[Toothy Critter]

Family and I came down last weekend and I had some quick luck. Fished from 4a.m. to 7:30a.m. Sat. morning and caught two 15 inch pompanos and a 6 ft plus blacktip on a casted bait. Sunday from 6p.m. to 7:30 p.m. I caught a 16inch bluefish, small pompano, and a 4ft plus blacktip, also on a casted bait. Both sharks were released unharmed. Several hardheads (catfish) and a few hardtails were also caught.

 

[GROUPERKING]

Welcome to the PFF. Thanks for the pompano report .

 

[Chris V]

Nice report and welcome!

 

[allen529]

Next time don't release the blacktips. I counted 12 separate sharks this morning at the end of the pier. I lost three hardtails and riggings to sharks before calling it quits. Only one king made to the pier alive. Two others were bitten in half just behind the head.

The sharks are horrible there without chumming and you're not allowed to land one on the pier which just encourages more sharks. No wonder when someone gets bit swimming they blame the local fishermen.

 

[straiders98]

Do not do this ^

 

[JerseyDevil13]

Concur with straiders98, no point killing them unless you're going to eat them.

 

[allen529]

Where do I say just kill them? I said don't release them as in harvest them too.

 

[Pier#r]

Glad to hear of some pompano this weekend. It was dead for me at Ft Morgan Saturday.

You probably did right releasing the smaller shark ("a 4 ft plus blacktip").
AL rec regs http://www.outdooralabama.com/images/file/Size_bag%20limits(5).pdf state 54" FL (30” dressed)

And the larger (legal) ones are tougher and probably high in mercury.
No doubt they are a PITA though, especially around the GSPPier.

 

[JerseyDevil13]

"Next time don't release the blacktips," that was the part that infers killing them. Your words, not mine.

 

[allen529]

Lol whatever. You don't know me or anything else. If I had meant to say kill them I would have said it. If I had meant to say kill them I might have suggested driving a nail through their heads or cutting off their tails. But I didn't did I? I said don't release them which could also imply aking them home with him.

Allen

 

[allen529]

Oh and its against the law to catch sharks on the pier or I would not release blacktips under 55" myself.

Allen

 

[JerseyDevil13]

Allen, too funny, no hard feelings. There are enough people out there who deserve hard feelings without getting into it with a fellow fisherman. Heck I could be fishing next to you tomorrow. Good luck and tight lines. I just have a soft spot for the toothy critters. Growing up I wasn't able to go after any of the glamorous deep water stuff, the biggest game I could go after were sharks. Had lots of fun with them so I try to let them go when I don't have the freezer space. I just still remember back when guys would kill them just to kill them and then leave them on the beach or in dumpsters or wherever to rot. Not the way for fish like that to go. Just out of curiosity, how far out on the pier did you see them? I used to catch sharks near a pier like this up in NJ where the rules were the same. We used to wait till the wind was blowing offshore and then drift baits to the sharks from the beach using balloons. That way you could hook them and then work them away from the pier as you landed them. Might be a solution to the problem....

 

[redfishreaper]

hey guys sense we are on the shark topick. i have ben interested in going fishing for black tip in the pass for a long time and was wondering what time of the year they are in the sound and what regulations are and if they are any good to keep or should i let them go?

 

[weedline]

if u wish to kill a shark that is legal and u eat it fine i have no problem there but some people dont like the urin flavor and i know all about gutting and bleeding them as soon as caught and they still taste like piss to me
with that said i rarely give fish away if i dont eat them or give them to close friends or family they go back so why should anyone tell this guy what to do with his fish he caught them had fun and let them go thats great
the biggest mistake out of towners make is keeping fish with no means or no use for them when they get home they kill before the fish is made of use of i mean if my neighbor said they want a shark i will kill them 1 but what good is 100 lbs of meat just looking for someone to take it this guy did good wish more people were like that

 

[straiders98]

I would say they're pretty much every where, all the time.

 

[allen529]

JerseyDevil, no problems brother. As to seeing them I have seen them (4'-8') within 75 yards of the shore but usually its about the first set of restrooms T area where there are fish cleaning stations. Everyone throws the offal into the water there and there is at least 2 8' blacktips or spinners there. One of the regulars said yesterday that he was seeing bull sharks hanging around more frequently too. I haven't seen any bulls sharks yet.

Allen

 

[JerseyDevil13]

Gotcha, I know right where you're talking about. It's no wonder they're hanging out there, sounds like its a continuous food trough for them. Guess I'll have to start watching the wind, might get a shot at the old balloon trick if the weather lines up with my days off.

 

[allen529]

JD, Give me a couple days warning through a PM and I will try to join you. But I have heard that there is a city ordnance against sharking from the beach. I do not know and am just repeating what I heard. It might be worthwhile checking before doing it.

Allen