OTW reader Phoenix Russell got a first-hand look at the food chain in action during a winter escape to the Florida Keys. While fighting what would have been her first-ever tarpon Phoenix learned that in the ocean, sooner or later, everything becomes bait.
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WOW, darn food chain. It was a REALLY nice tarpon. Good job!
Why not cut the line and let the Tarpon get away?
Looks like they did but tired fish versus fresh shark rarely goes well for the fish..
No need to cut, the shark cut it for me 🙁
Wow – nice catch! Phoenix can fish on my boat anytime!
yeah cut the line give the tarpon a chance,the view wasn’t bad either,sorry
This just happened to us in Florida with a good size permit on all we got back was a head!!
Always a bigger fish in the pond than you!
This happened to me off of Key West two years ago. We were out trolling for mutton snapper. We hooked a nice 15 pounder and after a quick fight the line went slack after a thump. All of a sudden the scream of the line peeling off the reel that we all love started and a hour and a half up came a 300lb Bull Shark from the deep. Happened in Mass. too. We were reeling in a 3ft baby mako when a 350+lb blue shark made quick work of the mako. Everything does become bait eventually in the ocean.