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Community Corner

La Jolla High Alum Turns Into a Shark Man

Capt. Brett McBride talks to Patch about his National Geographic Channel series.

La Jolla grad Capt. Brett McBride is not only a fishing boat captain and “shark wrangler,” he’s also front and center of the National Geographic Channel’s Shark Men, which just wrapped season two. Shark Men marries science and sport fishing for an unparalleled, hands-on research effort to study wild Great White sharks.

Over the past 14 years, McBride has fished from Alaska to Central America as a leading member of ESPN2's Offshore Adventures and in the past seven years, has won or placed in numerous billfishing tournaments. He teamed up with Chris Fischer, a well-known outdoor television personality and conservationist, as the expedition leader for Shark Men.

Recently, the Shark Men expedition crew was responsible for hauling up, and releasing, what the team says is the biggest Great White shark caught to date, coming in at 17.9 feet long, which breaks the team’s previous record of 16.8 feet. The giant male fish was found off Mexico’s Guadalupe Island, just south of San Diego’s Pacific coast, in the fall of 2009. They named him "Apache," after McBride’s family dog.  

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In the spirit of Shark Week, Patch caught up with McBride, who lives in Poway with his wife and two kids, to learn a little more about this "shark wrangler's" impressive career.

Patch: When did you first become interested in sharks?

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Capt. Brett McBride: I started fishing in salt water at age 5. I was probably already infatuated with sharks, like most kids. That was when there were still Blue Sharks everywhere you looked. Not too many of them around to be found anymore. I remember when I was probably 6 years old, finding a dead bird and saving it in my freezer so that I could use it as shark bait on my next trip. I have a 6-year-old boy now and that is exactly the type of thing he would do too.

Patch: How did you get your start?

McBride: I got my start working on boats when I was 12 years old. I had been mentored by Don Sansome and Buzz Brizendine, who are local, well-respected captains. Buzz worked for Don as his second captain since I started fishing and when he made the move to buy his own boat he gave me a shot at working for him as a “pinhead,” which means you work for free. I worked weekends during school and when summer arrived I was full time. I worked through junior high and high school, and when I graduated from in 1985, I started working on long-range yacht fishers and would travel between Central America and Alaska. I moved to Cabo San Lucas shortly after that and called Cabo home for the next 21 years.

Patch: What are some of the other things you have done, leading up to Shark Men?

McBride: Aside from Shark Men, I also made an outdoor television show on ESPN2 called Offshore Adventures. Offshore Adventures was the No. 1 rated fishing show for 14 seasons. The show was a combination of travel, gourmet cooking of fresh seafood, fishing and spearfishing. We filmed as we traveled together throughout the Eastern Pacific, from Alaska to Ecuador and some Caribbean.

Patch: How did you meet Chris Fischer? Have you worked on other projects together?

McBride: Chris and I met when I had a friend of mine call me and ask if I would temporarily run Chris' sport fishing boat while he took a break. I said "yes" and flew to Ixtapa, Mexico, where the boat was docked. I met Chris and we started fishing together. As it turned out, my captain friend decided it was too much work for him, and Chris offered me full-time employment. I talked Chris into tournament fishing, a bigger boat and, then, into making a fishing/diving/cooking show. We have become very good friends over the years.

Patch: Why do you think there is such an interest in sharks, leading to season two for Shark Men?

McBride: I think people are becoming more aware of the plight of sharks. There are approximately 80 million sharks killed every year just for their fins. We are trying to help create more awareness through the show. We also have a nonprofit side—OCEARCH.org—dedicated to advocating for change on a global level, working with governments to understand their resources and to implement laws to protect their waters.

Patch: When you go out on fishing expeditions, how long are the trips? And what do you miss most?

McBride: Our trips are usually 2-3 weeks long. The boat is constantly at sea and we have a full-time crew of seven. When I'm on a trip, the thing I miss the most is my family. I used to spend almost 300 days a year on the water, but now I have a co-captain, which allows me to spend much more time at home.

My favorite part of the trip is probably when we are working the hardest. The work is tiring and can be stressful, but I do like to work hard and get a sense of accomplishment from it. Getting back to port is always a good part too, of course, since I get to see my family again.

Patch: What would you say has been your greatest career achievement?

McBride: I think that the work we are doing right now has been my greatest achievement. We figured out the life cycle of the Great White shark. For 50 years, what has been written about Great Whites in text books has been faulted and therefore any laws that could be put in place would not be helpful. It's nice to be part of something that is so important and a noble cause.

Patch: Tell us about your family?

McBride: My wife’s name is Gabby; my daughter, Sofia, is 8 years old and my son, Nico, is 6 years old. They both attend Midland Elementary School (in Poway). I recently did a presentation for their classes on the Shark Men series. The kids are so much fun to talk to about sharks. I plan on giving presentations for as many schools as I can this coming school year.

Patch: What do you like to do for fun, or during your off time?

McBride: For fun on my own time, I like to fish, dive, surf and hunt. I spend lots of time with my kids when I'm not on the boat. I ride bikes with my kids around Old Poway Park.

Patch: What’s your next project? How long are you home for?

McBride: My next project will most likely be tagging Hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos Islands, then a trip across the Pacific to New Zealand and Australia, where we will help the scientists over there to learn more about their sharks.

Right now I am on a long break, while we put the boat in the boat yard for some maintenance work. The boat is currently in Key West, FL, where I will fly to and relieve my co-captain.

(Reruns of Shark Men air on the National Geographic Channel. Check your local listings for channels.)

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