big hammerhead caught in central florida...east coast

by **Danny Hogan** on Wed Sep 26, 2007 12:45 pm

http://www.local6.com/video/14203286/index.html

video

Florida Today article

September 26, 2007

550-pound shark caught on C. Fla. beach

WKMG LOCAL 6 NEWS

FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. -- A man standing on a Central Florida beach reeled in a 12-foot, 5-inch, 550-pound great hammerhead shark, likely the biggest catches ever made in the area.

"I'm still in shock at the size of this fish," angler Dan Ficochello said. "I'll never catch one bigger than that. That's a catch of a lifetime."

Ficochello said he went about 300 yards offshore in his kayak and dropped a baracuda head to the bottom of the ocean floor as bait. He then dragged his line back to the beach and waited for a bite.

Soon, the shark took the line.

Ficocello said the shark put up a ferocious fight, taking the men three hours to bring him to the beach.

"My first thought was, 'What am I going to do with this?' Because it wasn't moving, there was no chance of a release. It was done. I had never seen a shark this big before in person," Ficochello said. "It was a non-stop tug-a-war. I was worn out after an hour."

Others said they were shocked such a big shark was swimming off shore.

"You're swimming and having a good time and something like that could be just a few feet from you," angler Michael Ficocello said. "It makes you think twice. It's their home. You are intruding on their area."

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by **Madlax16** on Wed Sep 26, 2007 4:02 pm

Kinda scary to think that i was surfing at flagler beach just a few months ago...that is one biiiig shark. :shock:

by **KnoxVegas** on Wed Sep 26, 2007 7:04 pm

Read the bookClose to Shore by Michael Capuzzo. It details shark attack along the Jersey shore during the summer of 1916. It is quick read and just a great book.

In the book a marine biologist discusses how little we know about the ocean and its inhabitants. He goes onto to say that when people go into the woods, they bring dogs, gun, flashlights, etc... for their protection. When people go in the ocean, they wear their bathing suits.

by **UofMLaxGoalie11** on Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:38 pm

Poor shark. Thats one less I can see now. Jerk.

Ive been in the water with sharks before and tried to get closer. As a SCUBA diver and professional, I have heard all the myths and know the truth as well. Flat out, the only reason a shark will attack you is if it thinks you are food or you are aggressive towards it. They eat lots of dead stuff floating on the surface. Thats almost all they eat. They arent the vicious predator that lots of people think they are. When they find out youre not what they thought you were, and start putting up a fight, they are gonna get out of there fast. If you happen to step on one, well that sucks. Look where youre going next time. Heres my little scuba pitch. If youre underwater, youre almost guaranteed not to be attacked except for a few rare species that people spend thousands of dollars to try and find. Frequently unsuccessfully. So stop by your local dive shop and ask about classes. Sharks HATE bubbles.

by **LaxRef** on Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:43 pm

UofMLaxGoalie11 wrote: Flat out, the only reason a shark will attack you is if it thinks you are food or you are aggressive towards it.

Um, you are food, dude!

I worked as an ocean lifeguard—Jersey Shore—for 19 years, and people would always come up and ask, "Are there sharks out there?" My answer was always, "Where else would they be?"

by **semilaxed** on Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:37 pm

The technique he used is a common Florida redneck method for catching sharks. This guy has the advantage of a Kayak. The idiots i know, paddle out about 300 yards on body boards they bought from Walmart while holding a hook and line with bloody bait on the end. Usually they catch Lemon and Bull sharks, maybe a small hammered head every now and then. (i actually saw one close to shore a few months ago near FSU's Marine lab about 300-500 yards from shore) Sometimes they are even lazy enough to use a steel wire and a wench.

It's a huge loss to the world every time one is killed like that. Whats the point in keeping it the only thing that lasts is the photo and the story anyway. For this guy to say that the shark was going to die anyway is B.S. Sharks are the fastest recovering animals in the world, It actually probably would have been fine with like 10 mins rest.

by **Jeff Harlos** on Fri Sep 28, 2007 12:17 am

Hey Dan Reeves

I love sharks !! I know one kind of shark can eat anything--

Tiger shark.

Tiger sharks can eat anything includes license plate, paint can,

and more...

Jeff
a great fan of BYU lacrosse

by **Danny Hogan** on Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:25 am

semilaxed wrote:The technique he used is a common Florida redneck method for catching sharks. This guy has the advantage of a Kayak. The idiots i know, paddle out about 300 yards on body boards they bought from Walmart while holding a hook and line with bloody bait on the end. Usually they catch Lemon and Bull sharks, maybe a small hammered head every now and then. (i actually saw one close to shore a few months ago near FSU's Marine lab about 300-500 yards from shore) Sometimes they are even lazy enough to use a steel wire and a wench.

It's a huge loss to the world every time one is killed like that. Whats the point in keeping it the only thing that lasts is the photo and the story anyway. For this guy to say that the shark was going to die anyway is B.S. Sharks are the fastest recovering animals in the world, It actually probably would have been fine with like 10 mins rest.

i kinda took this guy as a redneck with a healthy appreciation for the beast, he mentioned that there wasn't an opportunity to unhook it.

although i'm not sure what he thought he woudl get when he went that far off-shore with the bait he was carrying.

by **shrekjr** on Fri Sep 28, 2007 11:52 am

UofMLaxGoalie11 wrote:Poor shark. Thats one less I can see now. Jerk.

Ive been in the water with sharks before and tried to get closer. As a SCUBA diver and professional, I have heard all the myths and know the truth as well. Flat out, the only reason a shark will attack you is if it thinks you are food or you are aggressive towards it. They eat lots of dead stuff floating on the surface. Thats almost all they eat. They arent the vicious predator that lots of people think they are. When they find out youre not what they thought you were, and start putting up a fight, they are gonna get out of there fast. If you happen to step on one, well that sucks. Look where youre going next time. Heres my little scuba pitch. If youre underwater, youre almost guaranteed not to be attacked except for a few rare species that people spend thousands of dollars to try and find. Frequently unsuccessfully. So stop by your local dive shop and ask about classes. Sharks HATE bubbles.

I'm right there with you brother! I too have had several pleasurable diving experiences with sharks and other "scary" creatures. You respect them, they respect you, no problems. There is supposed to be a movie coming out soon, I think it is called "Shark Water"? It is about the world-wide killings of sharks. From what I understand, you will walk out when it is over crying for the sharks and ready to jump on the bandwagon to save them all.