Hour-long battle brings in a beast of a shark
Fishing from the shore is a common sight when strolling the shoreline at Jacksonville Beach.
But watching a man bring in a 10-foot-long tiger shark after a serious battle?
That’s something not many get to witness.
Sean Whelehan was having the time of his life when he caught a massive tiger shark early last week.
“After an hour of fighting, this is what we get,” he wrote along with the video he posted to Facebook.
Same shark, new rules
As awesome of a catch as this was, anglers like Whelehan may not be able to catch sharks like this tiger shark before long.
That’s because the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission new rules are going into effect that will require the shark to remain in the water while fishing from a shore or vessel.
“If you can bring these animals out of the water, you allow their skin in their gills to get dry, it can definitely impact the animal (and) elevate stress,” said Dr. Bryan Franks, an assistant marine science professor at Jacksonville University. “You release and it seems to swim off, but it can’t recover and maybe dies at a later time.”
Chumming the water in order to attract sharks to a certain area will also be prohibited. While it’s useful for bringing sharks in, it also brings them into closer contact with swimmers.
Specific types of hooks must also be used in order for them to be as safe for sharks as possible.
“The requirement of non-stainless steel hooks and circle hooks must be used – these are all to better protect the animal if the line needs to be cut and the hook needs to remain,” Franks continued.
It will also be required for any angler over the age of 16 to apply for a special fishing license at no cost in order to fish for sharks.
To read the new rules going into effect at the beginning of July, please visit myfwc.com.
