850 lb Mako! The Reel McCoy Capt. George McElveen!

 
Wow!  Check out these photos of an 850 lb mako caught abord The Reel McCoy.  Capt. George McElveen had quite a surpise!  This sucker was so big we had to pull it out with the forklift!  Inside they found part of a tarpon estimated at 75 lbs!  Great Islamorada fishing charter experience!  This baby took almost 3 hours to drag in fighting, and another 3 hours to tow back to the marina!  They had to use the forklift to pull this thing out of the water and weigh it, and it was still alive!  The anglers party was made up of Joe Rebman, Obaid Mohammad, Don Sarnoksky, and Eric Oakes, out of Ft. Lauderdale, FL!  This fish was killed because it was a possible state record, and all the meat was given away and used!  This is also an individual charter fishing vessel out of Bud N' Mary's; The Reel McCoy is a seperate business entirely from us.  Bud N' Mary's is an advocate of catch & release practices for many species, however the captain and crew had caught a possible state record and decided to bring it in and kill it, which we have no opinion towards.  Again, the shark was cut up and meat was given away, not wasted.

FOR CHARTERING INFO ON THE REEL MCCOY AND OTHER BOATS AT BUD N' MARY'S:  800-742-7945 or 305-664-2461

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Update on Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 04:07PM by Bud N' Mary's Marina

              

 










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Update on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 09:08AM by Bud N' Mary's Marina

Some aerial acrobatics from this 850 lb mako!!! Amazing!

Comments

[slawson]

First and foremost I have to say great catch guys! WOW! Now, I'd like to take this opportunity to weigh in my thoughts. I too would have brought this fish in for a weigh as well as a BBQ... Grilled Mako steaks are good and yes I've heard the argument that the "Big ones" have old nasty meat... I have even had people tell me the huge lobster we pull in Bimini are not good too eat bec they are too big. Please, if these people want to continue to eat these crawdads in Miami waters so be it but I can assure you after eating 100's of "bigger" lobsters the meat is just as good if not better and most fish is the same way... People, lose that argument, it holds no water. A 50lb+ dolphin nearing his death bed may not have the best meat in the world but it's still good. Anyhow, if you want to complain about cathes like this then you need to start with the Long lining that got re-voted in. They kill a hell of a lot more by-catch than this one boat could ever do and I know how much they fish. Anyhow, if I had to guess, I'd say these guys were daytime swording and hooked this Mako near the bottom. Anyone who swordfishes knows the Mako very well and the reason you don't see catches like this is bec 98% of the boats out there don't have the crew or the equipment to pull something like this off with a fish like that, so trust me, these sharks are not in danger from the rec fisherman....I also doubt there was an electric reel involved bec I know a few people in the pic and they revolutionized daytime swording in the keys on conventionals. I bet this was caught using an 80 or 130 and yes, that makes it a catch of a lifetime, in the chair or standup. Kudos to you guys for making it happen, just be lucky he didn't breach and land on the deck like we worry every night we're out there and we start hearing the splashes.... A buddy of mine out of the same marina years a go pulled a Great White and brought it in.... This was prior to the protection on this shark. These guys didn't even know it was a great white till they got it in but for years they continued to rec calls from the "hatters" concerning that catch.... It was 450lb GW caught on 50lb test.... It was the catch of a life time.... Anyways, forget the haters and keep fishing the way you know best. BTW, got any smoked Mako fish dip left?!

P.S. "I think we're gunna need a bigger boat!"

[Rob]

Let em go - release- there are precious few left -

[Michelle E.]

My cousin, George, owns the Real McCoy and brought this monster in. I'm real proud of you George! Love, M.E.

[Ben]

Nice fish, don't think I could have kept it but whatever

[Bob &Ruth Hale]

Great Job George! I'm proud to show off your pictures and tell everyone that we tought you and your dad how to run a trot line in the Petuxent River. So do you ever go out for crabs?? lol.
Take care. We're wishing you the very best, always.

[moby wrap]

This sure looks like a prized catch and i never could have believed that there are such huge fishes.