Fisherman Singlehandedly Reels in ‘Monster’ Great White Shark
Shark fishing experts Blaine Kenny and Dylan Wier reel in a 1,200-pound, 12-foot great white shark off Navarre Beach, Florida. The hour-long battle, captured on their YouTube channel, ends with the shark’s release back into the ocean.
By Beth Snider · February 6, 2024
A heart-stopping encounter saw shark fishing expert Blaine Kenny, owner of Coastal Worldwide, and his business partner, Dylan Wier, successfully reel in a massive 1,200-pound, 12-foot great white shark off Navarre Beach in Florida. The astounding feat, captured on their YouTube channel, displays the relentless battle.
Kenny and Wier, with the determination to catch the “biggest sharks possible,” set up on Navarre Beach with an extraordinary bait strategy: a head of a 150-pound swordfish and the head of an 80-pound yellowfin tuna. Their patience and strategic planning paid off when Kenny felt a powerful tug on his line at 8 a.m. the following morning.
“He just jumped!” Kenny exclaimed in the video, describing the intense hour-long struggle. Wier, serving as Kenny’s spotter, speculated on the type of shark they were dealing with, suggesting it could be a mako, a giant tiger, a white shark, or even the largest dusky they’ve ever seen.
Utilizing a drone to assess the situation from above, Wier identified the creature on Kenny’s line as a great white shark. Astonishing footage captures the duo’s perseverance as Kenny battles the mighty fish, at one point fearing the shark had slipped off the line.
After an hour of relentless effort, Kenny successfully brought the great white shark onto the shore. Due to its endangered status, Wier stressed the importance of getting the shark out and back into the water quickly. Once the hook was removed, the colossal creature was released back into the ocean.
"I’ve said it so many times before, but truly words cannot describe the feeling of this fish right here."
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, an organization dedicated to shark protection, confirmed that Kenny’s catch had not been previously identified by the organization. In a statement, they mentioned, “Our research team determined this was a shark not previously identified and it will be added to our White Shark Catalog.” The jaw-dropping video has since gone viral on social media of the Florida fisherman who singlehandedly conquered this ‘monster’ great white shark.