Fish guide
Blacktip Shark
Carcharhinus limbatus. Also called Blacktip.
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.
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. Blacktips at night at Johnnie Mercer's Pier in July 2021. (Our inference)
Season by region
| Myrtle Beach | JFMAMJJASOND |
|---|---|
| Southern NC | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Charleston | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Georgia | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Northeast Florida | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Space Coast | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Southeast Florida | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Florida Keys | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Alabama | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Upper Texas | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Middle Texas | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Lower Texas | JFMAMJJASOND |
Where to find them
Just past the breakers along the beach and around inlets, often where bait schools are being pushed.
Just past the breakers; fast and sometimes leaps and spins chasing bait schools.
What to look for
Black tips on the pectoral fins, first dorsal and lower tail lobe; white anal fin; no ridge between the dorsal fins (a ridge means it may be a prohibited sandbar).
Bait
Fresh cut mullet, Cut menhaden (bunker), Cut bluefish or other oily fish. 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; 8/0 to 12/0 non-offset circle hook.
Common mistakes
- Confusing a sandbar shark (prohibited) with a blacktip: check for the ridge between the dorsal fins
- Fighting the fish to exhaustion; keep fights short
- Dragging the shark up the dry sand
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; release prohibited species in the water.
Typical: 3 to 5 ft. Large: Over 6 ft. SC record 163 lb 14 oz (Hilton Head, 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
- Florida Museum, Discover Fishes: blacktip shark (Official source)
- Carolina Sportsman: King mackerel on fire at Johnnie Mercer's Pier (July 2021) (Angler knowledge)
- NOAA NCEI Coastal Water Temperature Guide: monthly average water temperatures, all stations (Official source)
- Kajiura and Tellman 2016, PLOS ONE: blacktip shark migration and water temperature (Official source)
- SCDNR Marine Resources Division: Sharks of South Carolina (2004 field guide; limits in it are outdated, see R2) (Official source)
- Carolina Sportsman: surf sharking in the dark (SC beaches) (Angler knowledge)
- SCDNR saltwater game fish records (Official source)