All-time shark week legend: Giant ‘Old Hitler’

As a young high school fisherman, I enjoyed fish legends. Big shark stories just enhanced the adventure and thrills. Everyone from Tampa Bay to Boca Grande Pass had huge hammerhead sharks Old Hitler stories. I’ve witnessed and battled some giants, and here are a few of the stories I remember.

Back in ‘65 on Saturday nights several of us high school guys would go shark fishing. Usually, we fished at the old Skyway Bridge. It was only two lanes then. This allowed us to switch from the Bay side to the Gulf side with tide flow changes. One November night we bought several mullets at O’Neill’s Bait Shop to use as bait. It was slow fishing that night, and we had talked about the Old Hitler stories shared among the fishermen. We had borrowed a 12/0 Penn Senator reel loaded with a 130-pound Dacron line, the biggest, baddest rig that was available then. It was giant.

The tide was flowing out and we were considering packing it in when the big rig started clicking slowly as the line tightened and started to creep out. I picked it up, feeling the weight. I was ready to react. Then the line flew off as the clicker sang. I asked the guys to help and I slammed it in gear. The three of us struggled to keep from being dragged into the bay, all holding on for dear life. It was all we could do to hang onto the borrowed gear. This fish ran out with remarkable speed and power, then turned north still racing. Finally, it turned into the bridge and cut the line. We all fell onto the roadway. Fortunately it was quiet then. As the fish raced north the effervescence lit up like a speedy, soft-glowing submarine as it raced around. An unforgettable memory imprinted clearly forever.

There were numerous tales of huge sharks caught by the Rod and Reel Pier in Anna Maria. Frank Cavendish landed several, one so big they needed a tow truck to drag it up onto the beach. It was 17’1” long and 1386 pounds, caught in 1973.

I remember many legends of huge hammerheads around Boca Grande. St. Petersburg Times outdoor writer Jeff Klinkenburg came down and did a story on Old Hitler with me back in 1981. We fished on the Road Runner charter boat out of Whidden’s Marina. We didn’t see Hitler that day, but we saw a big tiger shark.

I remember many big hammerheads stealing tarpon as we fished in the Big Pass. Johnny Downing, captain of Miss Budweiser – Mr. Bush’s prize Rybovich custom sportfishing fishing boat – and his mate, Capt. Chris Tunner were fishing one day. They hooked a good 100-pound tarpon, and this monster grabbed it then swam under their boat. Capt. Johnny said the hammerhead was 20 feet long. He was a local captain, and we believed him. I saw it happen, swallowed the tarpon whole.

The current hammerhead shark world record, held by Bucky Dennis, came from Boca Grande Pass. It was 14’ 6” long and weighed 1,280 pounds. Most longtime captains have seen several even larger. They are now protected from harvest so the record will stand.

Capt. Greg Penix, a long-time Boca Grande guide that grew up fishing from Little Gasparilla Island explained it best: “There seems to be an Old Hitler, giant shark gene pool. When you see one you will understand just how great they are. It’s something you will never forget.”

Long live fishing legends.