Walter Maxwell's 1964 tiger shark remains tied for the all-tackle world record, an astonishing feat achieved not from a purpose-built vessel, but from a South Carolina fishing pier. According to a story originally published in the April 1984 issue of Outdoor Life, this legendary catch, made on June 14, 1964, off Cherry Grove pier north of Myrtle Beach, stands alongside a shark caught off Ulladulla, Australia in March 2004, cementing its place in angling history. While most tiger shark line-class records hail from Australia, Maxwell's fish, along with another from Florida, are notable exceptions.
Maxwell, a stonemason, meticulously prepared for such an encounter. His tackle included a formidable Penn Senator 16/0 reel, described as the size of a bowling ball, spooled with 1,400 yards of 130-pound-test Ashaway Dacron line. The rod, custom-built by his friend Jim Michie, utilized a 39-thread Shakespeare fiberglass blank fitted with Mildrum guides. A multi-strand wire leader and 14/0 hooks completed the terminal tackle. Maxwell’s personal gear included a custom-made shoulder harness crafted by M.C. Meetze from half a cowhide with one-inch-wide leather straps, coupled with a wide leather rod belt featuring a rod butt socket. These specialized components were crucial for battling an adversary estimated to be four times his own 190-pound body weight.
The preceding day, Saturday, June 13, presented an intense precursor. A massive tiger shark took Maxwell's bait around 2 p.m. The reel’s rapid-fire click signaled the strike, and Maxwell, bracing himself, allowed the shark its initial strong, steady run for several hundred yards. Despite his efforts to fight the shark back to the pier multiple times over an hour, the fish proved formidable. When brought alongside the pier, Jim Michie, equipped with a 16-foot fiberglass vaulter’s pole attached to a huge gaff hook, attempted to secure it. Michie quickly realized the shark, estimated at 18 feet and 2,500 pounds, was "green" — fresh and untired. The gaff pulled free, and the shark escaped, pole still embedded. Maxwell, despite the loss, maintained his focus on the sport and the ambition of a world record.
After a night of rain squalls and heavy seas, Sunday dawned fair. Baits were again deployed, with a large skate set on a 14/0 hook for Maxwell. As the afternoon progressed, another significant strike occurred. Maxwell’s reel clicked, and though not in gear, the shark surged out on a straight, powerful run, surpassing the previous day's encounter. Approximately 30 yards off the pier, near the surf, the colossal fish dramatically leaped clear of the water, a spectacle that shocked both anglers and spectators. With his rod butt seated in his belly plate and the reel drag locked, Maxwell was immediately pulled forward and down onto the pier’s deck, initiating the legendary struggle that would etch his name into the record books.
