Hilton Head guide hooks 3000-pound great white shark

Caught, tagged, released 9.5-foot male great white soon after

How would you like to catch a great white shark, and how far do you think you’d have to travel to do it? You’ll have a pretty good shot at it if you book a trip with Outcast Fishing Charters in…Hilton Head Island. Yes, that’s Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where Capt. Chip Michalove hooked two great whites in one day last week, landing (and releasing) one, a 9.5-foot male.

The other shark Michalove’s crew hooked was the proverbial big one that got away. Some suggest it could have been Mary Lee, the large female great white made famous by OCEARCH, which electronic emitters show has been off South Carolina’s coast as recently as Nov. 11, three days before the Outcast’s two-shark day.

“It’s the largest great white I’ve ever seen out there,” said Michalove, who estimated the shark to weigh over 3000 pounds.

Once hooked up to the big great white, Michalove, who has called Hilton Head Island home since he was a teenager in the early ‘90s, said the shark ripped off a quick 400 yards of line before she even knew she was hooked. While battling the shark and talking things over with his crew on how to handle the tagging of the shark, the line went slack. The massive shark had slipped free from the hook.

Feeling disheartened, The Outcast crew almost headed in for the day, but they dug deep down and decided to give it another go. And it’s a good thing they did. One of Michalove’s crew members hooked into another great white shark a little while later, and while this one wasn’t nearly as big, it’s the first male of the species that they’ve caught, and it was no slouch at 9.5 feet in length.

Luckily, Michalove was able to tag this one, making it the third great white he has tagged. The tags track the shark’s movements, and send data to scientists at the Atlantic White Shark Conservacncy, helping them learn more about great whites. And according to Michalove, that’s what his goal is in catching these big sharks, which he always releases.

If you’d like to find out more about Outcast Fishing Charters, or would like to book a trip, click here. Michalove (843-290-0371) is gearing up for the winter fishing, which he said is best for big sharks. And he said this time of year is considerably slower than the warm months, so he has trips available.