Shark attacks along Destin/Fort Walton Beach

[Reagan1k 3002]

Since we're gathered around the campfire telling stories, I always known that the gulf beaches had a lot more sharks in and around swimmers than most folks would like to believe.

Then I got a chance to ride shotgun in one of those ultralights that you see buzzing up and down the surf.  A retired Eastern Airlines pilot lived and flew daily out there and took me up.

I was slack-jawed at times, especially around Pensacola pass on an outgoing tide.  I remember telling my wife that I thought every shark in the gulf must be compressed within 300 yards of the beach.

Even thinking "I knew"........the amount was staggering, and the number of BIG sharks was amazing.

That may be a way to deal with the crowds down there going forward - Just broadcast some drone footage when clarity is good and bait has migrated towards the beach.

[Reagan1k 3002]

23 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

I still remember when I realized a 20’ stringer is ALOT better than an 8’.   Never cared for the doughnets. But a few visits from the man in the grey suit (or slacks) will fix you up right quick.

PREACH!!!!!    

An 8' stringer in that water is like tying a chum bucket to your thigh.  That tug will gather all of your attention rather quickly.

 

[locodos 5229]

15 minutes ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

That's because the sharks haul ass away from the hurricanes.  They smart.

counterpoint:  Tornados!

[Post Oak 20092]

My sis got married about 15 years ago in Gulf Shores.  The photographer was a retired cop. We get to talking and I ask him how he deals with the crowded beach when he goes.  

I don't go.

Why?

Shows me his drone videos everyone now has seen, about swimmers unaware that they are surrounded by sharks.  I saw Jaws when I was about 5 or 6 and it convinced me that going to the ocean isnt worth it. This only reinforced that opinion.

When my kids were preschool we would go down to Crystal Beach and I always hated it because I couldn't see shit. I'd be wading in the water next to them just in case.

Couldn't relax

[locodos 5229]

5 minutes ago, Reagan1k said:

PREACH!!!!!    

An 8' stringer in that water is like tying a chum bucket to your thigh.  That tug will gather all of your attention rather quickly.

 

Sound off!

 

I knew a couple of crazy bastards who did this a lot.  Always worked in groups of 3, two to shoot and one to defend.  IIRC they would hunt off Palm Beach/Jupiter

[markstanco 12425]

6 minutes ago, Post Oak said:

My sis got married about 15 years ago in Gulf Shores.  The photographer was a retired cop. We get to talking and I ask him how he deals with the crowded beach when he goes.  

I don't go.

Why?

Shows me his drone videos everyone now has seen, about swimmers unaware that they are surrounded by sharks.  I saw Jaws when I was about 5 or 6 and it convinced me that going to the ocean isnt worth it. This only reinforced that opinion.

When my kids were preschool we would go down to Crystal Beach and I always hated it because I couldn't see shit. I'd be wading in the water next to them just in case.

Couldn't relax

Get in the water with a group of people.  When the shark comes, you dont have to be the fastest swimming, just at least the 2nd slowest. 

[C-Man 26617]

2 hours ago, South Austin said:

Untrue.

 

Can't blame Shamu for this one. 1970's/1980's Bo Derek was delicious.

[Guadaloopy 10798]

16 minutes ago, locodos said:

Sound off!

 

I knew a couple of crazy bastards who did this a lot.  Always worked in groups of 3, two to shoot and one to defend.  IIRC they would hunt off Palm Beach/Jupiter

Did a lot of hunting when I was stationed in GTMO.  Always on the reef and no open water stuff like this.  When the water was clear, the sharks stayed well away from us and never bothered us. 

One day, the waters were pretty murky, but we decided to head out anyway.  Visibility was 10 ft, which in one way worked to our favor as we were able to get into range before the fish could see us.  I shot my biggest fish ever - a 40 inch King Mackerel.  On the way back to the boat, visibility dropped to less than five feet. 

About 100 yds from the boat, my buddy tapped his tank to get my attention and gave me the shark sign and motioned for me to get rid of my stringer.  Fuck that, I wasn't giving up that mackerel!  We got back to the boat and out of the water and my buddy was shaking.  Said he saw a big reef shark make two runs at my mackerel before turning away at the last second.  I never saw it, but I never went back out in limited visibility again.  Anyway, we had some great sushi that night.

[High Plains Drifter 10930]

1 hour ago, fattyflattie said:

I still remember when I realized a 20’ stringer is ALOT better than an 8’.   Never cared for the doughnets. But a few visits from the man in the grey suit (or slacks) will fix you up right quick.    
 

A couple of years ago we were offshore on a super calm July day, and the heat was getting out of control.  We stopped in a random ass spot to grab beers and splash some fuel and I decided I wanted to cool off in the water like the million times I did growing up.  As I’m about to jump off the bow the biggest hammerhead I’ve ever seen swims right along the port.  Fuck. That.  We weren’t on structure, no platforms within miles.  Just some spot ~40 miles offshore. No idea what the odds on that one is, but my happy ass stays in the boat when offshore now. 

 

 

[HenryJames 65251]

53 minutes ago, Reagan1k said:

Since we're gathered around the campfire telling stories, I always known that the gulf beaches had a lot more sharks in and around swimmers than most folks would like to believe.

Then I got a chance to ride shotgun in one of those ultralights that you see buzzing up and down the surf.  A retired Eastern Airlines pilot lived and flew daily out there and took me up.

I was slack-jawed at times, especially around Pensacola pass on an outgoing tide.  I remember telling my wife that I thought every shark in the gulf must be compressed within 300 yards of the beach.

Even thinking "I knew"........the amount was staggering, and the number of BIG sharks was amazing.

That may be a way to deal with the crowds down there going forward - Just broadcast some drone footage when clarity is good and bait has migrated towards the beach.

[Deej 76156]

1 hour ago, gofuckyourself said:

I have nothing to add but this performance by Robert Shaw should be on every shark-related thread at least once.

Including threads about Shark Tank.

 

 

[huge 3774]

22 minutes ago, Guadaloopy said:

Did a lot of hunting when I was stationed in GTMO.  Always on the reef and no open water stuff like this.  When the water was clear, the sharks stayed well away from us and never bothered us. 

One day, the waters were pretty murky, but we decided to head out anyway.  Visibility was 10 ft, which in one way worked to our favor as we were able to get into range before the fish could see us.  I shot my biggest fish ever - a 40 inch King Mackerel.  On the way back to the boat, visibility dropped to less than five feet. 

About 100 yds from the boat, my buddy tapped his tank to get my attention and gave me the shark sign and motioned for me to get rid of my stringer.  Fuck that, I wasn't giving up that mackerel!  We got back to the boat and out of the water and my buddy was shaking.  Said he saw a big reef shark make two runs at my mackerel before turning away at the last second.  I never saw it, but I never went back out in limited visibility again.  Anyway, we had some great sushi that night.

You ate kingfish raw?

[Guadaloopy 10798]

1 minute ago, huge said:

You ate kingfish raw?

Yes.  Learned that a lot of fish with bad reputation for taste are actually pretty good if you eat it very fresh.  We ate barracuda raw as well.  Pretty much every Saturday evening, we had the grill fired up and a batch of sushi rice ready for the day's catch.   Probably got my lifetime quota of mercury in that 6 months, but I enjoyed it.

[huge 3774]

Just now, Guadaloopy said:

Yes.  Learned that a lot of fish with bad reputation for taste are actually pretty good if you eat it very fresh.  We ate barracuda raw as well.  Pretty much every Saturday evening, we had the grill fired up and a batch of sushi rice ready for the day's catch.   Probably got my lifetime quota of mercury in that 6 months, but I enjoyed it.

I've caught plenty of kings and never thought to sashimi it.

[InkaUtexas 24932]

8 minutes ago, Guadaloopy said:

Yes.  Learned that a lot of fish with bad reputation for taste are actually pretty good if you eat it very fresh.  We ate barracuda raw as well.  Pretty much every Saturday evening, we had the grill fired up and a batch of sushi rice ready for the day's catch.   Probably got my lifetime quota of mercury in that 6 months, but I enjoyed it.

Baracuda Ceviche is great.

[Saint Tacky 1609]

12 hours ago, Gatorubet said:

Bull sharks, man.   Those assholes even cruise up the Mississippi River a ways.  They will literally eat anything - cut them open and you’ll find all kinds of crap like license plates and cans and things.  And tourist legs.

Be reasonable, huh? This is not the time or the place to perform some kind of a half-assed autopsy on a fish... And I'm not going to stand here and see that thing cut open and see that little Kintner boy spill out all over the dock.

[markstanco 12425]

16 minutes ago, Guadaloopy said:

we had the grill fired up and a batch of sushi rice ready for the day's catch.   Probably got my lifetime quota of mercury in that 6 months, but I enjoyed it.

[Hook1997 5239]

Stingray talk.  We rented a jet ski in Port A when I was in college.  Had three of us on it, my buddy and a girl.  He’s driving and we pass over a stingray the size of a car I shit you not and he dumped us all right after.  I’ve never swam and jumped back on a jet ski so fast. 

[Guadaloopy 10798]

Just now, markstanco said:

We had multiple options available for how to prepare and consume the catch.  Some folks liked sashimi, some wanted to build rolls, and still others liked to grill their fish.    

[Bozo_Casanova 25822]

7 hours ago, South Austin said:

Untrue.

 

thigh

[HiggyBaby 2489]

4 hours ago, InkaUtexas said:

Baracuda Ceviche is great.

Yeah boy