How did they do it? What are the secrets of the fishermen who've landed the world's greatest trophy fishes? The Biggest Fish Ever Caught will tell the tales behind the International Game Fishing Association's record-holding fish, including where they were bagged, what lines/lures the anglers used, and other tips and tricks. The dozen stories here are filled with amazing action and intriguing characters. They'll take you to lakes, streams, and oceans around the world and explore catch and release vs blood sport fishing, stocking and bioengineering, conservation – and controversy. All the while revealing the sorts of secrets fishermen don't usually like to share.
The stories in Fifty Years a Hooker range from dramatic, nerve-pounding accounts of shark hunts to tales of comic misadventures, involving a host of eccentric characters who could not resist the pull of Frank Mundus ́ legendary "idiot magnet". Mundus ́ extensive compilation accurately reflects the book ́s title. He was, indeed, a hooker. For fifty years he sold his services, took good care of his customers and saw to it that they had a good time, hoping that they went away satisfied and would come back again.Among the stories you ́ll find in Fifty Years a Hooker are: White Shark, White Pineapple.The agony of waiting for the right writer. How I Got Started Shark Fishing.How a broken arm and two train wrecks kept me on the right track for a fishing career. The Pelican Disaster.My involvement in one of the worst maritime disasters off Long Island.Harry Hoffman and the Case of the Lost White Shark.The zany fishing misadventures of my friend, Harry Hoffman, and me.The 4,500 lb. White Shark.My mate, my customers and I fight one of the largest whites ever taken commercially by harpoon.Peter Gimbel.The first man who swam with sharks, while I rode shotgun. The time an ice-cream cone saved my life, plus other close calls. The time I hollered at Jackie Onassis for jay-walking on the island of St. Maarten. The St. Maarten Sting: Or, How I Sold the Cricket III Borrowing a storyline from the movie The Sting, I sell my other boat and outsmart a couple of Caribbean pirates. Portrait of the Artist as an Idiot. A mysterious artist (who lost the Mayor of Shelter Island ́s bust!) claims me as his muse for a watercolor of a white shark.Mundus of Arabia.A Saudi Prince hires me to pioneer shark fishing in the Red Sea. I just miss a public beheading and narrowly escape one year in jail. The 3,427-lb White Shark. In 1986 I achieve my lifetime ambition of catching the largest fish of any kind on rod and reel, with the help of some seasoned mates and an experienced angler.Pistol-Whipped by the Law.A mate ́s dog and his ex-wife set off a chain reaction which culminates in my arrest for possession of a firearm. Three-time Loser, Fourth-time Winner.The two happiest times in a man ́s life are when he buys a boat and sells it . . . and sells it and sells it, and hopefully sells it again, like I did!Getting to the Heart of Things.I remarry, burn my snow shoes and retire to Hawaii, where I plant pineapples and fruit trees, adopt a orphaned 350 lb. wild boar, and survive open-heart surgery, aneurysm repair and prostate cancer. My South African Shark Safari.In which I travel to South Africa with the Discovery Channel and hook up with white sharks once more-this time through the lens of a camera.
Bestselling storyteller David Shannon instantly hooks readers with this stunning, highly entertaining tour-de-force--his best book ever! Breathtaking oil paintings bursting with energy pullreaders along into Big Lake, the home of Jangles, thebiggest fish anyone has seen. Fishing alone at dusk,a boy feels a tug on his line and comes face-to-facewith the gigantic trout--whose enormous jaw is coveredwith so many lures and fish hooks that he jingles andjangles when he swims. Terrified by the sight, the boy isshocked when Jangles befriends him and takes him on anadventure to the bottom of the lake. A surprise endingwill leave readers laughing and shaking their heads. Hereis Shannon at his very best-in a wild and witty story thatbegs repeated reading.
"White Shark Sam meets the Monster Man is a children's story about trust, friendship, and conservation. It is inspired by Frank Mundus' continuing efforts to encourage and popularize shark tagging research."--Cover back.
The third edition of this indispensable guide, which has already sold almost 300,000 copies, has been written and revised by the foremost authorities in the field, and provides an in-depth course in every type of saltwater fishing. Designed for beginners as well as experts, this bible is sure to increase their success and enhance their enjoyment. 140 black-and-white drawings and photos.
What’s almost as good as going fishing? Hearing, telling, and swapping great fish stories. Shaun Morey is a fisherman, a connoisseur of fish stories, and a journalist with a novelist’s eye (and vice versa) in this collection of over 100 incredible (and true!) fishing stories. Here are Remarkable Catches—like the time Billy Sandifer caught a 1,000-pound tiger shark in the surf (he released it after nabbing a souvenir tooth). Grueling Battles—like Bob Ploeger’s record-breaking 37-hour fight with a Pacific salmon. Hilarious Feats of Bravery, like the exploits of Matt Watson, who leapt out of a helicopter to land on the back of a marlin. And, in what can only be considered poetic justice, Shocking Acts of Fish Aggression, like Mitchell Lee Franklin’s visit to the emergency room with a 5-pound catfish attached to his chest via an impaled dorsal fin. Includes illustrations, photos, and links to videos on the author’s website.
There was much to learn as a new surgical intern at the University of Virginia for the young intern, Dr. Douglas Gaker, but his most memorable lesson didn't come from a lecture or fellow resident. It came from a very ill cancer patient from West Virginia who had little to say. In what otherwise might be seen as a health challenge in need of attention, Dr. Gaker and his sick patient embarked on a private adventure that very few could understand. They embarked on the greatest fish story ever. Both left that adventure a little better for having been on it together and one avoided a most certain miserable and inhumane journey.
