Blacktip Sharks
 

So, I've read the regulations, and it seems that a blacktip shark needs to be 54" to keep. First off, are they good to eat? Second, is it possible to catch one that big? I've caught several in the 20-30", but 54" seems pretty darn big. My trips to the beach are few and far between, so when I go down, I'd like to bring back some meat. So third, is there a special way to clean them? I hear sharks secrete something into the meat if you throw them in the cooler or something.

We've soaked a lot of mullet and never caught a keeper. Meat hauls from the beach are dominated by bull reds with a side of gafftops followed by a smattering of black drum and slot reds. We've fished lots of LA beaches by boat, and you get the same basic mix even out deeper than most people can cast from shore. Shark fishing for the big ones is a specialized deal. We never had much interest in that game, just seeing if we could learn how to add some to the box while redfishing.

Thanks. That's pretty well exactly what I thought. I have some roadside trout holes if I really need meat. If I could just find a way to grab slot reds consistently, while on the beach, I'd be set!

From what Ive heard bigger sharks tend to come in close at night, that being said Ive seen some big ones on the east side of the state during the day fishing secluded beaches

Keeper from last weekend off the Jetties broke another one off

How would you go about keeping them fresh and not smelling like ammonia(so) ?

Careful with your shark ID. Many people mistake bull sharks for black tips. Bulls are also legal to keep at the 54" length. Bulls have more black tips than black tips do. Bulls have a black tip on their anal fin. Black tips do not. Bulls also have a more rounded snout versus the pointed snout of black tips.

Bull sharks also have a black trim on the back edge of their tail which black tips lack. DB correct me if im wrong.

Do they taste similar? And if so, what is the best method of cleaning? I'm going to try and make a couple trips down in the next couple months. Do you ever snag those biggies on the beach?

Caught it off the main jettie very near beach

try using a live bait that bleeding

Go fish the beaches in Venice @ south pass all the damn sharks you could want , can't tell you how many top water baits I've lost there to those damn things ! Also the rock beaches on east timbilier

I saw a 'keeper' at Elmer's last Friday, water was gin clear and it cruised by 2 feet from me, a little unnerving, probably all over but just can't see em when water is murky.

One time off fourchon beach in my boat, my buddy that was fishing with me was about to reach down to take a gafftop off his line, and a "keeper" came out of nowhere and smoked that fish. I think my buddy had to check his shorts after...

Haha. Yeah, I shudder to think what's roaming around near Holly Beach, even in that first cut.

Ive seen some big ones crashing bait on the banks on the south east end of BL last year and another 5-6' by the steam engine this year...Its pretty cool to watch em crashing bait coming out the shallow water


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As long as you aren't wade fishing while they are doing it lol