Shark Fishing Adventure in Sea Isle City, NJ

Blacktip Shark

Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus Limbatus) Description

Blacktip Sharks, another species of requiem shark-like their blue cousin, are known for the little black markings on the tip of their fins. Unlike the Blue Shark, however, they’re stouter and have longer gill slits. They also don’t have a ridge near their dorsal fins. Like most sharks, they have a long snout and a single dorsal fin. However, the Blacktip Shark’s dorsal fin also has a slight slope with a pointed-edge behind the dorsal fin.

The Blacktip Shark despite being stout is actually quite robust and streamlined to handle swimming in deeper waters. It has smaller eyes which makes it more reliant on the scent. Its body is similar to that of the Spinner Shark but genetically, it’s more similar to the Blacknose Shark which may be where it inherited the black markings.
 

Blacktip Shark Diet and Size

Blacktip Sharks have a variety of food in their diet. Most of their diet involves fish. Some of these fish include sardines, herring, anchovy, mackerel, groupers, and flatfish. However, in some parts of the world particularly in the Gulf of Mexico, they seem to have a preference for Atlantic Croaker.
Blacktip Sharks grow up to an average of 1.5 m (4.9 ft). However, they have a maximum reported length of 2.8 m (9.2 ft) weighing 271 lbs.
 

Interesting Facts about the Blacktip Shark

• Blacktip Sharks are known for jumping on boats!
  • They have an excitable personality and they’re quite sociable too which makes them more prone to feeding frenzies when they smell their favorite food.
• Despite being excitable, Blacktip Sharks can be quite timid and prefer watching from afar.
  • Because of their timid nature, Blacktip Sharks can lose out to the Galapagos Sharks.
• Blacktip Sharks are known for their agonistic response especially when they confront another shark.
• Blacktip Sharks are known for jumping high up into the air. They can reach up to 21 ft per second!
• Like the Blue Shark, the Blacktip Shark’s timid nature makes it an easy target for finning.
   

Blacktip Shark – Fishing Techniques: How to Fish for a Blacktip Shark

When fishing for a Blacktip Shark, you’re going to need a heavy braided-line. You’ll need equipment that can handle at least 20-50 pounds and some circle hooks to make sure the connections don’t snap. Using a braided line makes fishing for a Blacktip Shark more forgiving especially if they become quite excitable.

Once you have your equipment, start setting up different lines to reel them in. Blacktip Sharks are known to patrol areas where they can find their preferred fish, making them loiter around artificial reefs. After that, bring out the chum. Using mackerel, herring, and their other preferred fish, pound it to paste and begin seasoning the water. That usually means pouring down the chum into the water where they can detect it. Other anglers also suggest using live sardines since they’re oily.

Fish that are oily and strong-smelling are a preferred bait for catching a Blacktip Shark.
 

Blacktip Shark Habitat and Distribution

Blacktip Sharks can be found in the tropical waters of Massachusetts and Brazil.  However, they are also found near the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. Blacktip Sharks were also spotted at the boundary of the Indian Ocean.

In the waters, however, Blacktip Sharks are often swimming in 98ft worth of water and usually stay in over continental and insular shelves. However, sometimes they can be found in 210 ft. They also prefer muddy bays and island lagoons.

Blue Shark

Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) Fish Description

The Blue Shark, considered one of the most beautiful among the shark species, is torpedo-shaped (fusiform) which allows them to cut through the water at insane speeds. Its name comes from its body being a deep blue which slowly turns white as it reaches its underbelly. A Blue Shark’s body is counter-shaded, meaning both its top and backside are colored in a way to make sure predators don’t get it. Despite being part of a group of Apex Predators, Blue Sharks are often attacked by Killer Whales and can be bullied by dolphins.

Like all sharks, a Blue Shark has a single dorsal fin which is essential for its balance in the water. It has a pair of matching pectoral fins. Blue Sharks have a deeply forked tail fin with two anal fins at the bottom with a smaller fin on top. Near their heads, they have deep ridges that serve as their gills. They also have long snouts which they use to detect blood from vast distances. 
 

Blue Shark Diet

Blue Sharks are carnivorous but curiously prefer a more piscine diet. They love eating tuna from which they get their calcium from. Blue sharks also feast on crabs, lobsters, cuttlefish, and squid. At times, if there’s an unlucky seagull, it’ll eat that too. Their triangular teeth allow them to shred through their prey while their torpedo-shaped body is made to catch up with them.
 

Blue Shark Size

Blue Sharks can grow quite big. Male Blue Sharks can weigh 60 to 121 lbs whereas females can weigh from 205 lbs to 401 lbs. On average, a Blue Shark can grow between 7.2 ft to 10.8 ft. However, there were some cases where Blue Sharks can grow up to 12 ft.
 

Interesting Facts about the Blue Shark

• Sadly, the Blue Shark often gets a bad reputation for attacking humans because of its Great White cousin.
  • Over the years, there have been only reported 13 attacks in which 4 have been reported fatal.
• The Blue Shark, because of its curious nature, has made it susceptible to finning.
  • Finning is when anglers cut off the fins of the shark and throw the Blue Shark back into the sea, leaving them to drown to death.
    • Many organizations often tried to stop finning but to no avail. Some still illegally fish for shark's fin due to the high demand for shark’s fin in Chinese cuisine.
  • The Blue Shark is only one of the many species that get finned for Shark’s Fin Dumpling and Soup. Other species include Blacktip, Hammerhead, Porbeagle, Spinner, Mako, Sandbar, and the Bull.
• Blue Sharks are even attacked by their own cousins.
• Unlike other fish, Blue Sharks give birth to live young. They usually have 135 pups a litter, assuming they don’t cannibalize each other in the womb first.
• Blue Sharks are susceptible to parasites especially when they eat Opah or a Longnosed Lancefish.
• To tell the difference, female Blue Sharks often have a bite on their dorsal fin as a result of mating.
   

Blue Shark – Fishing Techniques: How to Fish for a Blue Shark

Blue Sharks are often caught via drift fishing. And just like movies, they use something called chum as bait. Chum is composed of different kinds of fish like mackerel, herring, squid, sardines, tuna, or any other small fish which is then mashed up until it looks like porridge. 

When setting up your line, don’t keep it too close to your ship. You don’t want a Blue Shark suddenly jumping on board! Blue Sharks especially in a frenzy and panic can still destroy things not by chomping but by going in for a body-slam using its weight. Some recommend keeping your line at least 20 feet away so that you can still lead the Blue Shark.

The matter is, a Blue Shark is still a shark. And like a shark, it’s still an apex predator. It isn’t dumb just to bite. But the presence of bloody chum (made from its favorite fish) will have it going nuts. Lead the Blue Shark carefully while keeping the line a good distance away from your boat. Once it snaps onto the bait, slowly reel it in. Make sure your line can withstand at least 200 lbs. If your line breaks, it’s either you caught a large one or you may be reeling in its much angrier cousin who won’t be pleased to find out that it’s got a hook in its jaw.
 

Blue Shark Habitat and Distribution

Like most sharks, Blue Sharks have a preference for warm to cooler waters. They usually swim around the deeper depths where they can find a feast of squid swimming around. Blue Sharks usually swim at around 1,150 ft and often migrate. Some people have sighted Blue Sharks in Norway and Chile. But most of the time, Blue Sharks can be found in places except Antarctica. These sharks have a preference for waters at room temperature – around 12 to 20 degrees Celsius (54-68 degrees Fahrenheit).

Thresher Shark

Thresher Shark (Alopias vulpinus) Fish Description

The Thresher Shark is a popular saltwater gamefish that is mainly found in the open oceans. It is blue-grey in color and it is known for its long tail that can be as long as its body. It is part of the mackerel family, large species of sharks that includes the Great White Shark. 

The thresher shark is a carnivorous fish that feeds on a variety of prey – from smaller fishes like mackerel, bluefish, herring, and needlefish to predatory fishes like the lancetfish. They even eat deep-dwelling fish like the lantern fish. They also feed on invertebrates such as squids and crustaceans like crabs. 

Interesting Facts About the Thresher Shark 

• They’re a sight to see with their long tails and are known to sometimes leap out of the water.
• Thresher sharks use their long long tails to whip to stun their prey and then eat them. The whip-like motion is so strong that it is believed to separate oxygen and hydrogen in the water. The estimated force of their attack is 50mph.
• They are mostly solitary fishes but they would sometimes congregate to prey on schools of fish to increase their hunting chances.

Thresher Shark Size and Speed

The thresher shark is a large apex predator and is prized for its fighting prowess, making it one of the best fish to catch as an angler. They burst at speeds of 30 mph and are estimated to get as big as 20 feet long and weigh 1120 lbs. The average size of this large fish is 16 feet and weighs 510 lbs.

Habitat and Distribution of the Common Thresher Shark

The common thresher shark thrives in the pelagic waters of continental shelves, around 40 - 50 miles away from shore with depths of shallow waters up to 2100 feet but sometimes inshore waters too. They prefer temperatures of 60-70°F.

They are highly migratory species and are scatted around the world. In North America, they migrate from north to south. They can be found in both the western Atlantic and the eastern Pacific oceans. Fishing spots are in the Gulf of California, New York, Vancouver Islands, Washington, Oregon, and as far as the Hawaiian Islands. The best time to catch them in California is during late spring to fall and late summer in Washington.

Fishing Strategies for the Common Thresher Shark

The thresher shark is a rare powerful fish that is sought after by anglers. There are different ways to catch the common thresher shark. The common ways are trolling or cast and reel. Through fish trolling, set the lure to sink between 25-50 feet (use a 16 oz. sinker to get to these depths). Look for bait balls where the shark might be hunting and slowly let your boat drift around 2-4 knots and wait for a bite. You can also fish from inshore via the cast and reel method with the same techniques.

Recommended equipment for this strong fish is a  heavy rod from 12-15 weight and is 7 ½ to 8 feet in length with 50 to 80 lb braid. Thresher sharks have small mouths and teeth despite being large fishes, so use strong 8/0 hooks with 8-10 feet leader of multiple braids to prevent the line from breaking. 

The usual baits for the common thresher sharks are mackerel or sardines. For lures, anglers have had success using marlin lures.