A fishing crew recently set a new state record after catching a massive bull shark during the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo.
The Bon Secour Butchers team aboard the vessel “The Orca” caught the 494.5-pound beast during the tournament on Dauphin Island.
“A catch like that coming through our weigh station really galvanizes everyone and all the entities involved. We all feel a part of the catch,” a representative from the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo told Fox News Digital.
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The team consisted of Captain Adam Lyons, First Mate Tommy “The Tuna Bowyer”, Captain David Stiller “The Shark Killer” and Crewman Michael Maguire.
The Bon Secour Butchers fishing team caught a 494.5 pound bull shark. (Adam Lyons)
“When you’re tackling an animal of this size, heavy equipment and excellent boat work are essential,” Capt. Adam Lyons told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement.
“With a line in the water with that much tension, there are risks, you want to avoid anything that could damage the line, like the boat itself. Essentially, we want to tire the shark out until we can safely get a tail rope in place. Once we can follow the shark, it’s game over for the shark.”
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“A catch like that coming through our weigh station really galvanizes everyone and every entity involved. We all feel a part of the catch,” said a representative from the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. (Adam Lyons)
“The shark fishing was relatively easy because we had a winch on board, which is normally used in commercial fishing. The combination of the fisherman’s experience, the captain’s work and patience was the winning formula,” added Lyons.
The group of men received $6,000 for winning first place in the Gulf Coast Hauling & Construction Bull Shark jackpot.
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“It’s really cool to see an angler make a once-in-a-lifetime catch and be able to break a rodeo record and a state record,” Matt Glass, president of the 91st Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, told Fox News Digital.
The group of men received $6,000 for winning first place in the Gulf Coast Hauling & Construction Bull Shark jackpot. (Adam Lyons)
Founded in 1929, the rodeo is the largest fishing tournament in the world, attracting more than 4,000 anglers and 75,000 spectators, according to the event’s website.
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“The tireless work of our research team facilitated this type of discovery and the lasting memories that come with it,” Glass said.
The 2024 Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo featured 3,734 participating anglers and weighed in a whopping 3,243 fish during the tournament. (Adam Lyons)
This year, the rodeo brought together 3,734 anglers and a total of 3,243 fish were weighed during the tournament.
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The previous Alabama state record for the largest bull shark catch was set in 2015 at 448 pounds.
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