# 4/8 - North Jetty - What is this?



## daparson (Dec 4, 2004)

Had a beautiful day of fishing the North Jetty. We caught 10 Black Drum - 2 Bull Reds - 1 Black Tip Shark (4 ft) and something that I don't quite know what it is. More on that in a second.

But something of importance first: For those of you who venture out to the Jetties from the Boat Launch at the end of Texas City Dike - you need to be careful. Right past the Ferry Landing - they were dredging around the Ferry Landings last week - they built a "Spoil Island" between the 2 Towers to the North of the Channel It is North of where the Tower has been knocked over. At low tide you can see the island barely - but at high tide I don't think it would be visible. There are no markings for this - and it is where the water used to be 6 - 8 ft deep. (pic on the bottom)

Now for the "organism" that we caught. This creature - was hard and hollow - but on each end was soft with orange features. At first we thought it was an oyster - it clamped down on a piece of crab - it may be an oyster - but I am unsure. I have loaded up a couple pics of this - so if you know what it is - let me know!

By the way - all the jokes about it being a doo doo fish - we pretty much covered them all on the boat - but if you must - at least be clever! (laughing)

As usual - enjoy the pics: http://daparsonfishing.blogspot.com/

Mark Redd


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## SEAHUNT186 (Dec 24, 2004)

Good day of fishing!! I love sitting at work looking at your successful day at the jetties wishing I could be there. As soon as I get off sunday morning it suppose to rain again.....Yeah!!! Maybe Tuesday I will get a chance. 
Does anyone eat those sharks or just throw them back? A couple guys at my work said they would love to eat it. Just curious......


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

Yeah steve shark meat is WONDERFUL! Espically the true Black tips, size does not really matter for these guys. If you clean them right and then steak them out and grill 'em up. Hhhhmmmmm.... Now I'm getting hungry! lol To clean them right as soon as you get him in the boat while he is still kicking get your knife and cut stright down on him like you were going to cut his head off but only cut through just the backbone. Once you get through the back bone twist the knife a little and cut the guts out along with the head in one quick motion. PLEASE BE CAREFUL! They have to be alive and kicking for this to work. This takes the heavy shark taste and smell out of the meat. It kinda helps tenderize the meat some too. 
Billy
BTW you can prepare the meat anyway that you like. Another good way is to marinate them some and then cook them. Use whatever marinade you like. Shark meat will soak up marinade like a sponge.


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## gatorbait (May 21, 2004)

*One question*

I thought fish had to be kept intact to be legal. Am I reading your post wrong, maybe so but removing the head while on the water is a quick way to get a ticket if I read the rules correctly. Maybe Im wrong. But I thought you were not allowed to clean fish on the water. I know you can gut and gill, but nothing that alters the length of the fish I thought.

Zac


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

I will do some reading on this and get back to ya. I don't think that rule applies to sharks. I think sharks are the only exception. I am not a 100% sure though so I'm heading over to tpwd site and get back to ya. Man that is one beautiful trout! How much did she weigh?
Billy


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## gatorbait (May 21, 2004)

*dont know*

I never weighed it. We figured between 7 and 8. Maybe sharks are different. Ill look too. After a nap! lol:wink: I just got done hanging about 60 tags, Im pooped. I cant wait to see what kind of critter he has a pic of there. Looks like a baby lochness! lol

Me'z thinking that new dredge flat by the ferry will be some good flounder fishing during the fall run If it hasnt all slid back into the channel by then.

Zac

I found it and you are correct. Thanks for brining it up, I never knew sharks were exempt from this rule. Thats 2cool as they are tasty critters on the grill. Man Im hungry. This is from the TP&W website from the rules and regs:

It is unlawful to possess a finfish of any species, except broadbill swordfish, shark, or king mackerel taken from public water that has the head or tail removed until such person finally lands the catch on the mainland, a peninsula, or barrier island not including jetties or piers and does not transport the catch by boat.


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## ricpan (Oct 28, 2004)

I think you have a tube worm. Nasty looking creater. Never seen one caught on rodnreel though. Who said the good Lord doesn't have a good sence of humor.


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## Salty Kat (Feb 28, 2005)

What if you catch a fish that is too big for the cooler or fish box? Happened once fishing offshore in a bay boat and very large ling did not fit in the cooler. Fish would have ruined if I hadn't cut the head off. Guess I was lucky twice that day. Once with the fish and second not getting checked by law enforcement.


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## Mr. Breeze (Jan 6, 2005)

I worked at a Seafood Restaraunt many years ago and they deep fried shark. Corn flour batter, not meal. People drove many miles to eat there. Would say it was the best fried fish they ever had. Loved to see the funny look on their face when they heard it was shark. But they would always come back for more.


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## ar_mcadams (May 21, 2004)

I saw you. I think. I was on the gulf side close to the end. I was there all day Friday. We caught lots of big drum and a 2 man limmit of sheeps. Also 11 nice sized gaftops. I have to ask did you see a 5 or 6 foot shark swim under your boat, we did twice. Not joking a 5 at least and looked closer to 6 foot long. About 6:45 pm I had some cut bait out for reds and was bringing it in to go home and it followed the cut bait up to the boat. Came within 2 foot of the boat before going back down. My fishing buddy also saw it swim under the boat about a hour before. I have never seen any thing that big at the jettys. I will never forget it.


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## daparson (Dec 4, 2004)

*End of Jetty*



ar_mcadams said:


> I saw you. I think. I was on the gulf side close to the end. I was there all day Friday.


 We were on the south side of the Jetty Pole. I think I remember seeing you. We didn't see any of the Sharks - we were on the dirty side of the water break that formed around the end of the jetty.

I have a question - did you see the 2 guys in the gold tri-hull right at the jetty pole? It looked like they had a stringer with large black drum and perhaps a Bull Red or two trailing behind their boat. Do you know the story on them by chance? They left about 45 minutes before we did.

Looks like you had a great day of fishing! Great pics on your post. Hope to see you again!

Mark Redd


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## ar_mcadams (May 21, 2004)

didnt see them. what did you catch your black tip on?


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## daparson (Dec 4, 2004)

*Shark*



ar_mcadams said:


> didnt see them. what did you catch your black tip on?


 We had cracked crab out for the drum. But we also had some cut Shad out trying to catch Bull Reds. We caught the Shark on the cut Shad. There is a pic of it on my blog. I still get nervous catching them - we hooked about a 6 footer last year - on the bay side of the North Jetty - toward the end - got him up to the boat - saw him - and then cut the line. (Grin)

Friday, we also bought some "Black Salties" to see if anything would hit them. Nothing did.

We were there from about 7:30 till about noon.

Mark


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## Stay Bent (May 22, 2004)

Daparson. I saw that dridging to. I usually run in between those tower and saw the water breaking over, made a hard right and checked my depth. Scary. 
On the Drum / Bull Red stinger guys: Where is the GW when you need them? I didn't even see them at the ramp. Thanks for the pics.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

Thanks Gator for looking that up I had to get off of here right after I posted that reply. I was pretty sure that Sharks were exempt from that reg.. I don't have a boat and sometimes I forget that some of the things that we do regulary(sp) on the piers and the beaches is unlawful to do in a boat. I'll start thinking twice about what I put on here I would not want to get anyone in trouble. Good luck everyone!
Billy


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## daparson (Dec 4, 2004)

*So THIS is what it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

Well ... in seeking to find out what this was - I emailed Bob Fenner at http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ with pictures and this is what I found out.

"Does look like a tubiculous worm of some sort... there are thousands of species... but likely a _*sedentariate polychaete.*_.. of which there are thousands of species."

So ... I am not for sure it would win, place or show at the Star Tournament - but still - I learned something new. Every day you learn something new is a good day!

Have a Great Day Guys!

Mark Redd


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## bburge (Aug 5, 2004)

Has anyone caught anything on Black Salties? I tried some last summer with no luck.


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## manintheboat (Jun 1, 2004)

I am 99% certain that you do not want a game warden to catch you with a shark sans tail or head. 

I do not normally like to keep sharks, but if I am going to keep a blacktip, here is how I do it:

1. with the fish in the water, drive a gaff into his gill plate and pin it's head against the side of the boat.

2. Cut through fish right in front of the caudal fin (tail). Do not cut the tail off. Cut through where the tail is still attached. Allow the blood to run out. 

3. As soon as the blood had slowed down, gut the fish and get all of the organs out.

4. Put fish on ice. 

This seems to work for me. There is no need to remove the tail or head if done this way.


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

DaParson,,,I can't believe you touched that thing....I hope you washed your hands.


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## daparson (Dec 4, 2004)

*pigs*



Bucksnort said:


> DaParson,,,I can't believe you touched that thing....I hope you washed your hands.


That from a guy that disembowels pigs? (laughing)

Mark


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

Manin, Sharks are exempt from that rule. As far as prep'n the meat for eating I always encourage anyone to try new and different things with it. You won't ever know if you like something if you never try it
Billy


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

The "thing" in question is very wierd indeed! We caught, or more accurately snagged a couple of those this past weekend fishing off of High Island. They were wrapped up on the end of our line, but the ones we had were smaller and looked kinda like a mushroom, but alive! And when you poked at it, (by the way I refused to touch it) it secreeted (sp?) that neon orange looking stuff.....yuck. 

Since ours were rounder looking and smaller, we were calling them Sea Gizzards. Don't have a clue what they really are.

Take it easy........Kelly


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## Skavatar (May 24, 2004)

when i was at the UTMB ER with a shark hook in my calf, one of the nurses also goes shark fishing. he said he discarded the head and tail of a shark and got a ticket. i guess you're suppose to keep every part, but the rule book doesn't say that....


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