# Sharkin Report Friday Sept 16-Big Hammerhead!



## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

Met with BeerItSelf Friday evening about 6pm at Chickenbone Gulfside. Wanted to try our luck again which allowed us 2 big Blacktips the weekend before. Had some others come out who had never shark fished before and we were hoping we could deliver a great experience. Kevin, Sean, Jimmy, and Nick were ready for a thrill.

Nothing at all happened for several hours except feeding crabs our shark bait. At a little before 11p I was getting ready to call it a night and take the wife home because she had to be at work at 10:30a. (Thats early for her...) That all changed right about 11pm.

Kevin's Penn 6/0 starts screaming and Jeff and I knew this wasn't a 4' Blacktip just by the sheer speed and length of the run. Kevin's reel was just spooled with 50lb mono and I knew it would be a challenge. To make a long story as short as possible, everyone took turns tring to gain some forward progress because it nearly spooled us several times. After a 3 hour battle and many times running East and then west for several hundred yards to keep up, we finally got her close enough to tail rope and drag to shore.

She was 8' 2" and had a girth of 35". I don't know the formula to estimate weight but I would guess easily 250lbs. We tried our best to deliver an exciting night and would say we exceeded that objective! I have 3 pics and BeerItSelf is going to post a few as well. (I think his wife has him doing chores for staying out so late Friday night.)


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## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

I don't know why 2 of the 3 pictures are so small. (Jeff, see if you can load the same ones in a bigger format.)


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## Bullshark (Mar 19, 2009)

Do you eat the hammerhead?


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## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

Bullshark- Yes. We will never harvest a shark if we don't intend to eat it. Kevin took the body home to begin steaking it out so I hope to be getting some soon! I have had Hammerhead in the past and although not as sweet as Blacktip, it is still very good when cleaned and packed in ice within minutes of getting it on the beach.


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## coolbluestreak (Jun 27, 2011)

Wow, a three hour fight, I'd be dead!
It looks like a lot of fun though.


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## beeritself (Nov 25, 2010)

I'm still very sore. It was great to get some new guys on such a beast. I think we have a few people that are hooked now. Here are some more pictures.


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## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

Great pictures Jeff! You should be sore my friend. You muscled in that beast for the last 30-45 minutes with constant pressure. That is not easy to do with a 6/0 and 50lb mono.
More pics on Facebook at "Pensacola Sharking."


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## Jaw Jacker (Jul 29, 2009)

:thumbup: Nice Fish :thumbup:


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## beeritself (Nov 25, 2010)

Thanks, the reel that we got it on was just spooled a few days before. No action on the mono prior to this fight. By the end of the night the line was so frayed it's going to have be respooled already. We had 550 yards of line on the spool and thought we were going to get spooled more than once. Luckily, either Gary or I were able to get line back in each time we took over from the new guys. They were quick learners though.


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## coolbluestreak (Jun 27, 2011)

Man that sounds like fun!
What were you using for bait and how did you get it out there, just casting?


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## Mike W (Jul 11, 2011)

coolbluestreak said:


> Man that sounds like fun!
> What were you using for bait and how did you get it out there, just casting?


No, no my friend, you've got to kayak out these baits to catch the big ones.

Great job Gary and Jeff! I've got 2 more weeks in Tuscaloosa and I'll be back down there. :thumbsup:


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## beeritself (Nov 25, 2010)

On that line we had a mullet that we dropped off about 200 yards out.

Thanks Mike!


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## J.Sharit (Oct 3, 2007)

Another great fish you guys are smokin.........


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## beeritself (Nov 25, 2010)

Thanks, Jim. Heading back out this weekend. Not sure which day though. After nearly 6 weeks of getting skunked, we figure we better get at it while its good.


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## williamsdad (Feb 2, 2010)

Our local forum has one of those "calculators" - here's what it says, and a link to it

*FISH WEIGHT CALCULATOR
Enter the length and girth of the fish in inches and press "Calculate". 
The weight is given in pounds*.
Please keep in mind that this is only an estimate.

Length: Girth:​​Weight:​http://www.bigbendfishing.net/

can't speak to accuracy, never remember to measure the girth

nice fish


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## williamsdad (Feb 2, 2010)

It didn't "paste" well, but @ 98 inches and the girth, it calculated 150 lbs.


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## Jaw Jacker (Jul 29, 2009)

williamsdad said:


> It didn't "paste" well, but @ 98 inches and the girth, it calculated 150 lbs.


For that size Hammerhead, you need to add about 15# to 20# pounds for the head. That calculator doesn't account for the hammer. :thumbsup:


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## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

Interesting formula on the weight. I would have guessed more. As any fisherman does... ;o)

I am 6' 2" and weigh 220lbs and I struggled to drag her myself. Not that I am the biggest guy but she looked alot bigger than me!


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## williamsdad (Feb 2, 2010)

yea, like I said, not sure of the reliability, but thought you might find it interesting, and better than nothing, given you had the measurements. And the comment about the head made a lot of sense, I'm pretty sure it's intended for trout and redfish, more our fare in the Big Bend. And no offense, I forgot your "estimate" and just posted the calc. after I input it. I'd go with your gut, more than an unproven formula. A great catch, either way. I bet the newbees were amazed, as well as any bypassers, though it was pretty late for that.


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## beeritself (Nov 25, 2010)

I'm 5'10" 185lbs and fairly strong for my size - I had a rough time getting it to move. After we got the tail secured, I threw the rope over my shoulder and headed for the sand, very unsuccessfully Lol... I had to call for help to get it dragged up there. With 2 of us we still struggled. It could have been the fatigue, but I like to think it was the shark. 3 of us finally got it beached.


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## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

Williamsdad- Actually there were 2 ladies who were spending the weekend together at one of the condos across the street who stayed and watched the entire time. It's funny because they said they heard the reel screaming for so long so many times they had to walk over to the beach and see what was going on.
The clicker was activated and it was pretty loud. We invited them back this weekend and encouraged them to again keep their digital camera close by. The younger, more petite one said they never leave home without it...


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## Szoccer (Jan 24, 2011)

I plan on doing the same stuff this weekend, and if anyone wants to join in feel free to PM me. I'll be down Perdido Key, FL side about a mile or so from the border. And that Hammerhead is AWESOME!!! Can only hope to get that luck


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## grey ghost (Jul 24, 2011)

i Dittto coolbluestreaks 's question?? great job! :thumbup:


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## tofer (Oct 7, 2009)

Awesome report, thanks for sharing.


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## osborne311 (Aug 1, 2011)

Great report and great catch! Please let me know next time you are heading out. I am mere minutes from CBB on GB and would love to join you guys and learn a little. Biggest shark I ever caught from the sand was about 3' so WOW on that one.


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## Szoccer (Jan 24, 2011)

I plan on skark fishing tonight (with good weather). Will be 1 mile from Florabama on FL side, behind Riviera Dunes and Sea Watch condos, anyone is free to come see if we're catching anything, help out and join in the fishing too. Plan on being out at least from 9-12 pm.


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