The ocean is a great place if you’re looking to see horrifying things science will never fully understand.
Shark-eating monster fishes? Check. Razor-fanged sea sausages? Got 'em. Hulking death lobsters with javelins for arms? Right this way!
Indeed, mutant shrimp-like creatures exist on this planet, and one angler recently pulled up a yet-to-be identified, king-hell specimen while fishing in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Fox8Live.com’s Mandy Noell reports that an angler named Steve Bargeron was fishing off a local dock when he saw a nearby fisherman pull a giant, shrimp-like sea dweller out of the water.
Ostensibly afraid he had caught some kind of alien dino-lobster, Bargeron took pictures of the beast and sent them off to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which essentially shrugged its shoulders and said, “Good luck with that.”
According to Noell’s report, the FWC believes the animal is a species of mantis shrimp, a crustacean that isn’t actually a shrimp but is named such because science. The Commission’s scientists said they still aren’t entirely sure what the creature is and will reportedly continue to study Bargeron’s pictures for clues.
It’s unclear what Bargeron’s fishing buddy didwith the beast, but it could be back in the Indian River Lagoon, murdering catfish and punching holes in boats.
This story strikes close to home for me. I used to live a half hour south of Fort Pierce. I’ve SWUM in that water; I have loved ones still in the area.
I’m not saying anyone should nuke the lagoon—there’s a power plant nearby; could get messy—but we need to at least raise monster-shrimp-that’s-not-a-shrimp awareness in South Florida.
These creatures are among us, and it’s best if we just burn all the docks and go back inside.
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17-Year-Old Catches 693-Pound Swordfish off Florida Coast
Sep 3, 2014
Adam Satter became a man on Monday.
According to WPTV West Palm Beach, the 17-year-old local reeled in a 693-pound swordfish while trolling the waters 30 miles off the coast of Jupiter, Florida.
Satter and his father weighed the giant beast and put in paperwork to see if the catch is viable for a world record.
Exactly which record Satter is going for remains unclear, but it’s likely an age- or tackle-based benchmark he’s hoping to break, as the International Game Fish Association lists the record weight for swordfish caught as 1,182 pounds.
Regardless, this young man caught himself a monument among billfish.
Satter told WPTV that Monday was only his second time trying to catch swordfish. It’s also reported that he and his father carved up the leviathan shortly after weighing and handed out swordfish steaks to onlookers at the dock.
Considering swordfish meat can sell for $20 a pound and more, Satter’s catch could turn a hefty profit at the market.
Or he and his family can freeze the rest and live off swordfish for the next two years. I can imagine worse things in life.
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Chinese Fishermen Unintentionally Catch Massive 2-Ton Whale Shark
Aug 5, 2014
It seems odd, but sometimes the biggest catches happen by mistake.
Recently, a group of fishermen in China "accidentally" caught a massive whale shark. According to News 163, the fishermen did not go looking for a whale shark. However, one bit through their net, which was full of fish, and ended up dying after struggling to escape from the net.
The whale shark measured in at 4.5 meters (15 feet) long and weighed nearly two tons.
The fishermen reportedly wanted to sell the huge catch for anywhere from $1,500 to $3,500. Unfortunately for them, it is illegal to catch and sell the endangered species.
The population of whale sharks is thought to only register in the thousands, according to National Geographic. According to the WWF, the whale shark is the world's biggest fish and shark, and the greatest threat to their survival is by catch or accidental capture in fishing gear. They are also worth a great deal on the black market. A January National Geographic report claims a single carcass can be worth $30,000.
Although selling the whale shark may be illegal, the fishermen think a technicality will work in their favor. According to news.au.com, the fishing captain hopes they will be allowed to sell the whale shark because it was already dead when they discovered it.
Unintentionally catching a two-ton whale shark makes for a wild story, but now the fishermen have to figure out what to do with their catch.
Giant Cubera Snapper Caught in Alabama Would Crush State Record by 32 Pounds
Jul 14, 2014
When a fisherman makes a catch this big, it was definitely worth the battle.
Brett Rutledge and David Simms recently went fishing off the coast of Dauphin Island, Alabama. That's where they made the catch of a lifetime.
After one of their lines got hit, the two went to work on reeling the fish in. They didn't know what kind of fish it was at first, but they knew that it was going to be a struggle to get it onto the boat.
Here's what Rutledge had to say about the adventure, via AL.com's Jeff Dute:
At first I thought it was a big amberjack because I'd caught quite a few jacks earlier. But when it ran away from the wreck we were fishing, I immediately thought it was a shark. Then I got a visual on it and told David, 'Get the gaff!
When David got the gaff in it, he said he couldn't get it over the side, so I had to put down the rod and help him. As soon as it hit the deck I knew it was over 60 or 70 pounds. I told him, 'That one's going to have a shot at being a state record.'
Not even Rutledge was able to guess the true size of the fish, which turned out to be a cubera snapper. The catch weighed in at 84.90 pounds on certified scales at the Alabama Marine Resources Division office on Dauphin Island. If officially confirmed by the Marine Resources Division, it would destroy the old record of 52 pounds set back in 1988.
A fish that big is going to put up a fight. It took Rutledge and Simms about 30 minutes to get the four-foot-long snapper on the boat. Rutledge was especially lucky the fish didn't get away, as he caught it using only 30-pound-test monofilament line.
Rutledge, second from left, also was part of a record tiger shark catch.
Oddly, this wouldn't be the first time that Rutledge has made it into the Alabama record books. According to Dute, Rutledge formerly held the state record for scamp and black snapper. He was also a part of a group that caught a 948-pound tiger shark a few years ago in the Outcast Mega Shark Tournament.
Although he has caught some big fish in the past, Rutledge thought this was a pretty special catch:
"I've been around some pretty big stuff caught. I'll have to say this was probably one of the most exciting fish because I've never caught one off Alabama before and I know how rare it is to catch one this big."
Fishing off the coast of Biloxi, Mississippi, Hebert reeled in an 843.7-pound blue marlin on the morning of June 6. According to GulfLive.com's Al Jones, it was the largest fish that a female had ever caught in the history of the tournament and the third-largest caught by anyone.
The marlin was measured at 127.5 inches long and had a 74-inch girth. Of course, catching a fish of that size is no easy task. The angler had to endure a three-hour battle before being rewarded.
The fish put up quite a battle, but Hebert wasn't going to let it win, via Jones:
Amazing, just amazing. The fish was hooked at 7 am (Friday) and I really didn't know if I was going to get it in or not. But about two hours into the fight, I decided that I was not going to quit.
I was pumped to say the least. After two hours of going back and forth, I was convinced I would land the fish.
[...]
My arms and legs are bruised, but that was amazing.
Hebert walked away with first place in the tournament, which paid out $195,000, according to Jones.
"Not bad for my first blue marlin," Hebert told Jones.
Fisherman Hauls in Giant 405-Pound Halibut in Alaska
Jun 10, 2014
It's not every day a fisherman catches a fish that's bigger than him.
Michael Clancy recently went fishing in Chenega Bay, Alaska, and hooked a halibut that most fishermen dream about landing.
Reeling in a 405-pound fish like this was no easy task. It took Clancy and his friends 25 minutes to win the battle with the halibut before bringing it on the boat with a crane. The catch was impressive enough to wow people in the town.
Check out the happy fisherman with his catch:
The halibut was measured at seven-and-a-half feet long. Clancy is 6'5", but the fish dwarfs him.
It was a huge catch, but it's not a record.
The largest halibut ever caught was a 515-pounder off the coast of Norway. Back in 1996, a 459-pounder entered the record books as the largest Pacific halibut ever caught.
Florida Fisherman Catches 11-Foot, 805-Pound Shark on Shores of Gulf
Apr 22, 2014
Florida fisherman Joey Polk told his son he was going to catch a big fish, but even he wasn't expecting what he reeled in off the Florida panhandle last Tuesday.
The 29-year-old Polk, with the help of his two cousins, Earnie Polk, 43, and Kenny Peterson, 21, caught an 11-foot, 805-pound mako shark at a secret location in Florida.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQBXVmLixfc,145
Polk and his cousins battled the fish for an hour and told the Houston Chronicle the fish showed off its impressive speed: "She was pulling line out of my reel at easily 60 miles and (sic) hour. We call that 'smokin' the drag' round here."
According to Polk, the catch sets a new land-based fishing record, which was previously held by his cousin Earnie for a 674-pound shark caught back in 2009.
Joey Polk with his catch.
While Polk normally tags and releases his catches, this shark was unable to swim away after the hour-long fight:
This is one of only a few sharks Polk and his cousins have not just tagged and released. This one was cooked with a Polk family secret recipe and served for the community, feeding around 200-250 local people.
"We release about 98% of what we catch...we only bring in the ones too injured to swim away," said Polk, who concedes that not everyone agrees with fishing the animals just for sport.
Ice Fisherman's World-Record 52-Pound Trout Confiscated After Law Violation
Mar 3, 2014
In this photo provided by Rob Scott and taken on Feb. 8, 2014, Rob Scott, of Crane Lake, Minn., poses with a 52-pound 3-ounce lake trout he caught while ice fishing on Lac la Croix on the Minnesota-Ontario border near Crane Lake, Minn. The fish was caught about 100 feet on the Canadian side of the lake. If caught in Minnesota, it easily would have been a state record. (AP Photo/Rob Scott)
A Minnesota ice fisherman's possible world-record catch has reportedly been taken away after he was found to have violated the law.
Ice fisherman Rob Scott caught a 52-pound, three-ounce lake trout on the Ontario side of Lac la Croix on Feb. 8. He battled with the fish for an hour before hauling it in.
That catch would have shattered the world record by more than 20 pounds.
Unfortunately for Scott, a four-pound trout that he caught earlier in the day meant that he violated the law by keeping a second fish, according to the Star Tribune's Dennis Anderson.
Anglers in Ontario are limited by law to only one trout per day. When the 65-year-old caught the massive trout, he already had one fish in his possession. He decided to give his first catch to another fisherman and keep his possible world-record trout.
That wasn't enough for him to be allowed to keep his catch. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources seized the fish and will give it to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
Scott spoke about the incident:
I called the Ontario officers Tuesday morning and told them I owed them an apology. It wasn’t illegal for me to keep fishing after I caught the first trout. But when I caught the bigger fish, with the adrenaline and everything I had going, and the fact that it wasn’t going to survive if I released it, I figured if I gave the smaller fish away, that would be OK.
He tried to justify his actions, but it didn't help.
It's also important to note that he was about 100 feet from the Minnesota side, where the lake trout limit is two per day.
Had Scott not kept a four-pound catch or been at a different part of the lake, he would have a world record. However, catches that violate the law don't count as world records.
The fisherman exerted a lot of time and energy to catch the 52-pounder, but now his accomplishment won't get the recognition that it deserves.
Bassmaster Classic 2014: Final Day-by-Day Results and Leaderboard
Feb 24, 2014
Randy Howell, Springville, Ala., holds up two bass at a weigh-in, Sunday Feb. 23, 2014 in Birmingham, Ala. that helped him win the Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville. (AP Photo/Hal Yeager)
The 2014 Bassmaster Classic saw history made as a new champion walked away with a haul in prize money and a memorable comeback. Alabama's Randy Howell made an inspiring run on the final day to claim top honors, and the stars aligned to deliver his mammoth victory.
Todd Masson of The Times-Picayune described Howell's third and final day of the Classic:
He stopped at the Big Spring Creek bridge across U.S. 431 right in the midst of Guntersville, and there proceeded to haul in one lunker bass after another, often on consecutive casts, while a crowd that quickly assembled on the bridge right above his boat cheered him on. Howell put over 22 pounds in the live well in that insane flurry, later culling up to his total bag of 29.2. He released what he estimated at close to 30 pounds more.
Not only did Howell win a $300,000 purse, but he also made some history, according to Frank Sargeant of The Huntsville Times: "B.A.S.S. statistician Ken Duke said Howell's charge from 11th place to first was the greatest comeback in Classic history."
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Total
Place
Name
Weight (fish)
Weight (fish)
Weight (fish)
Weight (fish)
Prize Money
1
Randy Howell
20.3 (5)
18.3 (5)
29.2 (5)
67.8 (15)
$300,000
2
Paul Mueller
9.10 (3)
32.3 (5)
24.11 (5)
66.8 (13)
$45,000
3
Edwin Evers
26.13 (5)
20.9 (5)
18.5 (5)
65.11 (15)
$40,000
4
Ott DeFoe
20.10 (5)
22.11 (5)
20.1 (5)
63.6 (15)
$30,000
5
Randall Tharp
27.8 (5)
19.13 (5)
15.7 (5)
62.12 (15)
$25,000
6
Jordan Lee
13.7 (4)
24.0 (5)
24.10 (5)
62.1 (14)
$22,000
7
Todd Faircloth
16.6 (5)
21.3 (5)
23.8 (5)
61.1 (15)
$21,500
8
David Kilgore
18.15 (5)
16.11 (5)
24.13 (5)
60.7 (15)
$21,000
9
Doug Thompson
12.7 (4)
22.7 (5)
25.5 (5)
60.3 (14)
$20,500
10
Adam Wagner
14.14 (5)
24.3 (5)
20.2 (5)
59.3 (15)
$20,000
According to Brent Frazee of The Kansas City Star, Howell readily admitted he had a banner performance on the water at just the right time. "That was the best day of bass fishing I’ve ever had," Howell said.
Howell was also willing to accept that he had a special blessing working in his favor, per Frazee: "I was going down the lake and I heard this voice tell me, 'You can have a good day or you can have a great day.' I know this might sound weird, but I’m convinced that was God talking to me. I just got this urge to change my plans on where I was heading, and turn around and go fish this other creek."
Whether God intervened in the results is open to interpretation, but if certain athletes believe there is spiritual influence on home runs, touchdowns and three-points shots, certainly bass fishing is within the divine purview.
However, as Frazee pointed out, there were also empirical reasons for Howell to stop at the location he did: "It wasn’t like his change of plans was blind luck, though. Howell had caught bass in Spring Creek at end of the second day and could tell by looking at his electronics that there were plenty of bass there."
Nevertheless, Howell made history with his haul on Day 3 by bringing in the heaviest bag of fish he has ever captured. It was also his first title at the Bassmaster Classic in his 21-year career.
Paul Mueller overcame a brutal showing on Day 1 with a massive Day 2 haul that weighed over 32 pounds. Despite bringing in just 13 fish, fewer than any other competitor who finished in the top 17, Mueller finished in second place and only one pound behind Howell.
As noted by Masson, Howell primarily used a "crawfish red Rapala DT6 and a prototype Livingston Lures medium-running crankbait, also in crawfish red." Surely, that is now his lucky lure and crawfish red is his new favorite color.
The next tournament on the slate is the Bassmaster Elite Series at Lake Seminole in Georgia from March 13-16, and the series continues the next week on St. Johns River in Palatka, Fla.
Howell will hope to lure another strong finish. With the way he fished at the Classic, he won't even need the luck of the Irish in those competitions sandwiched around St. Patrick's Day.
Bassmaster Classic 2014: Weigh-in Results and Leaderboard
Feb 21, 2014
Derek Remitz, of Grant Ala., currently in second place, competes in the final round of the Bassmaster Classic in Lake Cataouatche in Jefferson Parish, La., Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
The biggest bass fishing event in the world began Friday, Feb. 21 from Lake Guntersville, Okla. More than 50 of the world's best bass fishermen are ready to vie for the ultimate prize. Here is the latest update on the contest that runs from Feb. 21-23.
Updated by Brian Mazique at 7:30 p.m. EST on Feb. 23
Day 3 Results
After all the fish were weighed, Randy Howell walked away as the 2014 Bassmaster champion. His total three-day haul was 67 pounds and eight ounces. Howell did it with consistency and a huge day on Sunday. The Springfield, Ala. native came through in front of a good number of adoring fans.
He talked about that inspiration with Todd Masson of The Times-Picayune:
"This is so awesome because you never get a crowd who gets to see you fishing, but I've got 70 to 100 people on this bridge watching me fish. It's a magical morning."
Bassmaster captures Howell's triumphant moment with this tweet and vine.
He caught five fish on each day, but on Sunday the total weight of his catches was 29 pounds and two ounces. That was enough to hold off Day 2's biggest star Paul Mueller. Howell jumped up from 11th place to get the close win.
How close was it?
Howell edged Mueller by just one pound. Here's a look at the final leaderboard.
Howell's 29-plus pound haul was the biggest of the day. Champions save their best for last, and that's exactly what Howell did on Sunday.
Biggest Fish of the Day
As a consolation prize of sorts went to Ott DeFoe. He snagged the biggest fish of the day. The catch was eight pounds and four ounces. The fish helped vault DeFoe to fourth in the final standings.
---End of Update---
Updated by Brian Mazique at 7:30 p.m. EST on Feb. 22
Day 2 Results
Edwin Evers Day 2 leader
Randall Tharp had a solid day fishing on Saturday, but he couldn't hold on to his lead from Day 1. Edwin Evers inched passed him with a total two-day weight of 47 pounds six ounces. It was just one ounce more than Tharp's two-day haul.
With two days still remaining, this one could be nip and tuck until the last fish is weighed. Here's a look at the top 10 leaderboard after Saturday.
After catching only three fish on Friday for a total weight of nine pounds, 10 ounces, Mueller exploded with five fish for a whopping 32 pounds and three ounces.
Man Versus Fish captured a glimpse of Mueller's big prizes in this tweet.
Mueller's big day sent him skyrocketing up the leaderboard. Heading into Sunday, Mueller is now fifth, despite having caught two less fish than the rest of the men in the top 10.
It ain't the amount of fish, it's the fatness of the haul.
Biggest Fish of the Day - Jordan Lee
The Alabama native is only fourth on the leaderboard, but no one caught a bigger fish than the eight pound, eight ounce monster Lee reeled in.
This is Lee's first Bassmaster Classic. If nothing else, he's made a name for himself by catching the day's biggest fish. As Mueller showed with his dramatic climb up the leaderboard, all it takes is one big day to make a move.
Lee is still in range to do some damage at 14th with a day of fishing remaining.
---End of Update---
Day 1 Update
Randall Tharp sits in uncharted territory, as he is the leader after Day 1 of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic. He caught five fish for a total of 27 pounds and eight ounces on Friday, putting him slightly ahead of Edwin Evers, per Bassmaster:
As the event started, the weather at Lake Guntersville looked to be optimal, which likely led to some of the impressive showings by many of the anglers:
Although Tharp came into Birmingham, Ala., on a good run, he had an unimpressive record at the event, so his Day 1 showing was a bit of a surprise in that respect.
This is only his second appearance at the Bassmaster Classic. His first one ended rather unceremoniously, as he finished 35th after amassing a total weight of 18 pounds, eight ounces. In just one day, Tharp was nearly 10 pounds better.
He's been on a great run recently, though, and in an interview after the first day, he said that Lake Guntersville is the place where he fell in love with tournament bass fishing.
Sometimes the stars align for an angler, and that seemed to happen for Tharp on Friday.
But the event is far from over.
Right behind Tharp sits Evers, who reeled in another five fish weighing in at 26 pounds, 13 ounces. For the third time in four years, Evers came up just short in the Angler of the Year race, and that has likely provided him with a lot of motivation heading into 2014.
With his Day 1 haul, he set himself up well for the rest of the weekend, and he'll be looking to parlay any success in Alabama to the entire year as a whole.
A little further down the leaderboard is Fred Roumbanis, who's the Carhartt Big Bass leader after bringing in a huge nine-pound-plus bass:
That fish helped to boost his total to 23 pounds, two ounces, which is good enough for fourth.
The problem, though, with relying on a huge bass to pad your final numbers is that you can't always count on reeling one in. Roumbanis will have to find a little more consistency if he's to remain within striking distance of the leader.
It remains to be seen whether Tharp can hold onto his lead. One day alone doesn't win the Classic. He'll have to remain focused the rest of the weekend and collect some impressive hauls. Evers, Roumbanis and David Walker are right there nipping at his heels.
With his performance on Friday, though, Tharp put himself in the driver's seat.
