’ll stop it”!! And Rene begins to tighten his drag but it only seems to agitate the shark and the shark speed slightly increases and continues his northern direction . At this point Rene’s frustration level is rising he continues to walk north trying to prevent the shark from taking any more of his line but reality kicks in. As he continues to hear the same distinct sound, the sound we all love to hear but only for a while; never to the end. Rene tightens up even more as his reel nears a quarter of a spool and the sound of very tight line being peeled out of the reel it sounds just like a piano wire with drag burning, the drag is so tight that Rene’s body gets slightly yanked forward every once in a while when the drag sticks. Jimbo overseeing the whole situation and concerned for Rene’s safety ( knowing that Rene won’t let go) grabs his 14/0 and wraps the line around Rene’s waist and ties a knot he then walks towards the dry sand and rams the butt of his 14/0 into the sand sits down tightens his drag and holds on to Rene for dear life, Rene begins to walk into the water with his 12/0 trying to keep every yard of line he possibly can, He is now waist deep into the water and bubbles can be seen breaking the surface from his burning 12/0 which is completely submerged. Rene is feeling the end is near and is not easily accepting it. He is completely out of options frustration clouds his face then looks back at Jimbo aggressively and screams “Get me the Kayak!!!” Jimbo then screams back “what???” Rene screams again “HURRY GET ME THE KAYAK” Jimbo immediately responds “I want no part in this” bubbles keep breaking the surface from the 12/0 below and the end has finally arrived Rene’s 12/0 is at the knot he feels one more final jolt and the line pops leaving Rene with not one foot of line and worse of all no shark Rene exits the water grabs his 12/0 slams it into the sand walks up to Jimbo looks him right in the eyes with an enraged face and says “Don’t you know” Jimbo says “now what?” Rene says “Don’t you know that’s the way I am supposed to die!!”
I remember that ,,,,,,,classic Rene Tale!!
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
WOW....he really had a fire inside himself 
wow i have goose bumps i swear to god.. u said it exactly like he used too.
SFSC -East Coast Events Coordinator
If I didn't have the fever and determination before , I defiantly got it now
lol thats crazy but realy cool at the same time
plain nuts,extreme obsession and extremely hardcore!
Will Ive told the storie many times but you nailed it . Great storie . 
Several years after Rene got stripped that night he witnessed with his own eyes blacktip sharks getting eaten on long key bridge while reeling them in, once with me and another time while he was fishing with Shannon, sometimes he would have to pull the blacktip away from the aggressive hammerhead only to have the hammerhead return and continue to try and eat the helpless blacktip that was hooked , he commented to me about this story and said "I wonder if I was reeling in a blacktip and a huge hammer came in and ate it and thats why I thought it was a small shark at first" but who really knows? maybe the big shark was just confused and then did a u turn and stripped him, to me this is why shark fishing is so amazing you never know what your gonna get!!
Big Will
WOW!!!! That is classic and makes my blood pump to go Shark fishing right now. Classic!!!!!!
only one guy will have gone out on that kayak thah will had being rene nobody like hi m thas why he was the best at this sport we all missed him to bad he went so young he maid be gone but he will never will be forgotten he was the besst to me and i missed him a lot 
Well I'll tell you what, I'm sure he is very proud that you guys keep his memory alive. I only met him once, but not only did my uncle Jose fish with him often, but when I was literally a little kid, my Father who was and is still in Food Sales as I am got a part time at the Herald to make ends meet. On many of those nights at the Herald my father worked side by side with Rene. I've heard many stories from my uncle and my father about Rene and i have never heard a bad thing said about the man. I've also heard of how a great father he was to his daughter. My father even told me that sometimes while working Rene would tell him stories of what he caught the day before or the week before and that my father would tell him " Rene cuidate " " Rene take care of yourself " because he knew he had diabetes. But I guess Rene was just so committed to doing what he was put on earth to do. I love Fishing as much as the next guy, but I know I wasn't put on earth to fish, but from everything I hear Shark Fishing was Rene's calling. He did what he loved to do and there is nothing wrong with that. But like I said for all you guys that were his friends, feel proud as I'm sure he is very happy and thankful that you guys keep his memory alive.
A wise man once told me that when you leave this earth the only thing you leave behind is your reputation , how you carried yourself while you were here on earth, I will always acknowledge anybody who passed away, even more so when they were a person who left a incredible reputation in my book like Rene did. Look around I am not the only person who writes good things about him many of us do and I think its because of his reputation.
Will
WOW what a story
