It’s not always about winning.
According to For The Win, a pair of South Carolina fishermen hooked into a hammerhead shark that easily would’ve destroyed the state record.
Weighing in at over 1,000 pounds, this shark was a whopping 400 pounds over the current state record of 588. The world record catch sits at 1,280-pounds from Boca Grande, Florida.
However, after battling for over an hour, the captain decided to let the fish go rather than bringing it in for the official weigh in.
Outcast Sportfishing Captain Chip Michalove said the two fishermen were so beat they didn’t even want the photo:
“They were so exhausted they could barely stand. Pete crashed on the cooler and laid there in exhaustion, and his friend was so tired that I barely convinced him to just hold the camera while I reached over and grabbed the shark’s head for one quick photo.
I tried to get them to lean over for a picture, but they wouldn’t budge. So I threw a quick tag in the shark, popped the hook and sent her off.”
He shared his picture to Twitter:
“13.5ft, over 1,000lbs, hammerhead this morning. We set out fully committed into finding the same hammer that was circling us yesterday and she was waiting. Tagged and released her healthy.
Would’ve demolished our state record but love these fish too much to kill.”
And despite this beast pushing near the world record, Michalove says he is done chasing records:
“Fifteen years ago, I would’ve thrown a rope around her head and dragged her back to demolish the records. But these sharks have given me a good life and they’re too important to our fishery.
“We’ve recaptured so many tigers, lemons, bulls, I owe them everything. I’ve gotten a few messages on how I should’ve dragged her back, but there’s not even a question that we did the right thing.”
Respect.
Here’s one Chip reeled in off the coast of Hilton Head, back in 2011:
California Hammerhead Shark Rams Kayak In The Pacific Ocean
This is nightmare fuel…
The ocean is just a big, blue, unknown, scary place. Ya never know what’s lurking in the depths, and usually, you can’t see it coming.
Sharks are not known to attack humans at any crazy-high statistic, but there are frequent encounters due to humans wanting to use their habitat.
Sharks are pure killers, and it’s hard to blame them for wanting a meal of something that looks tasty.
The video starts with a man in a fishing kayak holding his paddle like a spear. Then you realize he is doing that to use it as a spear against a shark swimming around. As it gets close the man lunges and hits it.
It swims around to the other side and as it gets close again, you notice it’s a hammerhead… uh oh.
Although it’s extremely rare for a hammerhead to be dangerous towards a human, it is still extremely scary when one gets close. Hitting it probably doesn’t help and might make it mad, but after it rams your kayak a few times, what else are you really going to do?
The crazy thing is, he is so far off shore and it doesn’t seem like anyone else is very close by at all… that would be enough to make the heart beat a little heavy.
The shark zooms around the kayak as the fisherman repeatedly strikes the shark with his paddle. The shark really seems unbothered and, on a mission, as he circles.
Finally, after a few minutes the shark seems to disappear and the man lets out a sigh of relief. No doubt, that is as scary as it gets. And how many people really have that much experience around sharks? Not a lot…
Here’s the explanation from the fisherman himself:
“My day started out like every other weekend. Out on the water, searching for halibut, and possibly a white seabass still hanging around the area. Never found any. Did see a school of bonito so I was trolling for them at the time when all of this madness began.
I felt a bump to the back of my kayak and you notice I turn to see what it was. Saw nothing so I looked right. Nothing. Then felt the bump again and turned back to the left to see this hammerhead who looked like he meant business. He hits my kayak 1 more time, which you can clearly see, and that’s when I decided I needed to do something about the situation.
I knew that the only way I was gonna be in real danger was if I was in the water. And I also knew as long as the shark didn’t hit my kayak anymore, there’s no way I would be in the water. So I chose to use my paddle to keep him away from my kayak.
I had other options. There was a 3″ knife in the compartment right next to me. And a rather oversized gaff with a 3 foot handle right behind me. Both of which I considered during the event but I preferred to not seriously hurt the shark if I didn’t have to.
I was close to a mile from any help and by myself with no boats in the area. If I had been knocked in the water and was splashing around, there’s a great chance the shark would have come up and bit me to see if I was food. One good bite from those teeth, that far away from any help, I almost surely would have bled out. So I did what I felt necessary to defend myself.
Please don’t come on here and tell me how I shouldn’t have been in their natural environment. This planet belongs to every living thing on it and we all have the right to go wherever we want. Except maybe not North Korea. I wouldn’t recommend that. If we aren’t allowed in a predators natural environment then we better all pack up and move into outer space. Because every square inch of this planet is a predators natural environment.
Don’t tell me hammerheads are mellow and it wouldn’t hurt me. Every animal, just like every human, is different. This is a shark that has NEVER, in the 30 years I’ve lived in this area, been seen here. So who knows what is going through its head. And I didn’t wanna find out.
I’m just glad that both myself and the shark got out of this with no permanent damage. And yes, I’ll probably be back out there fishing in the near future.”
Yikes…
Great White Shark Rams Kayak Fisherman, Flips Him Into The Ocean
This is nightmare fuel…
I like the movie, but I don’t want to live in any Jaws-like scenario.
This is why the ocean is such a crazy place. You never know what you are going to catch, see or run into out there. It’s just a whole bunch of water and a whole bunch of mystery.
Every time I see someone going out into the beast bearing only a kayak and a fishing rod, I have to take a look.
Whether their catching a giant halibut or getting dragged 15-miles by a marlin or a guy beating a hammerhead with nothing but a paddle, it is always some cool stuff.
If you’re going to go out be extreme like this make sure you know the risks and have safety nets in place because it can get wild.
This kayak fisherman set out for a fun day on the water. With cameras set on his kayak, the fisherman starts casting away and hooks into a fish.
During the excitement of reeling in the fish the man realizes a big old shark is chasing the fish and they’re both headed straight for the boat.
The fisherman starts to lose it just as you can see the shark. The shark runs right into the back of his kayak and flips everything over. The fisherman frantically flips over his boat and jumps in as quick as he can.
Luckily, he got back in the kayak before the shark could take a run at him.
Talk about getting the heart pumping…
Kayak Fisherman Gets Pulled For Miles By A Monster Marlin
This is the dream.
I mean 15-miles, that’s a long way to get pulled by a fish. But a man would like to think that if the fish is pulling you that far, it’s one helluva fish.
A fish far larger than the boat your on, in water that’s plenty deep and rough… this isn’t exactly my idea of a relaxing day of fishing, but an exhilarating one nonetheless.
Going and targeting Marlin on a fishing boat is one thing, going after them in a kayak is pretty badass.
The video starts with a group loading up to do some Marlin fishing in Panama. They head out and one of the kayak fisherman hooks into a good one.
The boys are fired up, a proper fishing trip.
The marlin starts to pull the fisherman and there’s not a whole lot he can do about it except enjoy the ride.
The best part of the whole video is when the fish finally shows itself. It’s far from the end of the battle but the Marlin comes fully out of the water. Everyone loses their minds and it’s hard to blame them.
When’s the last time you had a 500-pound fish on and have it jump clear into the air? That’s not an everyday occurrence even for someone who targets these fish often. All while in a kayak too?
Although the video is 30-minutes long, it captures the 6-hour fight pretty good.
Eventually the fisherman gets onto a power-boat because the fish had pulled him 15-miles out from the shore. He gets it into the boat and the get some awesome shots as they release it back.
What a fish.
That’s one of those bucket-list items that is now added to the extremely long list.
Kayaker Fisherman Accidentally Hooks Alligator
The most exciting part about fishing is that you never know what you’re reeling in until the defining moment when your catch breaks the water.
Is it a bass? Is it catfish? Maybe a turtle? Could it be an old tire? Or a garbage bag? Perhaps a sunken log?
If you’ve fished some of the places I have, like Washington D.C.’s tidal basin, the possibility of a bloated dead body may even cross your mind.
The mystery of what you may pull up from the depths is what makes fishing so magical. Even when the fish aren’t biting, the possibility of potentially hooking so many possibilities hidden under the water is what makes fishing so magical.
I imagine it’s more terrifying than magical if you’re expecting a fish and instead wind up with your hands just a few feet away from an agitated alligator with a hook in its mouth though. This dad was checking some noodles with a youngster in the back and got the surprise of a lifetime.
“I think we got a garfish dude!”
“Be careful…”
“Oh My God! That is a big-ass gator buddy! That is a big-ass gator!”
That kid on the back of the kayak may never go fishing again after this experience.
