Potential World Record Mako Shark Cuaght

Earnie and Joey Polk caught this 805 pound short fin mako shark near Pensacola, Florida last week. It is a potential World Record.

Last week two anglers reeled in what may be their third world record fish. The two cousins, Earnie and Joey Polk, caught a massive Shortfin Mako Shark near Pensacola, Florida last week from the shore and hauled it home in the back of their pickup, trying to keep it under wraps. Unfortunately for them, passersby saw the fish and couldn’t help snapping some photos while the pair fueled up at a local gas station. 

Florida Anglers Catch World Record Mako Shark

While the actual time of the catch is uncertain, what is known is that the two fisherman used a kayak to bait the fish about 300 yards from shore and it took about an hour to haul in the big shark once they hooked it.

“That’s probably the best fish we ever caught,” Earnie Polk told the Pensacola News Journal. “You’ll spend many, many hours to catch a fish of that caliber, or a fish of that size.”

The big mako shark weighed in at 805 pounds and is 11 feet long. Earnie Polk currently holds the world record for a mako with the International Land-based Shark Fishing Association and he and his cousin hold an additional record together for a 684 pound female short fin that they caught in 2009. Overall, they have three world records from ILSFA.

While the Polks normally release all the fish they catch, including all but 20 of the 300 they caught in 2013, they decided to keep this giant mako. The pair said that the fish was too exhausted to swim back out to sea after the fight and we’re guessing the possibility of a world record factored in as well. The cousins are expecting to hand out about 600 pounds of delicious meat to their family and friends.

New World Record Mako Shark

What a catch and congratulations to the pair on this massive mako shark. Send us your fishing catches and we’ll post them here on the site!