Best Shark Fishing Picture EVER!
Imagine for a second your standing up to your nipples in the surf with a fishing rod above your head. Attached to the fishing line you have a big fat hunk of fish dripping blood into the water. As you make your cast you're just praying that you make it back to the sand before something severs you in half.
Now imagine battling for over an hour to get this man eater in water shallow enough to grab him by the tail. It's not easy work and it's not for the faint of heart. Sharks are powerful and can turn in an instant. They are flexible enough to bite their own tail, therefore getting a rope on his tail requires a chicken bag sized proportionally to the shark you've managed to hook. Here's what you might see if you pull a pissed off Mako Shark onto the sand.
Sharks pulled onto the beach are only there long enough to snap a picture and retrieve the hook. This mako shark was around 9' and was caught by Oz who is the webmaster of Extreme Coast.
If you're planning a beach vacation this year why not try to hook one of these monsters? I've provided a Shark Fishing Guide to get you going in the right direction.
Now … that’s a real fisherman.
I’m sorry, but that’s not a fisherman, nor a show of verile manliness. Pulling these beautiful creatures out of the water & putting them through all that unnecessary trauma just for your own enjoyment is cruel. Why don’t you go around picking fights in bars if that’s the kind of thing you like doing? Find a sport that doesn’t harass the wildlife. I’m pretty sure the shark doesn’t see the ordeal as a rewarding experience.
Go hug a tree, and stop whining. Fishing, as well as hunting is a thing of nature. Sharks hunt and prey on smaller fish, as do we. We just happen to be the mroe dominant hunters.
Yeah, but Sharks don’t hunt for pleasure or to boast to their mates. Don’t tell someone to hug a tree when you are just being an egotistical wanker in first place. If you want to hunt them I suggest you jump in the water with one and make the fight fair. I’m sure your mouth could handle something a little larger seing as though a lot of shit come out of it John Doe
Hey,
Let me know where you’re catching one, I’ll filet it and we can have a great barbeque.
I would hardly call you in the water with a shark, especially a mako fair. I don’t think we should kill them though unless it was a matter of human life or death.
wow stupid why would you want to eat shark one its cruel two it tastes like shit shit the only reason why people eat it is cause its a delicasey but now its being turned into a cheap meal
im sure yee land lover has no idea but the shark loved it its like playing tag and usualy he wins but learned sometimes u lose.
lmao i agree!
like dude dont be stupid and go kill sharks all day sharks kill mabye 14 or sumthin around there of people a year humans kill 400,000 sharks a year!s yea plus u never know what a sharks gonna do!!!
(go kill fish , not sharks!!)
a shark is a fish you stupid cunt. whats the difference between cating a shark and fish. sharks taste better than fish if you ask me. i guess now your going to say fishing is horrible. so fuck off you stupid tree hugger.
I Agree w/ Jared about sharks being a lot more tastier than fish, but Jared, you seem to be the type that can’t play who’s cock is longer so you play who can piss the farthest. I am from the middle of the Pacific and here, WE “traditional fishermen” actually jump in the water without armored suits and race to the bring our fish in shark infested waters and when we spear a fish we have to race to the top before the sharks gets it. see we understand the nature of survival, it’s like a race, if you want to win, you must go fast. not kill all the competitors so you can win. After all, the have been around way longer than we humans have and the fact is, it’s their territory and we are the invaders. So, shark fishing isn’t fishing unless you were sitting in the water. And dont try and talk about sharks hunting people because they don’t, I know, I have 3 relatives that were bit by sharks, in culture the sea taketh, but always less than it gives.
Get real, its not for the sharks enjoyment its for the fishermans. I bet you go out and hug trees on the weekend too.
Also, most of the time the sharks are released back into the water to fight another day.
just don’t fish for sharks
he is a fisherman, u have no idea how hard it is to catch one of those, besides if you didnt know recreational fisherman are the people who care the most about our wild life, they release about 80% and the rest are either eaten, studied by scientists or die because of exhaustion (mostly hammer heads)….you have to worry about commertial fisherman or people who fin them illegally
souns like fun.. i looove sharkmeat…cant wait ta try texas ones…been catching cali ones offa tha pier fer years…thresher tastes best
Go hug a tree or eat a salad.
I bet you have absolutely no qualms about the killing of an unborn baby… well that’s your right… this is his.
I agree with you. If someone finds it necesary to do a catch and release operation it should be done as humanly as possible. This shark most likely was extremely stressed out by the ordeal, and stress leads to a higher likelihood of disease and death. Toying with it for an extended period of time is no better than animal cruelty.
you’re a jackass it’s a man eat man world. Or in this case man eat shark world so deal with it.If you don’t like this sort of thing don’t look at it or read about it. Just stay in your house and live the life of a hermit!
steve
This photo is awesome.
You sound like a good ole’ down home liberal Cuious george in the white house fan. Go fuck off and die…twice!
hey! so youve never fished? and im sure if there was a bunch of humans in the water and any of us bled the sharks would eat us
and sharks are big versions of fish! but whales are mammals and they should not be hunted or caught. sharks are ok cuz they suck balls and eat peoples
Lady,I didnt climb to the top of the food chain to eat salad!
Hey Tara quit making me look like a pussy for having tits. Fuck sharks they don’t exactly come back to pay for that brind new hole in your fucking legs they gave you. Cunt.
its not cruel lady. amigine it coming and biting your leg off then will you think its cruel. im a fisherman i do it all the time!!
Well said, Tara. I’m no vegetarian, so I’ve directly and indirectly killed plenty of creatures in my day. But I draw the line at predators - they don’t reproduce in numbers nearly great enough to support any kind of fishery/taking. Sharks most definitely fit that bill. And due to the violent nature of bringing them alongside, they aren’t really great candidates for catch-and-release.
What catching them DOES do, however, is through the marine ecosystem out of balance, and provide a boost for wankers whose ego and machismo are sorely lacking.
D-bags, take up a real sport. Oh, I forgot, you lack the courage or coordination to surf.
I bet you go to PETA conventions…loser
why are you on a site like this if you don’t like it. I don’t go to your wild life websites saying what your doing is wrong, to each his own.
or we could just started eating all the ones we catch there problem solved
What a useless thing killing this shark.
But what can you expect from ignorant people thinking that the sharks are killers.
They’re wrong: humans are the killers.
They didn’t kill the shark, it’s called catch and release. This is just on a larger scale. Didn’t you read before you commented?
“Sharks pulled onto the beach are only there long enough to snap a picture and retrieve the hook.”
your a freakin moron damn hippie its the cricle of life sharks taste good and are fun to catch i live in galveston island texas right up the coast from oz
sharks are so brutal!
The young man in that photo tags these sharks to help in their conservation .The reason for pulling them into shallow water is to remove hooks take measurments for study….Your should reserch and know whole story before shooting your mouth off about something you know lilte about.
Wow! big guy with the big shark, have to take my hat of to you your a real hero with an out of control ego, shame it wasn’t flexible enough to bite your head of, shame evolution didn’t give it legs so he could knock on your door and drag you out into his domain and tell his mates how he bagged this dangerous two legged pig from his home. Sad!
Wow! big guy with the big shark, have to take my hat of to you your a real hero with an out of control ego, shame it wasn’t flexible enough to bite your head of, shame evolution didn’t give it legs so he could knock on your door and drag you out into his domain and tell his mates how he bagged this dangerous two legged piggy boy from his home. Sad!
Wow! big guy with the big shark, have to take my hat of to you your a real hero with an out of control ego, shame it wasn’t flexible enough to bite your head of, shame evolution didn’t give it legs so he could knock on your door and drag you out into his domain and tell his mates how he bagged this dangerous two legged pigy from his home. Sad!
kill it
Heck if it was me behind that shark I wouldn’t be smiling
Great picture.
Wow! You have some great articles on here. That is one crazy picture.
Isn’t it rare for Makos to get that close to shore?
Makos are pretty rare themselves so it is really really rare to actually catch on. They are mostly caught in colder waters in the north Atlantic. To answer your question, Yes it is pretty rare that Makos come in this close. Remember though the bait to catch this shark was probably kayaked out 300-400 yards.
Mako’s live in warm water idiot. I had to do research on it plus I know a guy who goes fishing and he’s caught one before and where I live the water is warm. He says they are good eating and put up one heck of a fight.
Of course I don’t like shark hunting unless they are releashed.
he said colder not cold , makos are live on all american coasts but are most common from new england to new york
And it make a difference. And I meant to put they perfer to live in warmer waters. Only a few hand around the waters that are cold.
Very nicely done Oz. I would not mind battling one of those
Don’t like the idea of fishing sharks (or whales), but good thing you released it. The shark on the picture is a real beauty.
A shark is a fish, an eating machine with nothing but predatory instincts guiding it. It’s brain is the size of a couple of walnuts. On the other hand whales are mammals, exceedingly intelligent, and in many ways, the ways that count, more intelligent than humans.
Kill as many sharks as you feel you need to or would like to. Leave the whales alone.
thats not true at all sharks are an amzing species that are endanger whales do nothing without sharks the ecosystem woukd be very screwed up
sharks arent stupid in fact makos are some of the smartest fish in the world
So because sharks are fish they deserve to die, and whales don’t because they are mammals? That seems unfair. True whales shouldn’t be killed,either should sharks. Sharks aren’t that stupid. They have been alive before the dinos ruled the land. If they were stupid like dodo birds they would be all dead. Next time you tell someone to kill a shark and not a whale, because whales are mammals ‘which means they are smarter’ think again. And by the way tell me, how do you know whales are more intelligent and that sharks are small brained idiotic fish? Oh wait you don’t! Go protest against gum. Some is made of whale blubber. Sharks and whales are both endangered, so don’t tell people how killing sharks is okay!
Have a nice day trying to kill the planet.
No comma.
I’m sorry, but a mako that size…..if they’re edible….I’m gonna have to haul him up on shore and bbq his @$$. Forget catch and release
heck ya
How the hell does he get the hook out of it’s mouth?!
Very carefully. Very quickly. A couple of pictures (of which this is one of the best EVER!), and back into the water the shark goes.
And, for the one that said they would not be smiling if they had this shark by the tail - YES, you would. If you had been fishing and documenting sharks for as long as Oz has, and this was a VERY RARE experience, you would be nothing but smiles - especially after a sucessful release and watching this beauty swim off safely.
I love this picture!
dam only if i got one of those i’d be making my own web page to. what you use for bait?
It’s good to see advocates of catch and release. I commend you. Unfortunately it’s disconcerting to see people who think it’s just fine to catch as many sharks as possible because they are just some “eating machine” (ie franck). People out there need to realize that sharks provide incredible importance in maintaining the health of marine ecosystems, and that over-fishing of sharks is a serious problem. Sharks are RAPIDLY becoming endangered. I challenge you to get more information. Here is one site: http://www.oceana.org/sharks/home/
Yeah yeah yeah, tell me some. This is just fake. The shadow on the inner side of the lower jaw of the shark is not consistent with the global lightning of the scene. Should be darker.
Yeah yeah catch a mako by the tail.
The upper silhouette of the guy is bordered with a “photoshop” antialiased white strip that is clearly visible on the left part of the guys body and also runs on the eight part of the tail.
In my book this is fake
Yeah yeah catch a mako by the tail.
Wow seriously?
He tail roped it after reeling it in on a rod/reel. 
i cant agree with ur statement dude, but i dont think the photo is fake… you better take a closer look… the sun’s angle beams indirectly in its mouth or the jaw but it definitely lightens up the whole thing…
well, that’s just the way i see it…
i envy this man!!! how i wish i can wrestle some of ‘em…
rock on dude!!!!
I assure you it’s not fake. If you want to critique this image why not use the original? Most of the artifacts you point out are caused by the reduction of the image size.
Hey Nathan,
I disagree. These artifacts have nothing to do with image scaling.
For me this is a fake.
Believe me I know about digital/vector images. It’s my job.
No hard feelings but: Its a fake.
But I aint stuborn:
Where is the original image to be found?
Well, maybe you should quit your day job. He has multiple other pics of this same shark, and power pro had this picture in their catalog. I’m sure this pic is in many magazines/newpapers as well. You sir are beyong ignorant.
THIS IS A PHOTOSHOP WORK…WELL DONE ANYWAY
Well, Idon’t think so.
It’s a great picture none the less. IF it is real, wow! what a catch!
Hey, to all who believe this is a fake. Go to http://www.extremecoast.com. Send an e-mail to the owner: Eric Ozolins (Oz). I’m sure he will be happy to answer any questions you may have about his once in a lifetime catch. It pisses me off how quick people are to dis-credit others.
-Dan
believe me guys….!!! fake or not, those critics envy this man.. i envy him but i really really idolize him… he’s one of a heck!!!!
maybe someday i can wrestle one of ‘em someday…
The picture is quite real as others have stated. I believe the mako was around 10 ft long or just shy, anyhow caught on north padre island in Corpus Christi. The owner of Extremecoast.com (Oz pictured in the photograph) is quite the extreme angler and has pictures of himself and many others with some once if a life time catches on their website.
My name is Scott Nelson. I tailroped the fish and took the picture with a disposable camera. The fish was expertly caught by my buddy Eric Ozolins from the Padre Island National Seashore. The picture is not a fake and has not been photoshopped!
is that UPF?
One more thing. It’s really a joke to see people who have never done anything consequential in their lives cry “It’s fake” like little girls. I was there. It happened.
I know enough about Oz to know this is real. Great pic and great write-up!!
I’m glad some guys closer to this encounter have weighed in. My attempts were futile, but I think with the influx of guys from extremecoast checking in, adds a lot of validity to this awe inspiring pic
I emailed the photo to my Uncle not even questioning it. He is a graphics designer for Nasa and proved the pic real 100% and legit.
Eric great job as always and don’t listin to these guys telling you otherwise. This catch is sweet…………………………………………
Where is the original image?
Because this one is clearly P-H-O-T-O-S-H-O-P-P-E-D
Come on! such a great picture!
Where is the original: Ya know, I mean: Hi-rez.
or broadcast at least, if the catch was long time ago.
..Not on any web site.
..Not on google.
Come on! dont hide it! Let it show!
I wonder where it is..
>>One more thing. It’s really a joke to see people who have never done anything >>consequential in their lives cry “It’s fake” like little girls. I was there. It happened.
GOT A PROBLEM WITH SHARK AND LITTLE GIRLS?…
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
OK lets get serious. I understand you guys are shark maniacs.
Dont mean to brake ur dreams.
Take it eazy.
Fred, Just check out OZ’s web site. I’ve have known this fine young man since he was a teenager. He certainly does not need your acknowledgement to accuracy of this event - we all know to be true. Oz has caught more signficant fish in his short life than you will ever know. See all of Oz’s and his many friends fishing exploits at this link!
extremecoast.com/reports.htm
Hey FlakMAn,
I have nothing against OZ, and more generally against no one.
I already checked his website weeks ago: There are no picture approaching this one.
This image is just nowhere on earth. Also why would Scott Nelson take
only ONE picture?
The thing is I’m a computer geek and I know
my job. I worked for Boeing crisis center, Nasa, (there is some of MY imaging code running int the ISS), the US Navy (NSWC, Carderock division), the coast gards, the US corp of engineers and more other people than you will know.
So what I know:I know. I’m not saying this never was. I’m raising doubts on THIS image. The image not the guy. Another fact troubles me: when you read what others reknown anglers say about mako fishing…
OK?
But you know what….Let’s say I’m wrong.
I’m dead wrong.
The fact is that I dont really care.
And peace on earth.
Scott Nelson took several pictures of this fish and OZ with a little disposable camera. I have seen the originals in Scott’s home.
The pic is for real! You nee dto push away from your desk and go fishing!
Fred for your viewing!
extremecoast.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10522
Fred , Also check out this Penn Reel ad that ran in most major Saltwater Fishing Magazines. Penn reels vetted this same picture and used if in this ad!
pennreels.com/04_all_other/advertising/lg/145.htm
Hey FlakMan,
>>pennreels.com/04_all_other/advertising/lg/145.htm
Nothing there.
But you know, its not like if I had some kind of doubt..
0) If this picture was used in ads there must be a Hirez version somewhere.
1) Why are the others photos kept hidden?
2) Where is the original image
3) Why is this “once if a life time catch” picture not displayed on “extremecoast.com”
(They don’t like the photo?).
4) Why are my technical comments selectively pasted on extremecoast.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10522
5) Why is “Advertizing” the most frequent used word by you guys.
6) and for crying out loud: just zoom on the picture!
This story is fishy:
YOU WANT TO PROVE ME RIGHT: LETS SEE THIS IMAGE NICELY DISPLAYED
ON EXTREMECOAST.COM HOME PAGE. (Oz is the webmaster right?)SO ALL OTHER EXPERTS IN THE WORLD CAN SEE IT. IT DESERVES IT! NO? OF COURSE IT DOES!
but like I said
I’ll go for the reasonnable doubt thing:
I’m wrong.
You guys take care
And I’m out of here.
Final post Fred - take your pastey white face to look over to this
http://www.sharks.us/Fish_Stories/p2_articleid/15
and go fishing on the Padre Island National Shoreline. bring a 12/0 reel with a 1000 yards of 200# powerPro with 100 feet of 130# Sufix top shot with 15-ft of braided stainless leader with a 10# jack cravelle
tried the link out.. BAD! just another bunch of fat, insecure human males harrasing fish for no good reason… (”tagging” you say? for scientists’ research, huh? Nice fu*ing excuse - like animals that survived 400 milion years need tagging to prevail. The only threat to them is humans. Like it or not you’re one of them. If you really cared for them, you’d care more about banning commercial fishing etc. instead of making catching sharks a “Sport”, where you compete with other assholes about who catches a “bigger” one or who makes a “better” picture. Again it’s about Size and trying to impess other males.
And don’t even get me started on the food chain - if you’re from America - the Fat country: where people eat more than they can and should, how can you justify killing more animals than you already. I know it’s fun, I’ve one the same before - when i was a Kid
Now you talk.
OK YOU ARE RIGHT. I dont know what happend to the picture above
but I believe this story really took place.
Thereis nothing to say about the last, bottom picture displayed by the link.
It is clearly a mako with your pal in the same context and the image is definitely
free of any fixture.
Shoud have shown it in the first place.
I’ll sue you for wasting my time.
Nice snapshot Mr Scott Nelson.
OK?
Now if you’ll excuse me I need to tell my shark friends that dangerous human
are wandering along Padre Island National Shoreline.
Wow! I’m glad we finally got that taken care of. I tried to explain that the image changes (resize / sharpening / saturation) caused the image to show the artifacts you raised questions on, but I had the same problem you did in finding an original image to backup the story. The difference is I never question the authenticity of the story
Hey Nathan,
You’re absolutely right. The good thing is that I doubt that someone will questionned
the story now.
Hey, you’re right: I’ve been doing your job. Give me an address where I can post my invoice.
You take care my friend.
OZ is a hulking 7 foot chunk of muscle, who fathered the whole town of Marlin southeast of Waco, Texas. He taught me how to love a woman and scold a child. His excrement is used as currency in Brazil, and he uses a telephone pole as his long rod. To OZ, the King of the Beach and a son of a biscuit! (hiccup)
PS: feed Oz too many brad muffins and the price for food in Brazil goes up!
Praise Ozllah! Praise Ozllah! Praise ozllah!
YOU ARE THE MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks UPF,
I appreciate but let me tell you:
I am not like you guy’s: I prefer woman and I dont give a dime about Ozllah long rod.
well spoken, Bubba… (*a very sad emoticon here)
Looks like a good catch, however I am more into hunting only what you intend to eat. Catch and release is good for those who fish for sport, I fish for dinner. However it is a little different with me and my buddies. we are out there in open with water with spear guns instead of a reel. We go for sharks (blues, makos, and topes) jacks, tuna, mackerel, halibut, rockfish, lingcod, and flounder. (yes it is legal) We only go for our limit though and leave the rest alone.
now That is a healthy and respectful approach. Kill, eat, be eaten, whichever you opt for or whichever Happens, you’re part of a wonderful world. Catching and seriously harrasing an animal and calling it “sport” is an idea so full of stupid smelly human sh*t.. i just don’t have the fingers to express the disgrace justly. Take a look at those shots here http://www.sharks.us/Fish_Stories/p2_articleid/15 , and tell me if it doesn’t look pathetic. Some asshole, smarts out a fish out of the the water using bait… on a hook. Brilliant, isn’t it. He pulls the poor bustard out of its element just so he can compare and confirm that his dick is bigger than the bait he used. Sad F*n story, waste of time really…
i remember the first shark i ever caught i was 7 years old . we were fishing at surfside and icaught a 1 1/2 ft blacktip shark
need more taggers, sharks need to be studied! shark meat is great! but released sharks need to be tagged! for info on tags contact noaa in naragansett r. i.
I think we should tag you too! With a Shark repelling device. Planted deep, deep up your colon so that it stays there forever (and you can never get near a shark again - not in its element at least) You want to help sharks? Start tagging irresponsible assholes. I’ll not only clap, i’ll help any way I can.
k who the hell said the guy is going to kill the fish. u smelly hippies just shut up and u rednecks shut up, ITS JUST A PICTURE!!!!!!!
What is a “smelly hippie”.
I think that is a great photo, however when it has your kid it it’s mouth feel free to shout it’s ok it’s only natural. I was walking down the road and was feeling peckish however deciding not to eat my neighbours cat showed the difference between me and the shark population. Sharks are predatory…fine i can understand that but they will literally eat anything that looks like food. Are there not enough fish in the sea? or is it easier to get people who are not as agile in the water as other marine animals? seems to me like they’re happy to feast on the weak. so If you get it on land where were the dominant ones fair game I say.
So you think all sharks are bad now do you.
Take the whale shark it is harmfull to no one. People think it eats whales. no 
it acts like a whale it eats sardines shrimp and krill. Don’t judge untill you know the facts. Share
k do not know better it is there way of surviving. They are not smart creatures they have no clue how they are harming us if they take our toddler of the beach. They only think of it as surviving till sunday. They need us to survive. They need meat like we need water. I do not incorage shark attacks. It is just they can’t survive with out meat. If robbing a bank was the only way to save your child from starving you would do it. If you had to either kill your captors or be killed you would do it. If you either die or let your baby die you would do it. Well they have to do it. And if you were a shark even if you knew what harm it was doing……………….you w3ould do it. Don’t be afraid to reply back richard. I would always enjoy haqving a discusion/debate with some one as long as it was a happy healthy argument. Please if you do reply be mature. I can and i am only 11 years old
Funny stuff, about the cat and all… But altogether your way of thinking I don’t like. You imply that we should harass, rape, kill, f*ck, loot all the sharks out of the oceans, (and burn their villages) just so your clumsy, cross-eyed kids can have a “safe” dip in the water? (hmm.. you must be american…) Your analytic approach about dietary preferences of sharks and humans and the brilliant conclusions regarding the correlation of those preferences with the specimens intelligence were brilliant! You proved you are not stupid - you’re extremely stupid. But I can see that, unlike many here, you still are using your brain - Problem is that it’s like a monkey using a computer.
All the best nonetheless.
Sharks dont prey on the weak. They prey on the yummy. You seen Rodney Fox? He survived because the shark that bit him was after the fish on his belt. Not Him. Surfers that get bitten? You ever seen a surfer from beneath? They look like seals to me and they are yummy. So get off your frikin high horse you moron. You taste like shit.
Until you’ve had a shark steak you haven’t lived. I go 3x a year and eat all i catch and give some away. There needs to be some balance in nature considering, not too many fish can take out a shark…
shark steak is great and when that runs out i’ll just go back to tuna.
nice picture it’s a really realistic looking shark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is most likley because it is a real shark. Not trying to embaress you
but next time read the artical better.
Shark pic chick
hey where abouts do you go to catch a shark
and what kinds are the easiest 
. and here is an idea 
if you try to take a shark pick make it look more realistic by taking it from a diferent angle 
sorry 
i am just realy into photography im not that mean 
anyway i do find this very interesting 
do you have any otherpics of a different kind of shark or a large fish maybe 
you must think i am crazy 
talking so much to somone i don’t know i only loved his picture. I
i agree how are you going to kill sharks just for the enjoyment of doing it they are considered nature and so are we so if you want to kill them kill yourself do us all a favor and keep the sharks where they belong which is in the ocean
How about a Grizzly fighting a shark? A picture like that would be as accurate as this one…. shame!!!
you hippies are dumb, just shut the hell up if you feel so bad for them than why dont you just go take a swim with one, hua make it feel all warm and cozy inside, as for me and any other sportsman out there, we are goin to do what people on this earth have done for centurys and put a hook in there lip.
Get R Done
Up until i saw sharkwater, my views of sharks were that portrayed in the movie Jaws. I was terrified of them. Now i want to go dive with them to overcome my fear and to better understand them. They are beautiful creatures and like most of the ocean wildlife are in decline due to human greed. I have never eaten shark, nor will I. I believe they should be left alone. One place sharks thrive is the Bahamas because it is illegal to catch them and the Bahamian government banned long line fishing years ago. I can’t wait to be up close and intimate with one IN THE WATER. Not on land like this picture. It’s a cool shot but leave them alone. It’s nothing more than being a human bully.
I hug trees and pack n saves as much as i can
nice photo. i hope you killed him slow, i love killing them slow. go fuck yourself tree hugger. ill come hunt you too.
Dear Shaun,
Go for a swim in Sydney Harbour meet the Mako there. I hope he slices your balls off and you bleed to death MF! Or should I say human piece of garbage…..I think rubbish pickup is Friday, so why don’t you put yourself out on the corner with the rest of the trash.
Treehuggers, naturelovers etc. If you don’t understand the concept of catch and release, perhaps learn a little about it before commenting. catch and release of sharks and various other fish species has been the single most significant way of actually taking stock of how badly sharks are being over fished by commercial longliners. By tagging this mako for example valuable information is gathered the next time it is caught or even seen.
South Africa have been able to try and stop overfishing by commercial trawlers etc, purely because the recreational fisherman has been able to provide them with hundreds of “volunteer” “amateur” scientists out there tagging fish and gathering data.
It’s called eco-tourism, and it’s nature’s only hope.
Cheers.
Are you freaken kidding me? Thats like saying, if you were a chicken how would you like it if i came and killed you. I guess you dint know that the vast majority of sharks caught are release or eaten. Some of the released ones are tagged and help manage the species.
damn, how many tree huggers are there. Look, we didnt get to the top of the food chain to eat rabbit food. Kill the sharks eat them. If you dont eat them then release them. Its not a big deal if you catch one and toss it back in the ocean. Whats wrong is gutting it and leaving it to rot. Even if you do this seagulls and crabs would probably eat the shark anyway so stop your whining and get real
If the foto is a montage or not, doesn’t matter. It shows a very wrong understanding of submarine wildlife and an anachronisim in the way of respecting natures wildlife.
Is there anybody really thinking this crap of shark-killings is time-sensitive?
For me, such shark-killers are dirt-pussies and brainless douchebags.
IF guys, like little Oz-Desparado, would really have had guts and sense, he would present life-scuba-fotos of Mako’s in it’s habitat.
But guys like Oz, and in my opinion, are just a coward shark-lifters and as brainless as the rest of so called ‘big game hobby-killers’.
What a shame for modern human beeings, and in a world of harsh shrinking biodiversity!
Damn you!
Wow. Just wow.
Seeing as I’ve taken a course in college that specializes in ecosystems, biodiversity, and health, I think I have a fair understanding of what’s good, what’s bad, and what’s harmless.
Marthin’s absolutely right. Catch and release has actually saved and protected quite a significant number of wildlife (marine and land based) by keeping track of numbers each year. For example, you catch 100 animals of each endangered or approaching endangered species in a set area, you count how many have tags each year, how many do not, and over a set amount of time and make scientific reports stating if the population’s gone down or if it’s risen. Actions can be taken accordingly. Yes, it isn’t the most accurate method because there’s no guarantee it’ll be the same 100 animals, or if you’ll catch enough to fill whatever quota you set (I said 100 and once a year as a basic example), but it’s the best thing that we have that doesn’t harm the animals.
A few minutes of trauma isn’t a huge deal, unlike human beings, sharks and other fish won’t remember the experience for very long in any case. They lack the ability to remember much outside of instinct.
I’m just as concerned about the environment as the next guy, but let’s be reasonable. Human beings eat meat and vegetables. We need nutrition from both to remain healthy, and I’m not going to eat a chemical additive that replicates the protein and other nutrients I need from meat because there’s no guarantee it won’t have long term affects on my health.
What I do think is wrong is unscientifically regulated harvesting of wild animals on the large scale for consumption, like fish trawling. Case in point, look at Cape Cod off of Newfoundland. Used to be so abundant with cod you could literally scoop a net in there, and every time, catch something. Now, it’s been fished to a dangerous level where animals have to compete for the cod and screwing up the natural balance of things.
The point being, it’s not impossible to live in harmony with the world, we just have to make some life style choices and not support things that involve mass harvesting for the sake of having anything left. It’s not like cattle and chickens where they’re bread for that purpose and have no place in the natural ecosystem, even one animal missing can seriously affect several dozen others. For example, say if bees disappeared, flowers wouldn’t be pollinated, thus they can’t reproduce, and animals depending on their nectar die out in the area, the birds can’t eat those bugs, so on so forth.
So, by all means, catch and release is good, fishing and hunting is harmless and in some cases, crucial to the economy, people just need to realize that if you over indulge and wipe out pockets of wildlife because of demand, you won’t have what you enjoyed any longer and likely be in seriously short supply of something else that also depended on it.
So, I think this is an incredible image and kudos to all parties involved!
Oz is one of the best shark fishermen on the Texas Gulf Coast (I am from Corpus Christi same as Oz). I know there are those out there that don’t believe in catching sharks for recreation period but Oz is a fierce protector of the resource and strictly practices catch and release and in the rare occasion that a shark cannot be revived and released it is not wasted. The pictures are real, he is one of the few to catch a mako from Padre Island (they follow schools of migrating cobia that come close to shore at a certain time of year). It was caught on a rod and reel, fought and landed with a tail rope once close to the beach. The pics aren’t fake. And for those out there saying he should confront the shark in it’s own element…he does. You can’t pull a shark that big in much past about 3-4 ft deep and you have to go in after them with the rope. Very dangerous (Oz has needed stitches from landing sharks) and it would be much safer and easier to just kill the shark with no risk but he goes the extra mile to make sure the shark is free to live on and suffers as little impact and harm as possible. So say what you will but if you really want to save the sharks as Oz and I do myself (I also shark fish), go after the foreigners/commercial fishermen who are taking them en mass for a profit. We do this because we enjoy it and we respect the wildlife and admire their majestic beauty. Without it we loose a part of us.
I never fail to understand how myopic and ignorant the average American is. I`m talking about the tree huggers, not the fisherman.
Nice catch.
All you greenies have no idea how much time and effort that guy probably had to go through to catch that beast. For most, a catch like that is once in a life time, also FISH CAN’T FEEL PAIN! No cortex = no pain. I’m against whaling, but that’s because they feel pain. I like to fish though, but if I knew fish felt genuine pain then I wouldn’t do it. I respect the fish I catch, and release most of them. This fish wouldn’t enjoy the ordeal but it’d get over it pretty quickly.
Complain to the commercial fishermen who take far more than recreational fishermen. Also illegal shark finning operations, that stuff shits me.
This guy has done nothing wrong and should be congratulated on not only catching this monster (which is no easy feat!) but also releasing it.
i am what you call a “greenie” and i agree with most of what you said except that sharks do feel pain,however they have no nerves in their mouth so hooks don’t hurt them. i am a fisherman who catches sharks too so i underderstand what a great catch that is. i always practice catch and release because shark populations are declining too rapidly (even though it is because of comercial fishermen). as a texas fisherman i respect oz because he is a good fisherman. as an enviormentalist or a “greenie” i have a greater deal of respect for oz because many shark fishermen now practice catch and release because of him and in that way, oz has probably saved hundreds maybe thousands of sharks. anyways, please don’t hate greenies just because they want to protect defensless animals.
Nice fish and a great picture.
I love to fish for shark. They taste Great!
great picture
oh my god you people are crazy.
1. it is obviously a fake.
2. what is all this macho crappolla of hunting big animals? you are just bullies. get a life!
I actually know the guy in the photo, I went to college with him. That photo is real. I’m a pretty competent photoshop user. If it is fake someone tell me what is fake about it, where are the shadows off, etc. etc.
No, it appears fake, because, the shark’s head is the only thing there is. How can you take out the hook and release it, if you decapitated it ? The guy is standing in the surf, facing a shark head for some reason. obviously the rest of the body isn’t there.
it’s fake, but still funny. the comments are even better. sharks don’t have a sense of self. i’m sure they aren’t thinking about getting back home to their family.
I AM SICKENED BY THAT PICTURE!!!
HOW U COULD KILL AN AMAZING ANIMAL LIKE THAT!!!
I AM DISGUSTED!!
I MEAN EVEN IF IT IS A FAKE THIS IS NO JOKE!!
3 SHARKS DIE EVER SECOND AND UR HELPING THEM TO BECOME EXTINCT!!!
U HAVE JUST MADE URSELF A POWERFUL ENEMY MATE!!
HOW WOULD U LIKE IT IF I CAME AND STUCK A GIANT HOOK THROUGH YOUR FACE AND HAULED U ACROSS THE FLOOR!!!
AND TRUST ME WITH THE WAY IM FEELING NOW I MIGHT JUST DO THAT!!
ID BE ALL TO HAPPY TO HERE YOUR REPLY!!
Hey STUPID, read before you comment. The shark was released ALIVE. The pic IS real. Oz has done more for shark conservation than any of you idiots sitting here insulting him.
My reply is you probably look like a fat Frodo and need a man. Put down your crack pipe and get a life. Get out and get some sun, vitamin D does wonders for your mood and tempermant.
just umm asking…, i dont think that shark in the picture is fake, when u said “even if it is fake” i dont gte what u mean but anyways when i fish i catch and release, well i go fish fishing not shark fishing i really wanna see sharks upclose on a boat, i release though and there’s nothing wrong with that..
OOOO U JUST maDe urSelf A PowErFul EneMee Maeteee
What a retard. Please check your miniscule brain at the door and learn to read. He caught and released it like all good rec. fisherman do. Why are you people bitching? These fisherman do more for the species than any of you do for sure, all you do is sit in your computer chairs and eat canned tuna and bitch about people that actually do research and get out in the environment. And whoever made the comment directly before me…please jump into an active volcano in a tuxedo made of dynamite. Thank you, that is all.
You dumb asses he didn’t kill this shark. He returned to the ocean and safely released it back to the wild. I know this cuz he’s my brother.
All you tree huggers should go down the beach area near the Jetties @ South Padre Island and clean up the beach. But, I’m sure you have something else to do like go to starbucks and get a triple latte soy or something. This picture is 100% REAL.
Hey folks… I am all for the nature thing but… that fish is part of the food chain and so are we… if we can eat it before it eats us… then hey I am groovy with it. Lets face it… I am sure they taste better and we are just smarter than they are… you would never catch me trying to eat something that had a line attached to it… Its the natural progression of things… as long as we don’t kill em all off… and the species is still growing… hunt, kill, eat em… just don’t think I am cooking that ugly stinky thing in my kitchen.
dont sharks live in dark alleys or tall buildings?
anyway..its a cool picture,nice ocean
I love sharks they are so awesome I won’t even care if I swam with sharks they are my favorite animal I love that pic by the way cool!=):)
Where did all those macho-treehuggers-bashers come from? Holy sh*t… Hmm… must be it! God must have had a diarrhea the other day and used the “matter” to form you all. Should have flushed it though…
IMO There shoul be no doubt about which side of the argument here is the only one truly reasonable (f*ing obviously!) and should be very easy to defend too. As mentioned roughly before many times by other people (mostly some self righteous vegetarian tree-huggers :P), Weak, egotistic, humans trying to beat the nature in an uneven, unfair and unnecessary battle, just to prove themselves “powerful” and “mighty” is not, repeat: NOT!, repeat: F*ing NOT!!! a sufficient reason to kill or harass another magnificent creature like, say …that Mako up there, or many other beautiful fish that ended up on those pathetic photos of pathetic a*hole losers with big beer bellies and even bigger dick issues posing next to a dead shark. WTF does that prove? Think: If there was another “kind,” greater than ourselves, what would think of us based on such images? So keep smiling a**hole(s), and wait patiently: the shark will get their turn :]
Cheers!
PS still, technically.. it is a great photo..
im originally born and raised in texas and now live in hawaii i am dissapointed with my fellow texans on a few of these comments they are ignorant and very displeased with a few comments made on americans and my fellow texans…yes this picture is disapointing to the extent that you should not beach a shark..catch them sure and enjoy the sport with respect to the creaturs by bringin them close to the boat for a measure and a pic but this is a little much OZ i would have been just as easily impressed if you had taken a picture with it next to the boat and it is a great catch but a real southern gentleman does not boast a feat.. as so im am glad you practise catch and release…moving on the anti fishing extreamist this man has helped this environment by tagging these animals do i agree with the tactics shown here no but he has done plenty good so keep that in mind also…. i recently visited south padre for spring break for the first time and coming from a beautful place like the hawaiian island i must say i was very displeased with how my fellow texans were treatin our home land I WAS EMBARRESSED and a hawaiian born and raised friend who joined me litteraly was in tears about how we treated the land i cannot say i was proud to be a texan at that given moment…call me a tree hugger but in all the greatness that texas has to offer we should be ashamed of our behavior…and that should be the real discussion here…i was raised with strong southern morals as was a lot of my fellow texans and we have no right to not only treat the enviroment that way but OUR OWN LAND AND OUR OWN WOMEN…DO ANY OTHER TEXANS AGREE?
no i don’t agree if you were from Texas and was an advent outdoorist you would know that certain laws are to be upheld yes sharks are amazing and beautiful but they plentiful for anglers to catch and their are laws to protect them like in Texas it states in the Texas parks and wildlife regulations sharks:all species, their hybrids and subspecies, daily bag limit 1, 24 inches- no limit. and besides people arnt going to fish them every day because the are other fish out their and if you want to bitch about a shark being beached and cause trauma. watch shark week scientist do the same thing they catch them with a line and hook drag them in the boat and measure and put their data down. so leave the anglers alone especially if you just surf the web looking for something to bitch about. and for all you tree hugging vegetarians so fuck a tree and eat a hamburger. god put them their for a reason and that reason was to be eaten.
AMAZING PICTURE!!!!GREAT WORK GUYS!!!
i am a tree hugger and am appalled (yet again) at the replies that you sons of the soil can manage to hammer out with your big hairy knuckles. it must have taken most of you 20 minutes to even pick them up off the ground.
i suppose if intelligence is the reason behind whether something deserves to live or die, then i want retards and babies on the menu.
and that picture is a fucking fake. although nicely done for a glance over, upon inspection, it doesn’t pass.
in fact, it looks like dude is skiing.
when i was about 13 my grandpa caught one of these on a fishing trip. my dad and i helped him unload it off the boat and into the trunk of our car. we took it home and threw it in the backyard. then we cut it apart, looked at all of his insides. At one point we cut off his gills and my brother held them up to his neck saying “look dad im a fish” he was like 7, it was cute. we were amazed at the things we found in his stomach (a shoe lace, a squid and what was left of a tuna). then we had a fish fry and ATE him…..he was delicious!!! we preserved his jaw including all of his teeth, i still have it today.
did i mention he was delicious? he was pretty smart too, i guess either that or there was just a whole lot of guts in his head. haha my backyard smelled like fish for a while, didn’t bother the dog though.
personally i don’t think i could do that to a dolphin, not because its an intelligent creature more like its not as threatening as a shark. a shark would bite you, a dolphin would try to have sex with you. i don’t know about you but that’s just funny enough to make me not want to kill it.
Generalising, there are two kinds of people in the world - city people and country people. Country people look their food in the eye and slay it fair before cleaning it, sharing it and eating it. City people go down to the supermarket and buy fish fingers. The ones killing the millions of sharks a year are the city people, who indirectly pay the long-lining boats to go out and destroy sharks by the tons. But because they never looked their fishfinger in the eye while it lived, they instead look down on those who take their quarry on personally. Even worse is the commercial waste of sharks for just their fins for sharkfin soup. We could ban commercial fishing and things like intensive farming that also upsets these people but the city folk would have to eat each other instead…
that shark is fake right
Surprised no one has said so before, if thats a MAKO shark, I will show my balls on Mansfield Market. It is a reef shark, a nice one but still a REEF shark. Go take a look at picture of each. The teeth are vastly different, as is the snout, and tail fin.
uh oh tech talker!
I’d love to see the subject matter reversed in that picture… see how much of a ‘man’ that guy is
If you were a real man, you wouldn’t need to attempt to ’show off’ in a way that causes pain and distress to a wild creature.
But as Franklin sid, intelligence has been man’s greatest burden, and his greatest handicap.
Me, I’ll go back to cataloguing star fish, a real job that involves actually helping widlife, not harrassing it
Looks like a mako to me, but what would i know, i only studied aquaculture and marine biology!
A few relevant comments for the mass of negative comments.
Makos are found in oceans all around the world. One was opened up and found to have both a tuna and a dolphin in its stomach. A tuna is one of the fastest fish in the ocean and the dolphin is one of the smartest and most manuverable. The mako is the top of the food chain anywhere it is and has a fearsome reputation among south pacific fishermen in outriggers. Known as very dangerous and super fast it has been documented jumping into boats and turning the tables on humans.
It is this mans right to catch this shark, and even to kill and eat it! Mako is one of the best tasting sharks that there is.
I find it rich that many here comment as if he is in the wrong, while they get a burger from macdonalds and think nothing of it. I say if you kill it you should eat it. And mako is not an endangered shark, it is fair game to those brave enough to try to catch it. Base the pro/con arguements on facts and not emotion
all sharks are endagered idiot, not just certain kinds
Gents,
Reading this post and subsequent replies leads me to believe there are a lot of misinformed folks.
The general misconception that sharks as a whole are “man eating monsters” is false. They are predatory animals but thier purpose in the ecosystem is maintaining balance by weeding out weak and/or dieing marine life. They don’t set out to hunt down humans, they smell blood or see a slow moving animal splashing around in thier waters…it’s about that basic.
Also, though thier life expectancy is longer then most marine animals, they do not reproduce often (stress and habitat loss further less thier natural rate) which limits thier numbers. Irresponsible sport fishing, fining and commercial fishing drastically reduce thier chances of survival.
As for anyone who consumes shark meat or shark derived products, I have to ask you, why? Shark meat is quite possibly one of the most mercury rich flesh out there (not to mention other liposoluble toxins) with levels much higher then that of tuna, swordfish or bluefish. For any other product: by consuming, you contribute to a demand, and so, entrepreneurs cash in on an endangered species.
If we truely are the “dominate specie” then that puts us in a position of responsibility. I believe people should start taking a genuine interest in what they’re consuming, where it came from, how it was aquired, it’s sustainability, and transportation/handling involved. That goes for everything, and I mean EVERYTHING.
With that being said…
*Draws out his fishing rod and waits for the trolls to bite*
Jesse.
shocking how all of you have responded to this photo, There are many cultures that catch and eat shark, there are others that do not harm them and give great repect to them, people fish for them just for the sport and practice catch and release, or simply keep em for dinner, Now the pointless killing of them is completely wrong, I live in the islands in the pacific, our problem is commercial fishing vessels from asia catching them, cutting the fins off and throwing the darn things back in the water , still alive i must say, now that is something to be alarmed about. i am assuming this Mako was released in good condition. just my 2 cents
Jcaster
You are all mistaken. Sharks aren’t fish, they are classified as Chondrichthyes and fish (boned fish) are classified as Osteichthyes. Not all fish. I sport fish shark and I am a part of a shark tagging and study, I also on rare occasions eat one. I have strict limitations of size and breed that I adhere to. I am a proud Texan and enjoy my long an sometimes unfruitful excursions on the beack or in my boat bot none is in the name of ego or self gratification. I fish because I have a passion for the gulf coast and it is a part of my culture. Tree higher or not, I am a meat eating Man and I don’t buy into the idea that lobsters scream when they are boiled or trees cry when they are cut but I do beleive that there are evil people that catch and kill sharks just to leave them rotting on the beach. If you don’t know anything about what the gentleman in the pictue is doing or what he is about or don’t understand it you shouldn’t slander him. Thank you to all of the Texas Gulf coast sportfishing supporters and keep doing your thing.
By they way, I typed this whole comment on my iPhone while sitting on crystal beach at Port Bolivar sharking and praying for the tide to come In so I’d get a bite.
Thank you.
haha, so many tards in here… jeah just continue shark finning… till our ocean is DOWN
many shark fishers take part in catch and release tagging programs to track sharks, even sea world and other ocean research groups still catch sharks with a rod and reel for tagging and tissue samples. Just because a fisherman catches sharks does not mean he takes part in finning which is widely a problem with Asian fishing companies that fin for soups to be sold in Asian and very few specialty stores carry it in the States. Many shark fishermen look down on this practice as well, why don’t you research what your arguing don’t just go off your assumptions.
YES, GREAT ARTICLE! I’M GOING SHARK FISHING - GOT MOST OF THE EQUIPMENT , JUST NEED HEAVY LINE & BAIT. -PEACE-
For all tree huggers, read this and shut up.
http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/topics/s_pain.htm
There are also studies that in particular, makos and blue sharks will recover when fought to exhaustion. They’re probably a little stronger too for their next fight.
The reality is that being caught on a hook and line and released is one of the minor problems a shark will encounter. The major ones? Getting caught in a commercial net or long-line (where they WILL not be released in one piece), or getting stabbed by a dolphin or torn up by another, bigger shark.
It’s not like these things sit around in a circle and sing “Kuumbayya” with a a guitar and a peace-pipe like some of you.
Catch and release is the way to go unless you have a gigantic freezer and a gigantic appetite, but I refuse to hear some bleeding heart liberal say ANYTHING about catch and release shark fishing. You don’t have a fucking clue.
I fish for food.. When I catch a shark that I cannot legally keep because of restrictions to preserve the species (I.e. My 3 ft blacktip I released the other day) I throw it back to mate and get bigger so next time I can keep it..
Love shark fishing!!!! Screw you tree huggers. And yes Bambie taste pretty good too…
wow, that shark looks awesome its a very decent size , and also its very clean (no blood) awesome shark if i had a huge aquarium in my house id choose that mako out of the whole world its very well good looking. awesome catch Oz!!!! , i havnt gone shark fishing yet but i really want to though, <3 the coast !
“and whoever is asking, NO I DON’T WANT TO MARRY THE SHARK.”
Sad to see you make a macho thing out of killing a shark.They are needed in the sea.
The only animal who are ower populated..are sadly humans….