Sports Page 6 D/E/N/C www.sunnewspapers.net SPORTS The Sun /Wednesday, February 4, 2009 Wednesday, February 4, 2009/ The Sun SPORTS www.sunnewspapers.net D/E/N/C Sports Page 7 THE BLACKTIP CHALLENGE As the news chopper swirls overhead filming, a steady stream of sharks swim just a few hundred feet off of the beach on ONSTER AN Florida’s east coast. It’s a familiar scene to M M Floridians. It tends to frighten visitors. It also conjures up images of Chief Brody the RUE IFE running down the beach of Amity scream- A T -L ing “GET OUT OF THE WATER!” This “inva- sion” draws FISH TALE media attention IF YOU GO brothers and creates a • What: The AXTON Blacktip Challenge, P stir among the public every year land-based shark around this time. fishing tournament. But it’s not an • When: Saturday invasion. It’s an through Feb.13. annual northern • Where: From & migration that Vero Beach south to In taking a bite out of life, two North Port brothers have sharks on the brain has taken place Ft. Lauderdale. All Lynyrd Skynyrd), Blue Oyster Cult Sean found out about his return. since long before fishing must be con- ducted exclusively tanding in the and the Doobie Brothers among The brothers immediately booked a humans them- selves invaded from the beach. back of a jam- others. Sean and Brooks have been charter with him in june to fish • How: The tourna- to all 50 states, hung out with the aboard the Cricket II — a boat that, Florida’s beach- packed movie es. And it’s the ment is open to the likes of Buddy Rich and Axl Rose (to later on, they would eventually help perfect time to public with an entry theater in the name a few) and appeared on the restore and put back in Mundus’ do a little land- fee of $50. final season of the TV show hands. But Tropical Storm Cindy based fishing. Registration and summer of “Melrose Place.” They jokingly refer snuck up the coast and altered the For the sec- entry fee must be received by 8 p.m. 1975, Sean Paxton was to the 1990s as the “Forest Gump” course of their time with Mundus — ond consecutive S year, the Blacktip on Friday. years, the time when they found for the better. • For more infor- about to watch the themselves. Challenge will “The real Capt. Quint, on the real take place mation and com- movie that would forev- “I kept saying, ‘Where’s Tom “jaws” boat, in Montauk where it all Saturday through plete rules and regu- er change his life and Hanks? He’s gotta be around here started ... couldn’t go,” Sean said. Feb. 13 from lations, or to register, somewhere man,”’ Sean said. “Best thing that ever could have Vero Beach to Ft. visit www.black- that of his brother, They have had family in North happened.” Lauderdale. tipchallenge.com Brooks Paxton II. That Port since the 1970s, and have been While the storm put a damper on Blacktip neighbors there for 10 years. When their outing after sharks, the broth- Challenge creator and director josh movie was “jaws,” and they are not on the road, they like jorgensen, from Windsor, Canada, got the ers spent the next three days getting idea for the tournament after experiencing it would eventually lead coming home to family and the to know Mundus. Shark minds the way some other land-based tourna- quiet atmosphere North Port has to think alike. A friendship quickly ments were run. them to the man who offer. blossomed on the common ground “I was frustrated with other tournaments. singlehandedly pio- Oh, and of course, the fishing. that Sean and Brooks shared with I was frustrated with the way they were run, “I love living on the water,” the “Monster Man.” Later on in his they were inefficient, so I decided to start neered the sport of Brooks said. “We catch anything career, Mundus became an advo- my own tournament,” jorgensen said. back here (on the canal) from tar- The inaugural event saw 14 anglers shark fishing. The real cate for the conservation of sharks, catch 156 sharks. The biggest brute was a life Quint. The “Monster pon to snook to redfish. Even seen and ecouraged the use of circle 6’8’’ bull shark. The number of anglers com- bull sharks cruising back there.” hooks. peting this year has already doubled. Man.” Their first adventures fishing for “Great guy; great storyteller,” And this year, the Paxton brothers will be “jaws” became the jump-off point sharks were with their grandfathers, Brooks said. “Always had a joke for catching all the action. Literally. Sean and that kickstarted a lifelong obsession john Paxton and jerome Larkin, in you.” Brooks will ditch their rods and reels for with sharks for the brothers from Chesapeake Bay off of Delaware. “One of the best. A man’s man. video cameras to document the tournament. North Port. They got started angling at an early jorgensen enlisted the help of the Paxton Big heart,” Sean added. “He brothers, experienced wildlife videogra- “It was so bombastically scary, age, “As soon as we could walk and reminded us of our grandfathers.” phers, to capture this innovative event on and then that fear just turned into hold a pole,” Brooks said. And just like their grandfathers film. While a majority of shark tournaments fascination after awhile,” Sean said. showed them the ropes of angling, are boat-based “kill” tournaments, where And that fascination led the THE ILSFA Mundus gave them a clinic in shark anglers must haul their sharks back to the brothers to a life of understanding fishing. From how to fight a fish dock to be weighed, the Blacktip Challenge and respecting sharks, as well as To unify the sport and its anglers without tiring, to the importance of is catch-and-release — with a scientific bringing together recreational fish- twist. through the compilation and recog- listening, Sean and Brooks soaked That’s where the “Pit Stop” comes in. ermen and the scientific communi- nition of world records, while also up all they could from the greatest “This tournament also requires the mea- ty through the International Land- promoting — through research, edu- there was. suring of the girth, and the fork and the Based Shark Fishing Association. cation and practice — responsible “Too many things to even put total length, as well as the tagging and enjoyment and stewardship of our into words,” Brooks said. releasing of these fish,” Sean said. THE BROTHERS marine and coastal resources. Sean’s most memorable shark- Snap a quick photo afterward and you’ve That is the mission statement of fishing moment came in 2006 while just completed the “Pit Stop.” Then, as Sean, 42, and Brooks, 38, are orig- Brooks pointed out, the best way to release the ILSFA, and something the out with Mundus off Montauk 20 the shark is to grab it by the tail and drag it inally from johnstown, Pa., about 45 Paxton brothers, founding fathers, years to the day after Mundus back into the surf to swim away no worse minutes east of Pittsburgh. And you take to heart. caught the “Big Boy.” To be a part of for the wear. I don’t even think Dale can bet they enjoyed watching the “In the sport of land-based shark the anniversary of the “Greatest Earnhardt Jr.’s crew could do that in under Steelers win their sixth Super Bowl. fishing there’s guys doing amazing SUN PHOTO BY MATT STEVENS, [email protected] Catch Ever Made” is nothing short 15 seconds. They grew up running through things with very large specimens: 13 Sean, left, and Brooks Paxton II with their beach shark-fishing setups on the dock of Sean’s home in North Port. The brothers founded the International Land-Based Shark Fishing Association, and of amazing. The brothers each have The tagging process is what makes this the woods of Pennsylvania with ft. hammerheads, tiger sharks, guys spent time with the “Monster Man” himself, Frank Mundus. Pictured at upper right: Brooks Paxton II holds a 20/0 circle hook given to him by Frank Mundus. Pictured at upper left, the Paxton a necklace with a tooth from the tournament unique. The tags are part of the their brothers, Tom and Scott, and from South Africa catching great Brothers (Brooks left, Sean right) documenting and research tagging a blacktip shark prior to release in Feb. 2007 during an expedition on the east coast of Florida near Fort Pierce where they suc- bottom jaw of that shark. Talk about National Marine Fisheries Service cessfully did so with 22 blacktip and bull sharks in 10 hours of land-based shark fishing. (photo provided by the Paxton Brothers). Above Cooperative Shark Tagging Program. The shared a love of outdoor sports, whites and releasing them in the a keepsake. just to sit there and program, initiated in 1962, relies on recre- exploring and adventure. But music surf,” Sean said. “It’s a sport that we hold it, I was awestruck. I can only ational and commercial fishermen to gather and a very tight-knit family played fell in love with, and we just increasing trend in catch-and- brothers rely on when it comes to Sean said. “Don’t be stupid.” the beach. ever caught on rod and reel. hope a little of the “Monster Man’s” data from sharks. Since its inception, the pivotal roles in their lives. Their thought there should be a way to release fishing in regard to sharks.