Hello out there. We scored a good one. A nice 8'9" mako by me. A pretty good story I'd say. I was running baits with ORCA and spotted the shark on top a 100yds out. A few minutes later I looked and here it is almost to the pier on the east side. I grabed my 80w and bait but it was gone before I could get my bait on it. I kept running baits and as usual I had atleast 8 baits to run and mine goes last. Was almost done and I saw the shark again. This time it was on the bottom headed straight to the pier. I quietly set the controller down and headed to my 80w which was already ready. The shark turned to the east and I threw the Bonita as hard as I could. It landed a bit short but the shark seen it and headed towards it. As the bait sank the shark circled it to the bottom and turned away and headed south. I jerked the bait a couple times and the shark spun around and headed toward the bait. I jerked a coule more times and it jumped on it. The shark turned up on it's belly with the Bonita tail in it's mouth and worked it around head first and down it went. I let it get a bit away from the pier and set the hook. I was expecting a burning run but it just Layed there shaking around on top. It never left. It walked me about half way to the beach 3 times. Fought like a Cobia. I could have leadered the fish at any time but I was scared to try to rope it green. It finally tryed to go under so I was forced to leader and rope it. It shook the rope off the first time and got one fin in the rope with a figure 8 around it's head. I wasn't sure if it would be enough to deck the shark so I put a second rope on it. In just a minute it was flopping on the deck. The video was done by Orrin Johnson. Head roped by Ben Fletcher. Leadered by me and Bill Dunlop(Fire Dog). Uncle Bob, Adam, and Bryant along with a few more.
Land Based World Record #5 short fin Mako 700lbs
Team
Land Based World Record #8 Tiger shark 928lbs
True
Land Based World Record #9 Tiger shark 949lbs
Blue
SFSC Panhandle Events Coordinator
Here is the video links.
From hook almost to head rope:
Fight:
Head rope and on deck:
Deck:
Every one done great! Some profanity but pretty exciting video. By the way the pole I was tossing around was mine. I'm kinda hard to keep up with on the video cause I'm shedding cloths and lost my hat for a bit. I consider myself a lucky man to have the bunch of guys I have to fish with.
Land Based World Record #5 short fin Mako 700lbs
Team
Land Based World Record #8 Tiger shark 928lbs
True
Land Based World Record #9 Tiger shark 949lbs
Blue
SFSC Panhandle Events Coordinator
Great catch and story Ernie !!!!! The videos are great!!!!! Nice big boy mako keep them coming.
2012 BTC 2nd Place Largest Shark
2012 January Sharker of The Month
2012 BHC 4th Place Largest Shark
2014 February Sharker of The Month
That was definately an awesome experience watching you jig her up like a Cobia! Congrats again, and maybe we can put another one on the deck in the next few months!!!!!
Hell yea Ernie! WAY TO SHOW EVERYONE HOW ITS DONE.
TEAM WAR PAINT
Now that was exciting! The first run at the beginning of the first video looked like he was trying to snatch you overboard. What a terrific example of well coordinated team work, Ernie. Congratulations on a fine catch, my friend! 
Congrats Ernie!!!! Amazing catches by you and your team!!!!!
The way you described it picking up the bait has happened to me before... in the keys a massive blacktip grabbed a ladyfish I was jigging on the surface by the tail, spun it around with a flick of her head and gulped it head first! That's your third mako 
you don't leave much room for the other sharkers to catch up 
Just an average fisherman.
MAKO.... Cool story and video - Nice team work
TEAM GETCHA GETCHA SHARKON
WAY TO GO GUYS . THATS AN AMAZING CATCH FROM LAND AND WAS UNHEARD OF IN MY DAYS. KEEP IT GOING. WHEN THE COBIA COME IN GIVE ME A CALL AND WE WILL SET UP A PALM BEACH TRIP FOR SHARK.
Way to go ... You are truly a outstanding fisherman.
As I read your story right away I knew/I sensed why YOU got the Mako out of so many others that were there also hoping for a great catch.First off you got everyones bait out and unselfishly you deployed your bait last with a system for deploying bait YOU INVENTED,and your expierience told you to jerk that bait and make it look ALIVE even though the shark seemed to swim away,,,,,no substitute for expierience buddy 
.A big congratulations on your THIRD LAND-BASED MAKO .I only wish I lived closer so I too could fish alongside a legendary angler such as Earnie Polk.
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
Congratulations Ernie!!! really happy for you brother. You fish harder and do more for other fishermen than anyone I know.
Legendary!
LaSharkHunter
Awesome bro! No substitute for experience, good Karma, and Skill 
Go big Or go home! 
WAY TO GO GUYS . THATS AN AMAZING CATCH FROM LAND AND WAS UNHEARD OF IN MY DAYS. KEEP IT GOING. WHEN THE COBIA COME IN GIVE ME A CALL AND WE WILL SET UP A PALM BEACH TRIP FOR SHARK.
hell.hell.yea i go
Lake Worth pier master ,,,& cobia monster