Fish guide
Atlantic Sharpnose Shark
Rhizoprionodon terraenovae. Also called Sharpnose.
Not a target here: FishOS has not checked the local shark fishing rules for NC yet. Release any shark caught by accident.
Showing the fish for Southern North Carolina coast.
Season in Southern NC
Peak months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
FishOS's Myrtle Beach chart for this species (same Carolina beach type, about 60 to 150 miles south) carried north with slightly cooler water: NCEI averages at Wrightsville Beach are 52 to 58 F December to February and 78 to 83 F June to September. (Our inference)
Season by region
| Myrtle Beach | JFMAMJJASOND |
|---|---|
| Southern NC | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Charleston | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Georgia | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Northeast Florida | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Upper Texas | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Lower Texas | JFMAMJJASOND |
Where to find them
Along the beach on the bottom, in the first trough and just past the bar, and around inlets.
On the bottom just past the breakers and in the first trough; often in schools of similar size.
What to look for
Small gray-brown shark with white spots on the back and sides, long pointed snout, first dorsal fin set well behind the pectoral fins.
Bait
Fresh cut mullet, Cut menhaden (bunker), Shrimp or squid for small ones. Fish-finder rig cast just past the breakers: steel leader, non-offset, non-stainless circle hook (required in SC with natural bait), 50 to 80 lb braid on a 10 to 15 ft surf rod.
Leader
Steel leader, as SC surf shark anglers use.
Common mistakes
- Using a J hook or offset circle hook with bait (SC requires non-offset, non-stainless circle hooks)
- Dragging the shark up the dry sand
- Keeping a shark you cannot identify
Landing
Lead it into the shallow wash and keep it in the water there. Do not drag it up the dry sand or lift it by the tail.
Handling
- Teeth
- Abrasive skin
- Sudden thrashing
Keep it in the water: do not drag it up the beach and keep hands away from the mouth and gills. If the hook is deep or you would have to reach near the mouth, cut the leader as close to the hook as you can; carry a cutter that can cut the leader or hook. Prohibited sharks (sandbar, sand tiger, dusky and others) must be released without removing them from the water; treat any shark you cannot identify as prohibited.
Keep or release
Check NC and federal shark rules.
Typical: 2 to 3 ft. Large: Up to about 3.5 ft (rarely more). SC record 13 lb 5 oz (Murrells Inlet, 2009).
Limits
FishOS has not checked the NC limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the NC Division of Marine Fisheries before you keep a fish.
Sources
- NOAA Fisheries: Atlantic sharpnose shark (Official source)
- NOAA NCEI Coastal Water Temperature Guide: monthly average water temperatures, all stations (Official source)
- SCDNR Marine Resources Research Institute: shark research (estuary arrival and departure temperatures) (Official source)
- SCDNR Marine Resources Division: Sharks of South Carolina (2004 field guide; limits in it are outdated, see R2) (Official source)
- Florida Museum, Discover Fishes: Atlantic sharpnose shark (Official source)
- SCDNR saltwater game fish records (Official source)