Black tip shark (I think)

[atcgriffin]

Caught this a couple of days ago off the coast of Virginia. I was using cut bait on a about a foot and a half wire leader. Outfitted on 10'6" tica 2, and penn battle 5000.
Getting him in from the surf was interesting to say the least.

 

[Bruce Culberson]

Looks like he has quite the set of chompers!

Are they considerded edible?

 

[dogwood dan]

I catch them off of st.simmons island ( off the Ga. Coast) every summer. They are very good grilled with olive oil salt pepper and garlick. A lot like sword fish. Thear is a red line down the side that one has to cut a way or they tast like Lowe tide in the marsh smells. In ga the legal limit is about 5' (last year it was 4') check local game and fish some of the big ones can contain nastys

 

[Swampdog]

Blacktip sharks are very edible. I usually keep the small ones (4ft. or less) and as soon as I catch one that I plan to keep for a meal: Cut the head and tail off and slit the belly open. Get all of the blood out of the carcass by washing it out in the saltwater and then put the carcass in a cooler with plenty of ice to cover the meat. When you get home take the carcass out of the cooler and (leave the skin on) cut the meat up into 2 inch thick steaks. Soak the steaks in a bucket of ice and water with one OUNCE of lemon juice for every POUND of shark steak. The lemon juice helps release the blood out of the meat which is very important to get the amonia (urine) odor out of the meat. Let the steaks sit overnight soaking in the ice water/lemon juice. When ready to cook them, take the steaks out of the bucket, rinse the steaks in fresh, clean water, and put them on a tray to dry the meat off. Rub a little bit of butter, black pepper and garlic salt into the meat. Throw the steaks on a nice hot grill and watch the steaks cook. As the meat becomes whiter in color flip them over on the other side, when you can peel the skin off of the meat with a fork the meat is done. ENJOY!

 

[braillediver]

Doesn't seem like the normal range for a Black Tip shark.

 

[chopchop]

Nice catch!

That looks more like a sandbar shark to me than a blacktip. Based on the location, it could also be a dusky shark, but the dorsal fin looks more sandbar like to me in your pics.

Blacktips usually have very prominent dark tips on all their fins (pectoral, dorsal, anal,tail), though juveniles might not have clear markings. Also, the head & body are a little more thin and the upper lobe of the tail has a little more curve to it.

It's old, but you might find this little pamphlet interesting: "Sharks of Virginia Waters"

 

[dogwood dan]

The waters off the coast of south GA (around ST. Simmons Island) are a nursery for black tips, hammer heads and bonnet heads, sand sharks are also seen their but are protected. I don't know why it is not part of there range maybe it is a coelacanth kind of thing but they are down there and the limit is enforced.