[Dino]

definitely a shortfin mako... there are some huge mako sharks in the Gulf of mexico and every spring for a few weeks they will come in tight to the beach along the west coast and panhandle of Florida specifcally to feed on the migration of tarpon and cobia up the coast. never nice to see a big breeder fish lying dead in the back of a pickup truck baking in the sun, but after reading the story I totally give these guys the benefit of the doubt. they are dedicated anglers who fish the surf for sharks. yes, you heard that right, this fish was caught off the surf! excellent achievement. to me, the biggest challenge to the stocks is still guys taking the small ones.. you will notice when people post a fishing report and quote a mako catch in inches instead of pounds--- that is for one reason.. they are embarassed to say they took a 65lb mako! looks a lot nicer to say they had an 72" mako. a story like this reminds us of what the ocean can produce, and what is there for the taking as fisherman, if we just give them the chance to grow for a few years. great catch from some good fisherman. i think the reason they were being a bit cagey about the catch instead of reporting it to news media is all the criticism they would catch from social media once it went viral.