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Fish guide

Bull Shark

Carcharhinus leucas.

A stout gray bull shark with a short, broad, rounded snout swimming in murky green water

Not a target here: FishOS has not checked the local shark fishing rules for GA yet. Release any shark caught by accident.

Showing the fish for Georgia coast, GA.

Season in Georgia

Peak months: Jul, Aug.

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Florida Museum: bull sharks move north along the coast in summer and return south as coastal water cools. GA DNR winter: sharks leave the sounds. (Our inference)

Season by region

Myrtle Beach
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Charleston
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Georgia
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Northeast Florida
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Alabama
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Lower Texas
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Where to find them

Deep holes and drop-offs at inlets and sounds, and the bottom off the beach in summer.

On the bottom in deeper holes, inlet mouths and drop-offs.

What to look for

Very stout gray shark with a short, broad, rounded snout and small eyes; no ridge between the dorsal fins.

Bait

Large cut menhaden or mullet, Cut stingray, Large cut bluefish. Heavy fish-finder rig with a 6 to 16 oz spider weight, steel or heavy mono leader, large non-offset, non-stainless circle hook (around 16/0), 100 to 200 lb line.

Leader

Soft steel or heavy wire leader; circle hooks around 16/0.

Common mistakes

  • Fishing gear too light to end the fight quickly
  • Trying to land a big shark on the sand instead of releasing it in the water
  • Putting hands near the mouth

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

Georgia shark rules apply; see the regulations file. Release any shark you cannot identify for certain.

Typical: 6 to 8 ft. Large: Over 10 ft. SC record 477 lb 12 oz (Stono Inlet, 1985).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the GA limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division before you keep a fish.

Sources

All the fish of Georgia

Bull Shark: season, lures and limits | FishOS