# EPIC Surf Fishing Trip 8' 9" Bull Shark 350+ pounds(3 inches shy of the state record)



## Nathan (May 22, 2004)

*EPIC Surf Fishing Trip 8' 9" Bull Shark 350+ pounds(3 inches shy of the state record)*

My friend Zach had a bachelor party this past weekend and we rented a beach house to do a little shark fishing. There were 8 total guys there. Over the course of Friday night and saturday, we managed to land 5 sharks. The pictures tell the story in the order we caught them. First was a nice 5' 3" bull shark. Then we caught a 5' 6" bull shark followed by the two blacktips @ 4' 6" and 4' 1". Saturday night we landed a 5' 5" bull shark.

At that point, we had been fishing using large sting rays and cow nosed rays kayaked out past the third bar. Those baits resulted in the bull sharks and blacktips mentioned earlier. On Sunday morning at 12:00, I kayaked out a smaller sting ray into the second gut, hoping for a lemon shark or just anything that would bite. About thirty minutes later, the lightstick shot out into the surf and the Avet 50 wide started to sing! We all sprinted to the reel while I put on the harness and back support. My buddies helped to strap me into the rod and reel. The shark was pulling harder than the ones fought earlier and seemed to be larger but we had no idea what would unfold. I put the reel into full drag, switched to low gear and started to muscle the beast toward shore. At one point in the fight the shark took us down the beach under two of our other lines set out. After a hard fought battle, the beast was subdued and brought onto the beach for some pictures! It took 3 guys on the tail rope to drag the heavy shark onto the shore. We were all yelling and cheering about the mammoth we had just caught.

As far as we know, it is one of the largest bull sharks ever caught in Texas, 3 inches short of the state record. It measured out at 8 foot 9 inches and must have weighed 350-400 lbs (estimate) For reference, I am 6' 4" and 220 lbs

After celebrating and taking some pictures, we drug the beast back into the wade gut and turned her southward. She swam off fairly easily under her own power, thanks to the Avet 50 wide and 35+ lbs of drag. The fight would definitely have been much longer / harder on a 4/0 or 6/0 senator reel.

Enjoy the pics!!

Nathan


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## yep (Jul 25, 2006)

*nice*

congrats on a great fish! looks like it has a big scar on the right side of its neck? great catch


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## saltwatersensations (Aug 30, 2004)

Nice! Thats a biggun for sure. Narly scar on that fish.


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## dreamer (Aug 12, 2005)

NICE!!!


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## Delta Elite (May 28, 2011)

Congrats!! Your buddy is going to need that shark fishing experience to battle through his first year of marriage. I say this only because my wife is not a 2cooler. J/J. Congrats to you all and good luck to your friend.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Way to go


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## 535 (May 23, 2004)

hell yes, awesome catch!!!


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## tank8677 (Apr 20, 2010)

great catch and great team efford!!! where were yall fishing at??


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## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

Fantastic - thanks for posting -

What beach were y'all fishing off?


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## Sharkbitten (Nov 20, 2009)

SWEET!!!!


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## DANO (May 23, 2005)

jc said:


> hell yes, awesome catch!!!


*X2 !!!*

and then some,..


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## Paleo Dave (Jul 10, 2006)

Word to the wise .... never wade the second gut at midnight!

Congrats!!!


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## Nathan (May 22, 2004)




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## fishinguy (Aug 5, 2004)

Nice job.


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## PBD539 (May 4, 2010)

Well done & *green* for the CPR (reddie for the crocs, :rotfl green outweights the reddie in this case. Great job!!
Shawn


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## Red Tuna (May 19, 2007)

nice job - congrats!


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## way2slickrick (Oct 13, 2009)

They just mentioned yall on the news!! FOX 26, about a miinute ago!


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## Kody Emmert (Oct 5, 2007)

That's one heck of a good bull.... Congrats


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## Nathan (May 22, 2004)

Thanks for the comments guys. I had a blast fighting the shark! 


Also, there was a small news story done on the catch last night at 10 PM by Channel 2 News in Houston.


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## Bukmstr (Nov 12, 2004)

Nathan said:


> Thanks for the comments guys. I had a blast fighting the shark!
> 
> Also, there was a small news story done on the catch last night at 10 PM by Channel 2 News in Houston.


Here you Go!
http://www.click2houston.com/news/28528877/detail.html


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## finkikin (Jul 8, 2011)

well done guys. where about were you fishin? couple of my good friends and i shark fish around the high island area. thanks for the catch and release practice! great fish!


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## BCSurf (Jul 13, 2011)

Nice catch!

Way to go on releasing her too. Thats one mean scar!


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## Nathan (May 22, 2004)

Releasing the beast!!


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## Lebber32 (Aug 8, 2010)

Y'all were just on CNN, pretty cool


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## mullethead00 (May 31, 2010)

Really awesome story and pics. Which beach were you at?


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## big john o (Aug 12, 2005)

I can think of many other ways to celebrate a bachelor party, but at least it will be one to remember... Congratulations, awsome catch... now wheres the pics of the strippers ya'll had on the beach that night???


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## tank8677 (Apr 20, 2010)

big john o said:


> now wheres the pics of the strippers ya'll had on the beach that night???


LMAO!!!


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## iwanashark (Jul 13, 2009)

i vote report of the year brother. i'm jealous.


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## Nathan (May 22, 2004)

See below for the bull shark growth chart in the Gulf of Mexico. A shark of this length (277 centimeters) is off the charts. She must have been 30 years old or better.

Nathan


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## Troutfisch (Jun 19, 2005)

Very nice Bull right there - I'm guessing all the fish in the area know him as "Scar"...


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## botle_rocket (Aug 31, 2005)

Frign awesome guys. Where were yall fishing from???? were are heading to slp in the morn for two days. Sure hope I do as good as you guys. Great catch


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## Nathan (May 22, 2004)

We were fishing in High Island. How did y'all do?


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