# Ernest Polk & Sean Watson did It Again



## Redfish

They Just stopped by to show me They are heading to Harbor walk to weight it Really nice looking Shark They got it off Navarre beach about 3.pm yesterday they told me They will stop by on the way home to give me the weight will post it Then


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## jaceboat

any pics? that awesome that they got another one.


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## Redfish

Just got the weight and a Picture It was 675lb I will post the pic after work Why to go guys:bowdown:clap:clap


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## Redfish

Yep


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## MULLET HUNTER

Ernie and Squirell have been shark fishing Navarre beach for ever, he ought to know how, great catch guys!!:usaflag:bowdown


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## Turbow

Wish they would post on here. Could use their insight for this beach.


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## Turbow

Just saw the picture....this thing is massive.


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## onemorecast

Where is the picture!! We need pics!!


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## Tide In Knots

I saw the fish in the black truck too headed north on 87 from 98. It was a biggun.


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## overall123

pics, pics, pics!!!!!!!!!! Great catch though


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## Pair-a-Dice

My buddy took a picture of it while he was eating at harbor docks...


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## SaltLife44

Saweeeeeeeeet.

Congrats on a nice shark:bowdown


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## Redfish

> *Pair-a-Dice (2/24/2009)*My buddy took a picture of it while he was eating at harbor docks...


 Thanks for posting the pic I forgot and left it at the shop it's with them pulling it up the beach will post that one tomorrow,,


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## Telum Pisces




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## surfstryker

Monster. What size reel? Bait? Line? Bigun.


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## jaceboat

thats a monster! tell them congrats on the catch. i think they have a secret cause nobody else catches makos especially this year.


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## Turbow

> *jaceboat (2/25/2009)*thats a monster! tell them congrats on the catch. i think they have a secret cause nobody else catches makos especially this year.




I am sure they put in a lot of time on the beach. Most people dont do long sharking trips in the cold. Hard work pays off.


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## e polk

Hello out there. We got lucky this time,not so much catching the fish as getting back to the beach alive. 2 of the 3 baits were out ,the lines were crossed so sean was reeling one of the two back in. while i was waiting my reel went off, i set the hook with my life vest on. she probaly watched and followed me. she kept the presure on but only broke drag a couple times.until she got close. we knew it was big but when the dorsal poped up we knew it was a mako, it looked like jaws. when she got even with us she ran about 200yds streight south.Every time it got close to the sand bar it would run again,usualy about 100yds,the whole time on the top .The fifth time sean got a hand on the leader,i threw the reel out of gear stabed it in the sand and grabed the tail roap. she nosed up on the beach and would not turn sideways to the beach. It was spinning and trashing and would not let me roap it. I had to wade almost neck deep around behind her, and tie the roap around the tail. we drug it as far up as 2 men can,but it could still swim off.it almost got back in the water 2 times. 45 minutes before we could let go of the roap. We wound up 100yds down the beach soi pushed her back in and got out about chest deep andpulled her back even with the truck. She was still alive, but out of gas. It took 15 men to load it. We took garbage bags and filled them with ice and draped them over its back. It was very cold and did not melt the ice very fast . We had to refil the bags one time. We hadit completely butchered by 1;30. no meat went to waist. ******** allover the county is grilling right now.


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## Wookie

Well....Hope that answers his question lol. Nice Grab!


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## lingfisher1

Ernie you are the only person I know crazy enough to get in the water with a live Mako.Might have to run across the river tomarrow and see you and snag a few of them Mako steaks.


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## Turbow

Thanks for posting. What kind of gear do you get him on? Reel, line, etc.


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## flordaboy

that is freakin' cool, congrats fellas:bowdown


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## crazyfire

Thats awesome. Team Chunky Love...its time to get ours!!!! Larry get ready for some cigars and your lucky shark shirt.


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## Redfish

Here's the Pic of them pulling Itup the Beach,Okay ERNIE where's my ******* steak's atoke Just kidding:toast, Nice job !!!!


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## nextstep

great job:bowdown great report:clap


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## e polk

We have three 16/o one 14/0 with130 or 160 dac. the larger line gives a better frey factor. I usually paddel the bait between 200yds to 500yds. we use bait of all kinds.To be a shark fisherman ya gota produce bait. I caught a cig that a king ate, a 55lb cuda cut him in half ,i caught the cuda that the mako ate we caught the mako that the ******** eat. you dont do this alone its a team effort. one man could not handle a big fish at the hill. I have froze my but off so many nights to reel in a 300lb wad of sea weed. We wore the satistics out. Dont fish rough water you will die. By the way she weighed 674lbs and one fin was still touching the ground. the noaa chart said 700lbs it was close.totalwas 11'2 fork was 10' even. my computer is junk and will not send a pic.I will try to post one soon.


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## P-cola_Native

> *e polk (2/25/2009)* Hello out there. We got lucky this time,not so much catching the fish as getting back to the beach alive. 2 of the 3 baits were out ,the lines were crossed so sean was reeling one of the two back in. while i was waiting my reel went off, i set the hook with my life vest on. she probaly watched and followed me. she kept the presure on but only broke drag a couple times.until she got close. we knew it was big but when the dorsal poped up we knew it was a mako, it looked like jaws. when she got even with us she ran about 200yds streight south.Every time it got close to the sand bar it would run again,usualy about 100yds,the whole time on the top .The fifth time sean got a hand on the leader,i threw the reel out of gear stabed it in the sand and grabed the tail roap. she nosed up on the beach and would not turn sideways to the beach. It was spinning and trashing and would not let me roap it. I had to wade almost neck deep around behind her, and tie the roap around the tail. we drug it as far up as 2 men can,but it could still swim off.it almost got back in the water 2 times. 45 minutes before we could let go of the roap. We wound up 100yds down the beach soi pushed her back in and got out about chest deep andpulled her back even with the truck. She was still alive, but out of gas. It took 15 men to load it. We took garbage bags and filled them with ice and draped them over its back. It was very cold and did not melt the ice very fast . We had to refil the bags one time. We hadhim completely butchered by 1;30. no meat went to waist. ******** allover the county is grilling right now.


That gets my vote for fishing story of the year!:bowdown:bowdown:bowdown


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## -WiRtH-

That is so freakin awesome!!! Nice Shark and great story. Kinda makes me wanna go out and get my own.. or go over to my mom's and see when she's gonna cook some damn shark again its been forever..:hungry but anyway.. congrats again thats a beautiful mako!


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## recess

That's a fine catch right there. That makes it all worth while .:bowdown:bowdown:bowdown


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## Chris V

Thats about as big game as it gets from the beach. Awesome job guys, ya'll deserve it.


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## Jason

Ernie, are ya'll the ones I stop and chit chat w/ all the time, late at night or early morning hours??? I've been patroling down there fer a few weeks and ain't seen ya'll if it is....Last time I came down there, if it is ya'll, ya'll were crashed out in a tent and I din't want to bother ya...I thought about making a reel scream to see what ya'll would do but i let ya'll be.....

If that ain't ya'll ohhhh well, and that is a fine BIG-UN right there!!! CONGRATS!!!!!:bowdown


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## captain wahoo

:clap Great story, great fish, and great grilling. I look forward to catching one myself one day.


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## Linkovich

Ernie,

If you dont mind sharing,what kind of rig are you guys using...hook size, leader and what not?


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## asago

Very nice... nothing like a big fish and a near-death experience to accompany... 

Saltwater fishing: Moments of utter bliss intermingled with panic and terror


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## team shark fever

Congratulations guys.That's an awesome catch anywhere but more so from a beach.That is a once in a lifetime exrtaordinary fish.From the researchI have done that may be the record Florida land based Makoat 674 lbs.The boys over here on the east coast up around Palm Beach have seen them close to the pier but have never landed one .Keep up the good work.


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## Firedawg

Awesome catch, that thing is huge!!!!


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## e polk

Hello out there again. I realy apreciate all the good replies from every one. Its nice to be able to let the fishermen know what we done. Alot of people wanted to know why I did not call the press. To begin with this areas ecnomydepends on tourism. I do not want to hurt anyones livelyhood,nor do i want to scare anyone out of the water. Most local news papers are good people but the larger ones care only to sell there story. They sell the truth they can sell the most of, but not the whole truth. I caught a 700lb hammer off pensacola pier once. I was dumb eneough to let the press in on it, two days later I was baned from the pier for life and made a clown of on t/vby some little f## and his boy friend who swims with bull sharks. Realy I like sharks too, I tag and release most of what I catch. I have contributed alot of sientific data, hopefully for a good purpose, probaly more then any PETA guy ever did. Usually the first thing I tell people who walk up on us with a big fish is "dont call the news please". I would hate to know that I caused all the rules to change just so I could be on TV. Every one who sharkfishes the beach beware because with recognition comes ridicule, How would ya like it if you caught the fish that got our sport baned from the beach. Being able to go back fishing is more important than a little bit of fame. A guy once told me "leave no sign pay no fine" in other words clean ya mess up, dont leave sharks with no fins laying in the lot and clean yabuddies beer cans up, a litle respect goes along ways. These fish we are catching are the poor mans biggame fish. We dont have to spend a million$ to catch a big fish, it may be a nasty ole shark but they shore do stretch the line. Our crew will be tagging the next mako unless he is bigger than the last one. The only sharks we keep are mature ones that are not in good shape, usually the gut hooked ones. The ones that go north get ate. Here's to fishing another day:clap:clap


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## BILL_MONEY

good job ernie.. well spoken from one of them good ole boys from herald.... are yal still canoein.. havnt been out there in a while. my brother was billy bryers and i married a tadpole from milton.. 

congrats on the shark


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## Firedawg

Well said!!!


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## KerryLynn

<P align=left>







<P align=left>Had a few pictures. Thought y'all might like to see em, although I did hear that it was caught Cape San Blas!!!!!<P align=left>


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## team shark fever

Mr Ernie Polk has nothing to be ashamed of ,,,,,actually i believe he has broken the land-based worldrecord for Mako shark and should be recognizedand respected for his accomplishment.Any big game fisherman on a million dollar boat would be lucky and proud to catch what Mr Polk caught from a beach.Hooray forland-based fisherman and man like Ernie who pursue the biggest of MONSTERS from shore where the monster has the defenite advantage.Hooray for Ernest Hemingway (inspiration for real man and specialy for big game anglers),hooray for Ernie Polk and hooray for Walter Maxwellwhose world record Tiger shark of 1780 lbs caught from a South Carolina pier in 1964still stands as one of biggest accomplishments in angling history.Keep watching and see how often this category of shark is caught from shore and you will better understand the greatness and rarity of this feat.Congratulations Ernie now go and catch the world record Hammerhead from the beach or maybe the next world record Mako,,,,,,,,,all my respect to the man who fish from shore and dream of one day catching what Ernie Polk caught.


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## e polk

Hello out there, I live 30 minutes from navare beach, why would I drive to cape sanblas when my water is closer, I would have been just as proud if I did catch it at sanblas,and would have said so. thanks for posting the pics. Thank you Will for standing up to the monky trying to trash what we do. We all need tothink aboutwhat got us out of the trees, eating meat, and defeating the fear of the preditor. Any body who has anything bad to say is just jellous.


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## btdeal

Congratulations again Earnie! I know how hard you have workedand how dedicated you have been over the last ????? years! I love you and am sooo proud of you! 

All of the love from Georgia 

Your Sis and nephews,:heart

Tiffany


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## reeltime

Fantastic! But swimming after a 675lb Mako is crazy, and pretty darn cool too.

Here's another big Congrats. 

:clap :clap


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## DarthGator

That is just awesome. I cannot wait to get back to Pensacola this summer and start shark fishing. I won't be going after anything that big but I'm still excited.


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## -- Saints Domination --

> *DarthGator (3/31/2009)*That is just awesome. I cannot wait to get back to Pensacola this summer and start shark fishing. I won't be going after anything that big but I'm still excited.




Bryan, we are going after anything TWICE that big!


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## blackwaterpearl

that is one big fish,makes me what to go fishing.you guys did an great job on that one,now i dont think i would go rope a fish that big. great job.an yes the fish was good eating,,,, i`ll see yall on the beach:bowdown rene


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## e polk

Hello out there again. Looks we have a land based world record mako. If anyone wants to see just go to Land Based SharkFishing. com and go to the records link. If there is anyone that was on the beach and got a pic I would really like to see them. I toated my camera everywhere, but guess what, whin I really needed it the bat was dead and the film was used up on buck deers. My pics was taken by a disposable without a flash. Those pics on the beach are the best ones i have. I know alot was taken like when i was chest deep dragging it backwards, and as we was loading it on the truck. There is one guy I have not mentioned that saw the whole thing, Mike Fordum thanks for the help and have fun telling the story. Alot of times ya get caught up in the moment and ya dont get to say thanks so thank you to every one who helped. If any one has a pic send it to [email protected] I would realy aprecate it. Here is a pic of the jaws they are 21" wide 22" tall. If that dont make a tooth fairy out of ya I dont know what will.


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## Redfish

You Deserve it!!!!! Congrats Ernie:bowdown:bowdown:clap:clap Don't think it will be broken anytime Soon, Nice to see you at the shop the other Day!!!


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## Sean Paxton

Hello All - 



New to the forum. Came across it, thanks to Ernie. Just wanted to say I'm proud to have a hand in recognizing extreme angling accomplishments, such as this one. It's great to see you all feel the same way. 



Cheers and Congratulations, once again, to Ernie, Sean & Monica ...

Sean Paxton


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