Fish guide
Atlantic Sharpnose Shark
Rhizoprionodon terraenovae. Also called Sharpnose.
Not a target here: FishOS has not checked the local shark fishing rules for TX yet. Release any shark caught by accident.
Showing the fish for Upper Texas coast, Galveston.
Season in Upper Texas
TPWD Sea Rim tip sheet: Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip and bonnethead group in the surf in summer. (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
The summer surf.
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
Texas counts sharpnose in a shared all-shark bag; see the regulations file. Not subject to the Horry County ban (that rule is SC only).
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 TX limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department before you keep a fish.
Sources
- TPWD Sea Rim State Park fishing tip sheet, PWD LF P4504-055I (1/26), with a surf/marsh season column per species (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)