Sawfish caught, released on Sanibel
Siblings Jason Burke, McKenna Burke and Gabriel Burke, 17, all of Deltona, accidentally hooked a smalltooth sawfish on Aug. 4 at about 10:30 p.m. while fishing from shore at the Signal Inn on Sanibel. Their mother, Heather Burke, reported that it took about 45 minutes to reel in the fish, which was then safety released. The sawfish measured about 13 feet. Burke contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission about the catch. The FWC asks that the public report sawfish sightings and catches for research on the species. The family was vacationing on Sanibel, which it has done for 20 years. Burke added that her children were excited and shocked about the catch and later joked that they will have to get rid of all their fishing gear and take up bird watching because they will never top it. To report a big catch, contact 239-472-1587 or trepecki@breezenewspapers.com. To report a sawfish sighting or catch to the FWC, visit https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fish/sawfish/contact/.