Fishing is more than just a fun recreational activity or a means of providing food and income for a family. It is a way of exploring an uncharted world. Brave anglers take to the seas, cast their lines, and wait with sage-like patience for the slight tug on their lines to discover the creatures lurking below. Famous fishing stories are prevalent around the world. This particular story features a lone woman’s struggle against a behemoth tiger shark off the shores of a popular vacation destination in Maryland.
Catching The Largest Tiger Shark in Maryland
Ocean City, Maryland has a beautiful boardwalk with many attractions, but it is also a popular fishing area.
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Grace Czerniak, from Buffalo, New York, planned a fishing trip to Ocean City, Maryland on July 9, 1983. From this well-known fishing hot spot, she chartered a voyage aboard the LISA with Captain Stuart Windsor and first mate Jim Liberto.
That morning, Grace packed her gear with an 80-pound line and 5/8-inch stainless steel shank. She waited until they were 27 miles off the coast, where the water was 22 fathoms (132 feet) deep, before casting. She baited the hook with mackerel.
It was not long until her line quickly tugged, and Grace felt she caught something big. She knew she caught a shark, but she was unsure of the species. Many sharks lurk off the coast of Maryland. However, this catch was big, strong, and not going down without a fight. Finally, after 3.5 hours of fighting, she was able to bring the leviathan tiger shark alongside the LISA. Recognizing the shark was too big for their onboard scale, Captain Windsor quickly set course for shore.
Weighing the Largest Tiger Shark
The tiger shark gets its name from the vertical lines that run along the side of its body.
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Once ashore, other anglers and dock staff offered support, but they did not have a scale large enough to properly weigh the tiger shark. Everyone was in awe of its size, knowing this could be a new world record for the largest tiger shark ever captured. Grace was excited, calling several locations to hunt down a scale to weigh her catch.
Finally, the Showell Poultry complex agreed to allow Grace to use their large scale. Using a pickup truck, Grace hauled the shark to Showell, Maryland, where the company weighed the shark on scales normally used for tractor trailers. They recorded her catch at 1,210 pounds. Tiger sharks typically weigh between 850-1,400 pounds.
Legal Shenanigans with the World Record
Unfortunately, Grace’s hopes were quickly dashed when she informed the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) of her world record catch. The IGFA rejected Grace’s catch, stating she used an 80-pound line, which is not suitable for world record fishing in the 37-kilogram class. World record competition fishing in that class requires that the fishing line break at or below 37 kilograms of pressure, which is approximately 81.5 pounds. However, the fishing line she used was manufactured to break at or above 80 pounds of pressure.
Devastated, Grace took legal action against the duPont deNemours and Company, Inc. which manufactured the line. Grace and Captain Windsor stated that the company misrepresented its product, based on a 1980 advertisement. They demanded that the company be held responsible for making fishing lines unfit for world record catches. The duPont company defended itself, alleging negligence on the part of the plaintiffs, Grace and Captain Windsor. On May 27, 1987, the court ruled in favor of the duPont company.
The Legacy of the Shark
The famous tiger shark is located in a lighted case directly outside the Life-Saving Station Museum on the boardwalk.
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Even though Grace did not get her world record, she still holds the state record for the largest tiger shark ever caught in Maryland. Today, the preserved tiger shark is on display in a glass case located on the Ocean City, Maryland boardwalk.
The shark also has a historical marker erected by the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum. The inscription commemorates Grace’s capture and includes a photo of her during the weigh-in. The Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum oversees the care of the display.
Sharks Near Ocean City, Maryland
Shark sightings off the coast of Maryland are fairly common during the summer months. Ocean City is a popular destination for fishing sharks such as smooth dogfish, Atlantic sharpnose sharks, tiger sharks, scalloped hammerheads, and sandbar sharks.
However, significant shark sightings close to the beach are uncommon. The Ocean City Beach Patrol is vigilant and informs vacationers if sharks are sighted near swimming areas. For safety, swimmers in Ocean City, Maryland are advised to swim near lifeguards, never swim alone, and always follow posted warnings or instructions from local authorities.
