EXHIBIT: FRANK MUNDUS COLLECTION
For over 50 years Frank Mundus chartered his boat Cricket II catching some of the largest sharks ever recorded, off Montauk, New York. His vessel often had a multi-season wait list for a chance to catch the giant sharks he'd dubbed "Monster Fish". His largest monster, a 17-foot Great White Shark weighing 3,427 pounds, in some record books still remains the largest fish ever caught by rod and reel.
Mundus moved to Montauk from New Jersey in 1951 to pursue a career catching groundfish (Striped Bass, Black Seabass, Bluefish etc). However drawn to the adventurous tales of Zane Grey and the like, he also chased tuna and billfish. At that time these species were under heavy fishing pressure and it was not in the best interest of business to charter for the “chance” to catch game fish. As the story goes, Mundus hooked a large shark and realized that they were just as exciting to chase! Beyond tuna and billfish, there were no other fish larger than a thousand pounds to take their place. It had to be shark. He was then tasked with finding a way to popularize the catching of sharks. Sharks were not considered a mainstream consumable product in the United States and therefore not financially viable. The answer had to be wrapped up in the promotion of adventure. Frank would find the biggest sharks he could and hang them at the dock. Hundreds of people would come from all around to see his catches, translating into free advertising. Thus, Monster Fishing was born.
Frank’s colorful reputation made him an instant inspiration for the infamous shark fisherman known as Quint in the film Jaws (1975). Peter Benchley, the book’s author, spent several trips aboard the Cricket II. Though he never gave Mundus credit for the character muse, elements of his fishing methods wove their way into the prose and final shooting script. The infamous yellow barrels that took the place of the shark when the “shark wasn’t working” were actually pulled directly by Spielberg from Frank’s book Sportfishing for Sharks. Frank would use these barrels to slow down the largest sharks and keep them at the surface.
In the years before his passing, Frank Mundus came to realize that sharks were disappearing from his fishing grounds, and had a change of heart. He began to advocate for catch & release tournament methods, as well as lend his experience in the early development and deployment of shark tagging technology, as well as improved fishing gear that was safer for the shark. Mundus is considered to be the first to make and deploy circle hooks (a modification of the traditional "J" hook), which will more reliably catch a shark in the corner of the mouth for safer removal.
His iconic boat, Cricket II, after a great deal of back and forth, has finally been restored and rehomed to New Bern, North Carolina. It has been reinstated by a non-profit under historical grants to be used as a rehabilitation fishing charter for US veterans.
