HERNANDO BEACH SHARK-SEA STORIES

Janurary 08 issue Florida Outdoor Adventures Magazine. By Jim Lee

The angry hooked shark headed straight for the boat. Lawrence Carlswell reeled frantically, but couldn't gain line fast enough. The captain put the motor in gear, moving the boat slowly forward.
The boat lurched, knocking Larry to the deck. The captain yelled down from the fly-bridge. "Your shark rammed the boat. Here he comes again." The captain shouted excitedly. The shark charged the whirling prop and grabbed it with his teeth. The boat shuttered and the shark, cut and bleading, sank to the bottom. "Good grief" Larry exclaimed a bit shaken. I've never seen an enraged shark before, and I hope I never see another one."
The captain moved the boat westward a couple miles and anchored the boat. Larry decided to grouper fish instead of fishing for sharks. He was leaning over the side so he could lower the chum box to the bottom when the captain shouted. "Here comes another shark." Larry was perched on the gunwale and was so startled at the captains bit of information and promptly fell into the sea. Larry, fearing the new shark was another "enraged" shark, clawed, scrambled and willed his way up the side and over the gunwale and into the boat. The captain came off the bridge laughing. " It is only a cobia he declared.
Anger surged in Larry and he saw the cobia swimming near the boat. Larry grabbed the 6 foot gaff hook and immediately gaffed the 40 pound fish. A 40 pound fish is a formidable adversary. He almost pulled Larry off the deck. The captain grabbed the gaff and together they managed to pull the fish into the boat, as the thrashing of the fish beat both the anglers several times with the gaff. Bruised and out of breath, Larry gave the fish to the captain. Later the captain told the story to friends over a martini, inspiring the recipe for cobia Vermouth.