14 ft Tiger shark caught off Key Biscaine

Quote from Toledo970

Both bad encounters I've had, the shark was after the fish. At least this is what I believe. I've had a very large Female HH swim around gracefully with her pups without as much as a glance at us. All I can say is that some people get use to diving in these situations and find it normal. I feel that once this happens, you're letting down your guard. Why don't we see hunters in Africa going through the jungle fighting with lions for their prey? Shooting antelope off of a Lions back and then rushing it and fighting it for dominance? Crazy huh? What's the difference? At least on dry land we have a breath of a chance....

Difference is that when you shoot a fish off of a sharks back it normally spooks the crap out of them and the only thing you have to deal with afterwards is the fish. I imagine if you shot a animal off of a lion he would probably spook too. If he rushes you you are in big trouble....if you shoot and would the lion and he is still charging you are in a world of shit because unless you brain or spine him he is going to make minced meat out of you.

There are some people who hunt lion and believe the only sporting way to take one is within charging distance and only with the use of a large bore open sight double gun. You stalk close...stand up and elicit a charge and then bring it down with one of your two shots....it is standard practice to hold another two rounds in between the fingers of the hand that holds the forearm of the gun in case you need or have time to reload and give it two more. I read a story by a PH in Africa (Ruark) that had a lady do it this way and the lion expired literally at her feet. He had another story of a guy that did it and he missed all four shots. The PH (professional hunter) managed to get one in it in the lungs and the lion broke off the charge and died in the bush....dude pissed his pants.

But I think the real reason people charge aggressively at sharks that are too interested in their speared fish is because it works and it keeps the shark from not only eating your fish but from becoming even more aggressive once it eats your fish and then starts to look at you for something else to chew on.

there are some good points here and some good opinions as well, but for personal experience I have to say that this guy is nothing but the biggest SCUM and piece of SHIT to walk this earth! I have never in my life met a person so worth of being in prison than him.

For starters his nickname mark the shark is not because of the fishes that he catches, is because he is worse than a loan shark. He used to be a cop and now he works as a boat captain with a charter business.

I met mark a few years back and I went out fishing with him as well. Even though I grew up trolling fishing and I am used to fighting big marlins, he had a different plan going on.

We went out on an 8 to 10' seas, even though we told him to reschedule, he said that we'll loose our $$. When I wanted to catch and fight a hammerhead, he said that we where going for sword fish and he insisted. When I agreed, he said that we will only use a power reel and nothing more because it would've taken me 4 hours to fight a sword fish. We caught 3 dolphins and a mackerel and by the end of the day, we landed a sword. By the way it was fighting it felt like it was a pretty nice sized fish, with the power reel, it took me 2 hours of "fighting" to bring the fish up to the boat. While I "fought" the fish, he was constantly screaming and yelling at me saying that I needed to learn how to fish and if I lost that fish, something was going to happened!

I really wanted to cut the line at this point! I've caught 700lb marlins and I've caught 300lb tunas. Every big fish I've caught and fought it has been using a hook and line. I've always believed in fair fights and enjoying the fight. This is another reason why all my reels where single speed and the strongest line I used was a 50lb test. That day, I didn't enjoyed the fishing, even though I caught a 500lb sword fish, I still admit that it wasn't a fair fight.

When we came back to port, he wanted me to mount the fish and he took the fish to a restaurant in the Miami river called Casablanca, where he gave me the excuse that they where going to fillet it and prep it. I called the rest. the day after and they said that the sword that mark the shark brought the night before, they had purchased it from him and they weren't going to give me anything from the fish.

He also got into a very bad mood when I grabbed the dolphins and filled them. He mentioned me 2 days later that he had sold the sword fish and he didn't needed to give me anything from the fish.

So I did the smartest thing, I gave every pic and every email to agents from fish and wildlife and agents from NOAA.

This guy kills for fun and he is a lowlife. He needs to be put out of business!!

I am really sorry for the long report, but I get really pissed and sick to my stomach when I see an asshole like this scum doing what he does and no one does anything about it!

Yaudon i have met people like that. So i feel your frustration.

Though in the spearfishing perspective. Seeing a spearo catch a Big shark specially a man eater is a big accomplishment i always think if that kill was made because of a defensive situation. I was raised killing sharks for eating. Every shark killed was eaten not wasted. Though i have killed my share of them. I dont go looking for them anymore and if they show up i always go to the defensive to avoid a bad situation. I have never been attacked.I really like shark meat, a lot. But that doesnt mean i'm going out there and dispatch everything that crosses me. I'm very selective when it comes to the sharks. If you kill him because you were defending yourself for me that is ok. If you doing it for food. I see them as a food source for me that is ok, for me they are another fish in the water.. and that is now that i;ve grown up and i repect more the seas. I rememberin one part of my life we used to kill them to make money. But i assure you all those sharks were eaten. Remember in the states is ilegal but in some other places is not. So shark is valuable like grouper and snapper. i know we all got differents back grounds and different thoughts about the sea. If you catch anything to be eat , or to make money ,or to save a buddy or yourself, in my books that is ok. but if you kill fish for a trophy, or to steal that fish to make money that is not yours, or just to kill the fish to waste it. You got no respect and that for me is a big nono.

Life is life regardless of how meager or grand. We should always respect and give thanx for it. When an animal is taken, all of it should be used/consumed and if we can not, we should give it to someone who can. Never waste a life..
I love the Ocean and respect it. I also respect all the life that is in it. Anyone that takes life without being conscious of their actions will eventually pay for it.

And thus ensues the debate over ethics and morality of the take ..... the philosophy of why we even bother.

The answers will never be cut and dry. It just is.

I'd shoot one, or catch one. Whether I eat it or not is on me. I've taken two animals that initially I had no intention of eating . One was a dead salmon fed glacier phase black bear ....the meat on these is horrid. Another was a mt. lion ... only upon skinning did I learn we were in fact going to eat it. Even after I had already tried some and found it pretty good. Thought it was an oddity ,of a large cat as table fare. Now, I can't even see one at the zoo without hearing in mind the grill fire up.

No point ... I just don't like the the "if it's not eaten, then it was a waste" mentality. I feel that borders on PETA speak.

Slippery slope ,fellas.

PETA? I'm interested in your opinion here.
I think your example is on one end of the spectrum, kill for the kill, and PETA is on the other "they operate under the simple principle that animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment.". What we have said is somewhere in the middle. No?

dejen al fucking tiburon ya man, ya esta muerto:D

i had nothing, thats why i put one. maybe ill get bored and take it off.

Quote from Toledo970

PETA? I'm interested in your opinion here.
I think your example is on one end of the spectrum, kill for the kill, and PETA is on the other "they operate under the simple principle that animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment.". What we have said is somewhere in the middle. No?

(SIGH)
Most of us kill for the sake of the kill . We may not talk about it or even acknowledge it but it is what it is. For anyone of us to say we only hunt for the procurement of food in this day in age is pretty dillusional . Their are a whole lot of way more efficiennt ways to secure protein than hunting. At least for now anyway.
So...where does that leave the the 14 foot tiger shark ? Obviously, we can assume it was legally taken....even if by a tool. So why are we judging ? This is where PETA comes in. I don't nec. like all methods employed in consumptive pursuits, but if they're legal; then we'd be best served to defend it in public and debate it in private. PETA loves to use the divide and conquer approach . Why CA. no longer has a lion or bear season , and deer and elk numbers have plummeted . Never mind the increase in human interactions with both .

All because fellow outdoorsman were either apathetic to defense of hunting them or outright supported the ban.

Again,slippery slope.

spearos---There have been many good points made here on this thread.
All I will say is that I would not kill the tiger unless I was forced to defend myself, and even then I'm not sure that the six .357 rounds I carry could kill a 14f angry tiger shark.
Back in the day I remember complaining about having to buy a second box of shells for my PPD in one month, but times and minds change and I haven't used one .357 in years.

With all the negative publicity this 14f shark killing has gotten, I am just very, very happy that it was a hook and line shark and not taken spearfishing. We as spearfishers do not need any bad press ever.
Just my opinion.

Quote

Most of us kill for the sake of the kill . We may not talk about it or even acknowledge it but it is what it is. For anyone of us to say we only hunt for the procurement of food in this day in age is pretty dillusional . Their are a whole lot of way more efficiennt ways to secure protein than hunting. At least for now anyway.

I would not lump everyone within this generalization. Hunt for food? Yes, I agree with your point only as one were to define "food". Yeah, if I want a burger, I can get it in most street corners in all major cities and towns. However, where can I find fresh fish that is both harvested and processed by myself? I tend to enjoy my meal much more when I know I was responsible for every aspect that led it to arrive at my dinner table. Thus, I don't search for protein per se, but a specific type, yes.

Quote from Rolo

I would not lump everyone within this generalization. Hunt for food? Yes, I agree with your point only as one were to define "food". Yeah, if I want a burger, I can get it in most street corners in all major cities and towns. However, where can I find fresh fish that is both harvested and processed by myself? I tend to enjoy my meal much more when I know I was responsible for every aspect that led it to arrive at my dinner table. Thus, I don't search for protein per se, but a specific type, yes.

Well said Rolo.

Kill what you eat. Eat what you kill.:) Be selective and dont kill in vain, will represent a spearo better.

Hunt for ego.:rolleyes1:. :nono: I dont care what people think i will respect the seas and will feed myself even make some money for my family if need be. 20+ year of been a spearo and coming from a family of fishermans, Grows on you and give you a different perspective of what you hunt and why.

"We all love the sea. What you accomplish as a spearo is entitle to you only, good or bad. But it will reflect in all of us in the long run. Be smart."

very well put rolo

this shark is turning in its grave already.

Quote from Rolo

However, where can I find fresh fish that is both harvested and processed by myself? I tend to enjoy my meal much more when I know I was responsible for every aspect that led it to arrive at my dinner table. Thus, I don't search for protein per se, but a specific type, yes.

True .... and we're starting to get to the point of debating what the definition of 'is' is.:)

So we would agree that the self-satisfaction of going out and using your expertise to experience the sea and "bring home the bacon" is why you go out.

Would it be fair to say ,then, that the meal represents a trophy ? A tangible result of the experience you had that gets shared with family and friends ?

At this point, not arguing ....just showing another side to the same coin.

Quote from Aaron Proffitt

True .... and we're starting to get to the point of debating what the definition of 'is' is.:)

So we would agree that the self-satisfaction of going out and using your expertise to experience the sea and "bring home the bacon" is why you go out.

Would it be fair to say ,then, that the meal represents a trophy ? A tangible result of the experience you had that gets shared with family and friends ?

At this point, not arguing ....just showing another side to the same coin.

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I see where you are getting at and admittedly, I can concede the point. However, I'm not sure this "urge" you are alluding to is as strong in all of us. I think we all wrestle with degrees of empathy that can sometimes dwarf the need to hunt or gather. There is also a phenomenon that over time, the killing of countless species for whatever the reason weighs on a given person and they no longer have an urge or need for it. Humans evolve and I think hunting practices are no different.

I once spoke to a very seasoned Cuban spearfisherman at a cocktail party who was in his late 50's. The wealth of knowledge and expertise this man showed was remarkable and I have not seen it replicated in any other person I have met in this sport. Towards the latter end of our conversation, I invited him to come out with me to hunt the local waters and teach me some of his wisedom. He sort of grined and with a very somber and sincere tone, he reflected on all the "thousands" of fish and ocean species he's killed in his lifetime and indicated he had no need nor urge to do it again. I still email this individual from time to time and have no doubt this man no longer feels the need. Thus, I think these instincts as you call it can have different grades and can even dissapate over time. Thus, it begs the question. Is this inherit to all of us?

Quote from Rolo

He sort of grined and with a very somber and sincere tone, he reflected on all the "thousands" of fish and ocean species he's killed in his lifetime and indicated he had no need nor urge to do it again. I still email this individual from time to time and have no doubt this man no longer feels the "urge". Thus, I think these instincts as you call it can have different grades and can even dissapate over time.

Can't help but wonder if this isn't perhaps an evolutionary trait.

60 year old men aren't supposed to ride horses full out across the plains to shoot arrows at bison or hurl spears at elephants trapped in mud wallows.:)