Hey y’all! So this month’s blog is going to be all about Texas Gulf Coast shark fishing. Shark trips are a very popular trip for Capt. Boyd during the summer months. Not only is it prime-time season, but sharks are a hard-fighting, adrenaline-rush-inducing fish to catch, popular with adults and kids alike! In this blog, we’re going to cover everything you can expect this shark season as well as what you can expect from a shark fishing trip with Capt. LG Boyd. We hope you enjoy!
Shark Season – Ooh Ha Ha!
Starting around July 15, Gulf shrimp season will open. This means you will be seeing those big, beautiful shrimp boats just offshore. What it means to us is the beginning of some excellent shark fishing! As those shrimp boats troll around dragging their nets, lots of little bait fish are being kicked up. This is like a buffet for sharks! They can be seen swimming behind shrimp boats – especially when the deck hands on the boats are culling their catch. At this point, we’ll get lines in the water and drift around these shrimp boats. Very quickly rods will be bent, and the rush will begin!
Common Gulf Coast Sharks
You may find yourself wondering what types of sharks you can catch off the Galveston Coast. The most common sharks that we catch are blacktip, spinners, which put on quite the acrobatic show once hooked, and bonnet heads. You may also catch some jack fish or bull reds which are both another hard fighting fish and tons of fun to catch!
Location, Location, Location
When fishing for sharks, it’s important to know where to go for the best chance of catching one. Along with drifting around shrimp boats, as mentioned before, Capt. LG also looks for birds, slicks, or active bait in the water as another sign that the big guys might be hanging around that area.
Texas Shark Fishing Rules & Regulations
You may notice when Capt. LG is getting everything set up, the unique looking hooks that he is using; these are called circle hooks and are required by Texas Parks and Wildlife when targeting sharks in state waters. They are made with carbon steel and make it easier for the sharks to be released unharmed. Most of the time when you’ve caught a shark, they will be hooked in the side of the mouth. For safety reasons, Capt. LG, along with many other professional fisherman, may cut the leader and leave the hook in the shark’s mouth. These hooks will eventually rust and fall out of their mouths, leaving the sharks healthy and happy. Plus no one wants to get their hand bit off!
Along with being a blast to catch, many people also enjoy sharks as table fare. Texas Parks and Wildlife daily bag limit is 1 fish for all allowable shark species, including the Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip, and bonnethead. Each of these species must be a minimum size of 24 inches to be kept. Additionally, a spinner shark must be at least 64 inches.
If you do decide to keep one of these beautiful fish to eat, care needs to be taken for it to be tasty. It’s essential sharks are killed, cut open, and allowed to bleed out over the side of the boat before returning to shore. During the process, sharks emit their urine through their skin, which if not handled correctly, will make them smell and taste horrible. Luckily, Capt. Boyd is a seasoned pro and knows exactly how to handle the process.
Gear Up!
As with any fishing trip, the proper gear should be brought along and worn. Be sure you pack plenty of sunscreen, a hat, a breathable, long sleeve shirt, and/or long pants for protection. A pair of polarized sunglasses will also help you see things in the water a lot easier. And lastly, always bring plenty of water to drink as well!
Looking for More?
Another very popular trip during the summer months for Capt. LG is a jetty trip. The Galveston jetties are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest jetty on the planet. It was built in the 1890s by the Army Corp of Engineers and runs about 35,587 feet; that’s more than 6.5 miles of stacked granite! The jetties act like a huge artificial reef for a wide variety of fish coming to and from the Galveston Bay on a daily basis, attracting everything from trout and redfish to sheepshead, drum, mackerel, lady fish, whiting, mangrove snapper, and of course sharks and all kinds of other gamefish waiting to take their pick! Capt. LG will anchor up close to the rocks and cast towards them, using live or dead bait. Very quickly, rods will be bent quickly and a fun day of catching will begin!
Well, that’s all for now! We hope you enjoyed this blog and that you’ve been enticed to book one of these family fun trips with us this summer! We look forward to fishing with you soon!
