# Great White Sharks in Gulf



## local_hooker (Mar 17, 2009)

I found this article posted on the Tampa fishing forum:



Link: http://www.tampabaycharter.com/members/forums/thread-153-1.asp














Excerpt: 



TARPON SPRINGS January 26, 2007- John Pepe knew something was different when he saw the 12-foot shark come out of the water with a 50-pound black drum in its mouth."I've never seen anything like it," Pepe said. "And I have been fishing in the gulf a long time." Pepe and some friends were tending stone crab traps in 13 feet of water near Anclote Key about a mile off the beach in early January when they saw a commotion about 100 yards away."There were these huge schools of black and red drum," Pepe said. "We were catching a few, then we saw a lot of splashing." Pepe motored over in his 20-foot bay boat and spotted a large, thick-bodied shark. "It stopped, came right over to our boat and nudged the propeller," he said. "It was as if it was checking to see if it would be good to eat."



Pepe knew the fish was too big for a bull shark, so he grabbed a disposable camera and took a few pictures. He shared the photographs with neighbor Ed Walker, a local charter boat captain and spearfisherman. Walker sent them to two of the state's top shark experts: Bob Hueter of Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota and George Burgess of the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville.



"The photos are not definitive, but my best call is that it was a great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias," Burgess wrote in an e-mail. "Whites get into Florida waters at this time of year, although they are rare in the gulf as far north as Tarpon Springs....







Every winter, from Palm Beach south and all the way up to Clearwater, two or three great white sharks get caught on commercial boats. Down in the Florida Keys, great whites may come to within a few miles of the reef but seldom venture within 20 miles of shore.



In 2000, scientists had the opportunity to study great white sharks caught incidentally by commercial long liners. Seven sharks were examined, all caught from January to April, when water temperatures were below 57 degrees. No sharks were caught during warmer months, even with more commercial long liners operating.



One 9-foot great white shark was caught in 35 feet of water about 10 miles off Bayport. Another shark of similar size was caught in 80 feet of water about 25 miles off Fort Myers.



Of the seven sharks examined, the largest was *15 feet, 9 inches and weighed 2,196 pounds*. Sharks that large feed on just about anything they want, including other sharks.



The stomach of the largest male contained the remains of a shark estimated to be 8 feet long. The largest female's stomach contained the remains of a 5-foot long porpoise.


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## Death From Above (Sep 28, 2007)

Old news. We've got GWs in Pensacola Bay.


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## local_hooker (Mar 17, 2009)

Pensacola Bay ???? :takephoto


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## Brant Peacher (Oct 4, 2007)

There was one this year that hung around the beach in front of portofino during cobia season. Probably 15ft long. It was a definite great white...not a mako...It was seen several times....


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## local_hooker (Mar 17, 2009)

wow I did not know that.... yet another reason I do not go in the water...


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## Jhoe (May 4, 2009)

that must be the 15 foot great white i caught off my yak last week. makes sense why no one sees him anymore.


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## Caspr21 (Oct 4, 2007)

A 15ft Great White in the gulf, in front of portifino???????????? come on..........I am calling a bluff on this one


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## Brant Peacher (Oct 4, 2007)

Ok guys think what you wanna think. I just know that Im not swimming there anymore....I have a bunch of witnesses that saw him...


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## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

I seriously doubt that there are great white sharks in the gulf. No significant numbers. I'm sure a stray COULD show up, but does anyone personally know anyone that has ever caught one in the gulf? I've never heard of it...


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## Brant Peacher (Oct 4, 2007)

Elmo caught one off the old Navarre Pier that was 10ft long... A know about ahundred people that can vouch for that.


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## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

> *Brant Peacher (6/22/2009)*Ok guys think what you wanna think. I just know that Im not swimming there anymore....I have a bunch of witnesses that saw him...


Ha ha its not like he hangs out in front of portofino and stays there... i'm pretty sure they are pelagic.


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## Brant Peacher (Oct 4, 2007)

Haha they areterritorial man. Havent you ever watched shark week? But seriously he was seen several times out of a cobia tower. It circled the boat a few times. No lie...


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## konz (Oct 1, 2007)

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #1f5080; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'">Josh, Pelagic or not, I know my big a$$ looks far to appetizing to risk it......lol<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #1f5080; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #1f5080; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'">I also don't doubt that they could come into the gulf....<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #1f5080; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'"><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #1f5080; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'">Just one more toothy bastard to add to the wish list!


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## Pourman1 (Oct 4, 2007)

If it's true about the LOCAL sighting , I guess I'm ON the Menu now :doh ... NOT gonna stop Surfing for just one Shark :nonono


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## Jhoe (May 4, 2009)

the wishlist of getting any rig you are using spooled?


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## user8164 (May 8, 2009)

http://www.zimbio.com/Environmental+Issues/articles/91/Jaws+in+the+Gulf



Recent satellite tracking studies have shattered long held myths about the species. For example, scientists once thought great whites spent their entire lives along coastal areas. Now scientists know they spend much of the year prowling the open ocean sometimes diving as deep as 2,000 feet.<P class=MsoPlainText>
And according to eyewitness reports, it seems they are visiting the Gulf of Mexico despite their reputation as a species preferring colder, coastal water.<P class=MsoPlainText><P class=MsoPlainText>
The great white shark shows up in virtually every list of present shark species in the Gulf of Mexico. And they receive protection from harvest in federal waters by regulations put forth by the National Marine Fisheries Service a few years ago. <SPAN id=lw_1187572879_1>Florida also protects them in state-controlled waters extending out to nine nautical miles.

<P class=MsoPlainText>A 1996 studysaid great whites range in the Gulf of Mexico, ?principally western Florida shores but ranging past the <SPAN id=lw_1187572879_2>Mississippi Delta to at least <SPAN id=lw_1187572879_3>Corpus Christi, Texas.?<P class=MsoPlainText>
In The sharks of North American watersthe author details great whites occurring infrequently in the Gulf. Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the International Shark File note that great whites follow right whales in their migration down toward the east coast of <SPAN id=lw_1187572879_4>Florida likely to pr0ey on the pups


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## Jhoe (May 4, 2009)

i wonder what you'd have to bait up to catch that shark. he wouldn't even notice mullet probably. i guess you could free line a 5 foot bull shark? lol


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

A year ago everyone would have called you a liar if you claimed there was a large population of killer whales that live in the gulf, but it isa well documented fact now. A GW wouldn't be a big surprise.


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## local_hooker (Mar 17, 2009)

> *Jhoe (6/22/2009)*i wonder what you'd have to bait up to catch that shark. he wouldn't even notice mullet probably. i guess you could free line a 5 foot bull shark? lol




Big hunks of meat.. 15lb bobo or a whole turkey or your yellow fin tuna that you just brought in from your last blue water experience


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## konz (Oct 1, 2007)

> *Jhoe (6/22/2009)*the wishlist of getting any rig you are using spooled?


Damn right, that's why it's on the wish list. Believe it or not though, there are guys in Australia that try. They use some crazy outfits......leaders made of towing chain using 60lb fish for bait......lol 

And hey you never know, maybe he would take a mullet......lol I'm a huge guy and I wouldn't pass up an M&M.....lol


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## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

Elmo Horine caught one in the 60's off of Navarre Pier. It was definitely not a mako and he was on the channel 8 PJC tv with the jaws. About 30 years ago, John Holly and I were fishing about 10 miles south of the nipple and had a double hook up on large dolphin. I got mine about 15ft from the boat and a huge shark swam up and ate him in one bite. John and I both yelled "white shark" at the same time. To this day I do not know what else it would have been. My dolphin was probably around 40lbs. and he ate it whole. The shark was well over 15ft. long and was definitley not a mako or a tiger. As far as the white shark that was reportedly seen off of Portifino, I personally know the guy that saw it and he definitely knows his sharks. He called me immediately after seeing it and said he was in the ling tower and got a great look at it. He said he could see the distinctive line that separates the white from the black. He said it was easily over 2000 lbs. maybe even 3000!


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## Jhoe (May 4, 2009)

> *konz (6/22/2009)*.lol I'm a huge guy and I wouldn't pass up an M&M.....lol




HAHAHAHAHAHA. i just spit red stripe onto my computer monitor when i read that.


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## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

Great Whites in the Bay? Great Whites Hanging around Portofino? Couldn't you guys come up with better than that? Sounds like either *Clay-Doh* or *Seanmclemore, *or maybe both, are posting underaliases trying to scareoff the competition for the upcoming MBT *Gun & Hoses Sprearfishing Tournament*. I find it highly suspicious that this report is surfacing justprior to this weekend's tournament start. Just my .02

:moon :moon


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

There is no reason why a great white wouldn't be in the gulf and I'm sure there are more than what is presently thought. I would think that great whites that do venture in to the gulf would stay deep probably below the thermocline the majority of the time. At that depth they would not only stay in preferred temperatures but also be in prime hunting depths for tuna, swordfish, etc. I'm sure there aren'ta bunch of them in our local waters but there is perfect habitat for them past the continental shelf. 

There aren't any fences in the ocean.


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## user8164 (May 8, 2009)

Check this story out!! This is the actual story. This is Fla Fish & Wildlife Commission.

<U>http://www.tampabay.com/sports/outdoors/article969984.ece</U>

<U></U>http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/InNews/scariest2009.html


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## seanmclemore (Aug 20, 2008)

just talked to claydoh...don't think either of us are that sober to be that creative just before the tourney.....it ain't us....but now that we are starting rumors, i saw one on the chevron, tennaco, pete tide and tex edward and all of the bridge rubble.

you guys will be much safer staying at or around the uss massachusets.

this message approved my claydoh/mac incorporated


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## NavySnooker (Sep 10, 2008)

THE TARPON SPRINGS STORY IS MOST CERTAINLY TRUE.. IT'S JUST NORTH OF MY HOMETOWN, AND WE HAVE SEEN PLENTY OF WHITE SHARKS IN THE GULF... MAYBE NOT IN 25 FT OF WATER, BUT DEFINITELY OUT TOWARDS THE MIDDLEGROUNDS... IT'S NO BS!!! I'VE SEEN A CUPPLE MYSELF... AND I AGREE WITH TUNAPOPPER IN THE FACT THAT THEY MOSTLY STAY DOWN BELOW THE THERMOCLINE... THINK ABOUT IT; ALL THE SQUID, SWORDS, AND TUNA THEY CARE TO EAT!!

I'M DIRTY D, THE NAVY SNOOKER.. AND I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE.


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## Redfish (Nov 9, 2007)

Great Whites have been seen in the gulf, but never close to shore that I have hearded of in the 30 something years I have fished here Could be wrong But never seen anything on the NEWS ABOUT IT I would thing If there where Great whites running the beach it would have MADE THE NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just my 2 cents


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## Pourman1 (Oct 4, 2007)

Shenanigans !! :letsdrink:letsdrink


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## baitboy (Jan 28, 2009)

i will never swim again . i know its not much to brag about but the other guy that works with dad was with me on the barge a couple weeks ago we bagged a 7ft black tip they weighed atleast 150 lbs . we caught right were the barge sits and i see kids and adults wadding on the sand bar were we hooked him at


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## Kamo (Apr 20, 2009)

Was it not on here (PFF) that someone a few months ago posted a video while cobia fishing of them hooking into a big ole shark. Can't remember what kind it was, but at the end of the video the shark launched. You could see Portifino in the background. Anyone remember?


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## saltfisher1 (Oct 8, 2007)

All you gotta do to avoid a shark attack is get the heck outta the water when you hear that music.


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## local_hooker (Mar 17, 2009)

> *saltfisher1 (6/22/2009)*All you gotta do to avoid a shark attack is get the heck outta the water when you hear that music.




Call me what ever you want but I DO NOT go in the water EVER!! There are things out there they haven't found yet and I don't want to be the one that finds them. I like being on top of the food chain!~


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## saltfisher1 (Oct 8, 2007)

I agree with you there....jellyfish...rays...catfish....shark....ect..


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## bayou bandit (Oct 1, 2007)

I was in a 25' boat off the coast of GA on the outskirts of the Golden Isles about 20 years ago. A Great White circled us a couple of times and even went under the boat a few times. That SOB was a big as the boat. I swear that he rolled a little to his side as he circled us so that he could look up at us! Scared the hell out of me, and was the spookiest feeling I have ever felt in my gut. I never did hear the music, but I could damn sure hear my heart pounding in my chest! Seriously, my pulse is flying right now just thinking about it!


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## konz (Oct 1, 2007)

> *SheLovesToFishToo (6/22/2009)*Was it not on here (PFF) that someone a few months ago posted a video while cobia fishing of them hooking into a big ole shark. Can't remember what kind it was, but at the end of the video the shark launched. You could see Portifino in the background. Anyone remember?


Yep that was a mako......cool video!


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