Locals Bring in 200 Pound Mako Shark on Fishing Trip

A few local residents put their hobby of blue fish and striped bass fishing aside on Saturday and headed out to chase "bigger and better fish."

Dan Lemieux, 48, of Bristol said that he and friends Eric Larson, Tom Adams Sr. and Tom Adams Jr. woke up at 4 a.m. to go fishing for Tom Jr.'s Birthday. The crew had never been shark fishing before.

Fishing about 18 miles south of Newport on the North end of Coxes Ledge in Rhode Island Sound, the crew boated about a dozen blue sharks, but the eight foot Mako was their prized catch.

"It was marvelous!" said Tom Adams Sr., 59, who caught the Mako. "It's always great to fight the big ones!"

Adams' son and friends joked that the "old man" caught the shark, and they had to keep asking him if he was ready to let it go. 

"It took him about 30 minutes of fighting to get it on the boat," Lemieux said. "We asked him a couple times if he was ready to let it go, but he didn't want to hear it," he added laughing.

The crew later brought the shark to in Warren for a "photo shoot" where it will be cleaned so that the crew can share it for dinner.

Editor's Note: (Details for fishermen) The Mako was caught 13 miles East of Block Island, 18 Miles South of Newport on the North end of Coxes Ledge. The water temperature was approximately 71 degrees.