David Woods is a fishing guide with over 20 years of experience. He is the author of three books, offering expert fishing advice.
Many shark species in the Gulf of Mexico are medium-sized fish and not the apex predators at the top of the food chain like the larger bull and tiger sharks that get so much attention from the media. The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark is a common catch in the near-shore waters off South Padre Island, rarely exceeding twenty pounds.
They occupy a similar place in the food chain as mackerel or bluefish, feasting on shad, herring and menhaden as the forage fish follows nutrient-rich currents. Sharpnose sharks are abundant around beaches, platforms and wrecks. They are often caught by snapper boats and bottom fisherman targeting other species like red snapper. Sharpnose love squid, like most sharks do, and readily take baits intended for more desirable species.
Although they are not usually a target species, snapper and head boats nonetheless take advantage of schools of them when they find them as they are good eating, for sharks. Many species of shark have an undesirable flavor due to the way all sharks deal with dissipating ammonia and urea through their flesh and skin rather than through urine, meaning they have varying levels of off-flavor depending upon the species. The smallest sharks with the least carrion in their diet seemingly have the best flavor. Atlantic Sharpnose and Bonnethead Sharks, which feed primarily on crabs and other crustaceans, taste better than many large fish.
Targeting sharpnose sharks is simple. They love menhaden or similar oily fish live or cut. Sharpnose sharks are often an easy catch when you find yourself near a school because of their competitive feeding habits. Sharpnose are also easy to identify, with the white irregular spots present over their body.
With a thin and long build, no other local shark has similar features. Juvenile specimens, which are small, about 12”, have a black edge on their dorsal and caudal (tail) fin. Although sharpnose present little danger to humans, extreme caution should be exercised whenever removing any shark from a hook.
If you are purposefully fishing for sharks, you should use an appropriately long-handled dehooking device of your preference. There are many styles available. I prefer a stainless hook-out device for small sharks such as the Sharpnose.
Sharpnose sharks may be encountered in most months of the year at South Padre but the best fishing seasons are spring and summer. Although it is reported that breeding may occur at any time of year, we see the largest ripe females enter our waters in the spring and the pups hang around throughout summer. When they are born, they are around 12” long and by age three around 30” and sexually mature.
As with all shark species I prefer to catch and release them, but they are an abundant mid-level species that presents a renewable fish population for anglers to target. If they jumped like black-tips, I would consider them top-tier sportfish.
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