Watch A Fisherman Haul In A Massive Great White Shark Onto A Popular Florida Beach

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In February 2023, John McLean, a shore-based charter shark fisherman, guided a group of four patrons to the catch of a lifetime. A sizable great white shark was caught, fought, landed, and swiftly released from Pensacola Beach in Florida’s extreme western peninsula. 

Anglers on land hardly ever catch white sharks. Big John Shark Fishing Trips owner McLean specializes in catching large, toothy creatures but never anticipated hooking a great white. White sharks must be released right away because they are a restricted species. 

Capt. David Miller of the Pensacola Charter provided assistance to McLean that day. Miller was the one who launched a large tuna head as shark bait 2,700 feet off the beach in a one-person kayak. The huge bait could only be swallowed by a shark that size. 

Often, McLean uses a tiny remote-controlled boat to launch baits from a beach. The tuna head, however, was too large for the RC boat, so Miller volunteered to row through the Gulf surf and cast the bait out to sea, where large sharks are known to frequent.

According to McLean in a YouTube video describing the catch, Miller had just arrived back at the beach after placing the bait offshore. The battle began when a large fish bit onto the bait.

The Catch Of A Lifetime 

The shark was being vigorously fought by all four anglers using robust offshore tackle and braided line. A four-station gimbal mount rod holder, similar to those found on offshore trolling boats, was employed to retain the rod. 

The sturdy rod holder was fastened to two PVC pipes that had been pushed down into the sand at Pensacola Beach. It’s referred to as a “shark rack” by McLean. The four charter fishermen alternated casting on the large big game reel, adding a braided line for each lever rotation. 

All of the captains and anglers occasionally had to lend a hand holding and stabilizing the “shark rack” during the battle. McLean claims in his YouTube video that the torque of battling the huge shark while standing still caused the reel to come loose on the rod. 

There was no typical pump-and-reel technique used to catch the shark; instead, the reel was brutally wound while mounted on a gimbal. Beachgoers sat close and watched the brawl the entire time.

A comment on the video reads, “Fantastic work and you handled that release beautifully.  That’s a once-in-a-lifetime catch from a boat let alone from the beach.  You gave your clients the greatest fish story and one for the record books for sure.  Hell of a job, just imagine if you weren’t a seasoned professional that could’ve gone really bad and harmed the great white!” 

According to McLean, battling large sharks in deep water requires more time since the fish can swim below the boat, in contrast to a shark hooked from shore that must contend with fighting in fairly shallow water.

Where Is Pensacola Beach Located On A Map?

Pensacola Island is located on Santa Rosa Island in the county of Escambia and is south of the city of Pensacola in the Gulf of Mexico. Florida is in the southeastern region of the United States and is bordered by Alabama to the northwest, Georgia to the north, the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.