Bowfisherman Lands 544-pound Mako Shark
OutdoorHub Reporters 07.28.14
A Father’s Day fishing trip last month found Patrick Eger of Big E TV facing down a 544-pound, eight-ounce mako shark with his Xcentric bow. The 10-foot shark outweighed the previous bowfishing world record noted by the Bowfishing Association of America (BAA) by over 300 pounds, and the crew was admittedly nervous when the fish began bumping the boat.
“As the massive shark made its way through the chum and sized up the boat on several passes, the crew and Eger determined that it was large enough to harvest and should claim the record they were looking for. On several passes the killer shark rammed the boat and made it known that it had no fear of the crew or anyone onboard,” stated a press release by Big E TV.
Eger, an avid hunter and TV host from Wisconsin, arrowed the fish off the coast of Southern California with the help of Captain Matt Potter. A short while later, the BAA confirmed that Eger’s mako was the heaviest of its species ever harvested by bow and arrow. The event was caught on film and is due to air on an upcoming show hosted by Eger early next year.
“It’s the first record book animal that I actually have taken the time to put in the records,” Eger told WFXS.
The angler’s first record came at the price of a grueling two-hour duel with the marine predator. After numerous passes from the shark, Eger was able to make a single shot with a Innerloc broadhead and eventually reel the animal in.
“The Mako being one of the few sharks that will resort to the air, [it] jumped on more than one occasion giving the cameras what they were looking for,” stated the press release.
The fish was shipped to Los Angeles and officially weighed there with representatives of the BAA on hand. After the mako was certified as a new state and world bowfishing record, Eger donated most of the meat to families in the Los Angeles area. The angler will be keeping the shark’s jaws for mounting.
Eger said that despite the large difference in weight between his mako and the previous record, he does not expect to hold the title forever.
“There are bigger ones out there, and there are more than you care to know,” Eger said “This record won’t stand forever, and I am counting on that. That is what this is all about. I look forward to having another hunter break my record, but the key is… you have to get these things documented and register them into the books.”
The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) lists a 1,221-pound mako caught off Massachusetts in 2001 by Luke Sweeney as the current all-tackle world record.
Watch an interview with Eger and witness his record-breaking shot here.
