One of the scariest and most endangered fish in the world is hooking onto lines in our local waterways, in a historic catch that is so rare, it’s making angler news worldwide. “I don’t know who wouldn’t freak out if they saw something like that in the water.” said Zach Miller, Team Rebel Fishing Crew member, “when you can see something move 12 feet in a blink of an eye hit a rock and break it, it’s kind of scary.”
Some call it a shark, with a giant blade jutting from its head. Others say it’s in a pre-historic class all its own.
The giant sawfish is so elusive and extremely endangered, it’s a once in a lifetime occasion to have ever seen one in the water. But, the powerful fish is now making history on the Treasure Coast, with 3 recent catches of the marine giant that can grow to 30 feet long.
CBS12’s Jana Eschbach met up with the professional fishermen, Zach Miller, who with his Team Rebel Fishing Crew, made history this week in Stuart.
To understand how rare this is, you have to go back in history. In the early 1900s, sawfish were as common as the local snook.
“In the last 100 years since people started commercial netting and putting crab traps out throughout the United States and the world.” Zach said, “Their long saw with all their teeth on it allows them to get trapped in nets and entangled in nets and crab trap line. They struggle, drown and die.”
The sawfish became protected, then endangered, with only a few thousand left in the world — 3,400 are believed to remain. Most of them are in southwest Florida.
But now this is the hot spot: The Stuart Causeway.
“It was the worst encounter I have ever had in my life.” Zach said, “Something is going on right here in our local waters.”
His Team Rebel Fishing crew landed 3 rare massive sawfish right here, 3 nights in a row.
“You’ve got people from all over the world calling you because of this?” Jana asks.
“Absolutley, that’s how big of a deal this is. Thats how endangered they are.” Zach said, “To catch 3 in 3 nights especially that size and proportion is completely unheard of.”
The first week in July, Team Rebel Fishing, known for its shark fishing worldwide, hooked their first sawfish.
“I’ve caught 1,000 sharks maybe in my life up to 1,200 pounds, and these things were the meanest animal I’ve ever seen,” Zach tells us about his grueling catch. “We fought one of the three for 5 hours, and it took 5 of us to fight it for 5 hours. That was the biggest one.”
Weighing in at close to 750 pounds and 15 feet long, the sawfish was powerful.
After that, Team Rebel was hooked, and thought, well let’s try again.
And in 3 nights with 3 catches, they did. Zach Miller’s Team Rebel made history. Read more and see video of interview….