https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/ South Florida Shark Club | Shark Fishing Forum and History Discussion Board en-US Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:05:31 +0000 wpForo 60 https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/joey-polk-s--11--ft-805-lb-mako-new-land-based-world-record/ Wed, 16 Apr 2014 23:18:24 +0000 Catching big hammerhead sharks during the full moon was a theory we developed many years ago ;it was an observation made by some ardent shark hunters in the South Florida Shark Club but now we have to look at the possibility of the moon having an effect on record sized Mako sharks because Joey Polk has shattered the Land-Based Mako World Record with a massive 804 pounder during the full moon phase.Joey Polk also owns a Land-based Tiger Shark Record with a calculated 929 Lb Behemoth caught four years ago.The Polk's are a family of top notch shark fishermen from Florida's panhandle and Joey's cousin Earnie Polk has the existing Land-Based Mako Record with a 11 ft 2 in 674 lb specimen.Both the Polk boys have caught multiple Record Makos and Tiger sharks.A big CONGRATULATIONS to Joey and Earnie who was right there next to him to assist with this Incredible catch.The shark fought for just over an hour and almost dumped the big Penn 16/0 on five occasions. ps........I want to make clear that this shark is big enough to break the existing World Record but has to be submitted to ILBSFA first ,,,,gave this monumental catch a deserved sticky the link to the news story http://www.pnj.com/article/20140417/NEW ... cal-waters story by 'Earnie Polk' "Hello everyone. I'll start with an apology for drawing heat to us all. We tried to keep it awAy from all the media.By the time it was loaded the sun was up and some one got a pic while Joey was pumping gas. We like late reports and privacy. Social media got us. So one of the news guys said it was gonna air with or without us. They can make a story up and work against us or I can help out. So I figured I'd try to point things in the right direction. Surprising enough the reporters stuck to there word and spoke of our sport in a positive light. Kenny Peterson Joey Polk Earnie Polk. Three cousins. Pending land based world record Mako. It weighed in at 805lbs and 11' long. Female. Harvested. Would not swim away. Ate a 20 lb king. Caught by Joey. Leadered by Kenny. Videoed by me." Joey with his massive Mako Joey Polk and the potential World Record Mako with the moon in the background shining down Joey Polk LAND-BASED WORLD RECORD MAKO SHARK (2009) Earnie Polk with his 674 lb Record Mako caught in 2009 Earnie Polk -Joey's cousin is a Legendary land-based shark hunter who has the existing Mako Record caught from a beach and is also one of the few human beings to have ever caught a mako shark from a pier such as the one pictured above]]> West Coast & Panhandle Pier and Jetty News (Fl) william https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/joey-polk-s--11--ft-805-lb-mako-new-land-based-world-record/ https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/team--true-blue--pier-mako-jan-2013/ Sat, 26 Jan 2013 21:33:51 +0000 ]]> West Coast & Panhandle Pier and Jetty News (Fl) e polk https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/team--true-blue--pier-mako-jan-2013/ https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/the-most-prolific-pier-sharker-of-our-times-earnie-polk/ Sat, 26 Jan 2013 11:25:46 +0000 The most prolific PIER SHARKER of our times Ernie Polk continues to make land-based shark fishing History with another Epic catch.Ernie is the only land based shark fishermenn in history to land a Mako from the beach and also from a Pier twice.Congratulations brotherman,,,keep kickin Ass and teaching em how it's done! Recent Catch JAN 2013. fight Youtube http://youtu.be/rV_NwTKUXK8 head rope Youtube http://youtu.be/VvGQjTueUbM]]> West Coast & Panhandle Pier and Jetty News (Fl) william https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/the-most-prolific-pier-sharker-of-our-times-earnie-polk/ https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/panama-city-beach-city-pier-mako-jan-2013-/ Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:19:17 +0000 ]]> West Coast & Panhandle Pier and Jetty News (Fl) actionjackson https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/panama-city-beach-city-pier-mako-jan-2013-/ https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/epic-pensacola-pier-report-sept-28-2012/ Fri, 16 Nov 2012 13:45:59 +0000 Courtesy 'terpdoc' on the pensacola fishing forum "This will be a long one folks. The setting is Pensacola pier". "Here I am again guys, writing as I exit the wonderful paradise that is the panhandle- back to med school again. This is a true story about the 28th of September 2012, Tuesday. Hell, perhaps I am a little tardy- from the scuttlebutt I have heard from around town, the word has gotten out about what has been happening in Pensacola pier. Here is a time-lapse view of what happened, and I assure you it is accurate as I was there all day: Got there at daybreak- clear waters. Just the day prior, (Sep 27th Monday), my new friend D had landed some monster flounder and slot reds that were stocked up from the festival... I couldn't help but think I should have been fishing down here the whole time instead of at the end but I actually got a sailfish to smell a live LY so I was fixated on staying down there. I could've sworn that bait was in it's mouth but it did not take. I drop down to some suspicious masses on the bottom and bam instant flounder. But all the flounder I pulled up were small. I found a little redfish school and I caught another undersized fish 17." Some locals smelled it and they dropped pomp jigs down and they got a 21" red- dang. Good for them. While all this was going on, I managed to sneak a peak on the surfer side of the pier and I saw two chicken dolphin schooling. I threw everything at the damn things and they did not eat. At about 0800 I made my way down to the end to try for some kings. The wind was better that day and it smelled like king-thirty for sure. At about 0900 and a few dozen blind futile casting efforts I finally saw a king-like shadow. I was on the left corner and slung a frozen cig right in front of that thing and it ate. Wham! Free spool-bap zzzzzzzzz I saw it eat I knew it was at least about 18lbs and I was definitely excited. I saw the fish and it had a friend. I didn't pipe him up too much but I told whoever was out there "I got him, just throw to his friend on the right hand side." They did, instant double king action. Unfortunate for me I had a 14 year old kid who had no idea what he was doing gaff my fish. I kept asking him and his dad and they kept saying they knew what was up. He thought he gaffed the fish and brought it up half way when I saw the fish was not stuck but just cradled on their big gaff. I flip my bail open predicting a lost fish and you all know how this story ended, bye bye nice king. I hated that kid for about 30 mins. The most annoying thing is when you have people who volunteer to gaff but they do not know what the hell they are doing. The other king hit the deck easily with Mr. I's son gaffing it. Crap so much for karma. As the day went on, we saw about 3 different barracuda (one about 40 lbs), and sailfish probably 4 different ones just teasing us all day. Several baits served up to either and they would not eat. D saw what he called blackfin tuna about 300 yards out. I was a skeptic, until 4 blackfin came in, B throws at it, hooks up, J slings his LY and hooks up. The other two were ghost. Epic tuna battle I tell you. There was a shark B lining for those tuna as well. There were drags locking up on zeebaas reels and talk of splicing, wow, what an action packed day. At one point the shark jumps up and full barrel rolls into the water as if to say I am here you bastards. The VS reel B had did not lock up once- just saying, ahem ahem . Two tunas on deck that day boys and girls, and at this point I must say this had to be the most tremendous display of pier fishing and pier fish species I had ever seen- seriously. Action died down for a bit, but I just went ahead and snagged me some black snapper. There have been some good size ones in there, 50% keeper 50% throw backs. Keepers running dead on 10"-12." They were hitting live and dead skrumps. Later in the afternoon, J, who caught the tuna with B earlier, gets a nice 15 lbs king. I pee my pants and try again. Maybe of all my bad luck today I still have a chance at getting a damn king. An hour later I throw in front of one, and zing, vapors of water baby. A little king blasts me. Guess what? I get D to gaff for me, thank God, but he was foul hooked. There must have been just a 0.5cm of king flesh holding him sideways when the gaff tried 3x, the 3rd kicks off the fish and bye bye 10 lbs king. 2nd king lost to the gaff. I went to go cry in the corner. 30 mins later Mr. H says king me, and kinged he was with an 11 pounder. Holy shitake, the guy gave it to me. "Take this home to your father, you deserve it," he said. Dang, what a nice gesture. He told me that "I don't let anything bother me anymore, because the only thing that hurts is yourself." And there it is folks, 8 species of fish that people actually want to catch: blackfin, mahi, reds, flounder, kings, black snapper, sailfish, barracuda (not to mention baits). Epic tuna battles. A lesson from a new friend Mr. H who so kindly donated a king for me to take home to my dad in Maryland. I will say that as good as it sounds to not let anything bother you, when you fly down to get on some kings for just a few days and lose the only two you have- perhaps "shit happens" is most appropriate. Until next time then- it was great fishing with you all."]]> West Coast & Panhandle Pier and Jetty News (Fl) william https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/epic-pensacola-pier-report-sept-28-2012/ https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/417-lb-bull-reddington-pier-shark-club-west-coast-anglers-/ Thu, 30 Aug 2012 18:25:40 +0000 ps ,,,,,,pier website http://www.tampabayfishingpier.com/]]> West Coast & Panhandle Pier and Jetty News (Fl) william https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/417-lb-bull-reddington-pier-shark-club-west-coast-anglers-/ https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/reddington-long-pier/ Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:48:12 +0000 ]]> West Coast & Panhandle Pier and Jetty News (Fl) rudy https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/reddington-long-pier/ https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/navarre-pier-nostalgia-youtube-video/ Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:31:40 +0000 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtmZYmjeDT4]]> West Coast & Panhandle Pier and Jetty News (Fl) william https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/navarre-pier-nostalgia-youtube-video/ https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/naples-pier-pictures-of-yesteryear-and-today/ Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:05:20 +0000 The Naples pier as it exists today This seventeen foot sawfish was caught during the 1950's when shark fishing was still allowed Naples pier after Hurricane Donna(1961)almost totally destroyed it]]> West Coast & Panhandle Pier and Jetty News (Fl) william https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/naples-pier-pictures-of-yesteryear-and-today/ https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/panhandle-mako-from-the-oil-rigs/ Mon, 14 Mar 2011 09:12:02 +0000 http://www.gulfcoastfishingconnection.c ... -tuna.html Waters finally gettin warm enough along the western gulf coast here's a haul from the rigs just south west of Pensacola.]]> West Coast & Panhandle Pier and Jetty News (Fl) kanemano https://www.southfloridasharkclub.com/community/west-coast-panhandle-pier-and-jetty-news-fl/panhandle-mako-from-the-oil-rigs/