1280 pound Hammerhead Shark Caught, May Be A Record

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"BOCA GRANDE, Fla.(AP) Fishing Capt. Bucky Dennis has been trying to catch a record hammerhead shark for 10 years. He may have finally succeeded.
On Tuesday, he reeled in a monstrous 1,280-pounder that ate a 25-pound stingray for bait at Boca Grande Pass near Fort Myers. That would beat by nearly 300 pounds the current all-tackle world record for a hammerhead shark.

Dennis, who was using 130-pound test line, and three friends fought the 14 1/2 foot shark for five hours and it dragged his boat about 12 miles offshore before they got it aboard.

"It's fun hooking them, but if you get too close, they will bite," Dennis said. "And whatever they bite, they will bite off."

The current all-tackle world record hammerhead is 991 pounds, caught May 30, 1982, by Allen Ogle of Punta Gorda, according to the International Game Fish Association. The organization is reviewing the latest catch to determine if it qualifies as the new record, a process that will take about 60 days.

The Port Charlotte fishing captain donated the big fish to the Center for Shark Research at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, which plans to have it mounted and displayed. Center director Robert Hueter said researchers prefer that people tag and release large sharks because they help sustain the species.

"But we are grateful that this animal has been donated to science. It will help us understand more about these animals," Hueter said.

The largest shark ever hooked was a 2,664-pound great white caught off the southern coast of Australia in 1959."

10 years..thats a long time....I would have just let it be.
Screw trying to get a record breaking catch...let that big bad mother go.

ps that samuel l jackson shark movies was on this weekend....ahhh thats a crappy movie about sharks I'll stick to my mechanical JAWS!!!

Sharks are my favorite animal in existance ;)

.....and that guy just killed the biggest hammerhead shark known to man to get his name put in the record books... :(

...like donating it to science helps.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

Sharks are my favorite animal in existance ;)

.....and that guy just killed the biggest hammerhead shark known to man to get his name put in the record books... :(

...like donating it to science helps.

---

I totally agree. He should of just tagged it so he could let it live and let it grow then catch it when it naturally died.

it becomes one of those "what ifs" that i hate! like what if he would have lived another 5 years..how big would he have been then!

What is a shark that sizes feeding habits? all those neat questions!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

Sharks are my favorite animal in existance ;)

.....and that guy just killed the biggest hammerhead shark known to man to get his name put in the record books... :(

...like donating it to science helps.

---

Neatest documentary I've seen on sharks was an extra to the special edition of the "The Blue Planet" DVDs (unfortunately only available in the UK or from bbcshop.com and amazon.co.uk and as Region 2), "Dive To Shark Volcano".

We bought it from bbcshop.com and it came in like 3 days - insane. And yes, we can play any region. =)

Blue Planet is the best nature/science program/series I've ever seen. If you haven't seen it, at least buy the US edition (available from amazon.com)!

Wow I'd love to see a shark that big swimming in the ocean (well if I was protected anyway.. haha)

I love sharks too. The thresher shark is my favorite.. so elegant.

Thresher is my fave too!!!! gotta love the super long tail!!!!! Unfortunately, when large sharks like that are caught, then the population of "breeding adults" goes down, because it's the large individuals that are the ones that breed and procreate.....it's the case with great whites too.

Wow! I want one for my fish tank!

they could have donated it live to a aqurium then thats still sci. and they would not have had to kill it...