Four anglers recently brought a 10-foot mako shark into Oceanside Harbor, where it topped out a scale that only reaches 600 pounds.
The catch was made on July 29 but didn't make the local newspaper, the North County Times, until Tuesday.
The shark, estimated to weigh about 700 pounds, was caught on mackerel. It towed the 22-foot boat around for a couple of hours before it finally succumbed.
Some might wonder why it was killed in an age where people are increasingly in favor of conserving sharks, which are slow to reproduce and vulnerable to fishing pressure.
But mako flesh is delectable and anglers are within their rights to kill the pelagic predators.
Said Lance Magee, one of the anglers who battled the shark: "It fed a lot of families."
The other anglers involved in the incredible catch are Justyn Stilson, Darrell Preece and boat owner Mark Carpenter. The boat is named Mr. Magoo.
Mako sharks are found in tropical and temperate waters around the world. Their average size is 200-300 pounds but they can exceed 1,000 pounds.
In early July a mako shark estimated to weigh 800-plus pounds was caught off Marina del Rey. That also was too heavy for the local scale.
-- Photo of the 10-foot mako shark is courtesy of Rod Hadrian
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