# Galveston Sharks?



## 6DollarRooster (Jan 3, 2005)

I'm new to the sport and got a Penn 4/0 for Christmas that I'm itching to try out. I'm planning a trip down to the Galveston area Jan 21-23. My main priority is to hook into a few good sharks. Some entertainment with bull reds wouldn't be bad either. I was thinking of hanging out at the end of East Beach near the South Jetty. I figure the deep channel could provide decent shark traffic. Any advice? Any suggestions? Locations for good bait? Thanks in advance.

-Rick


----------



## Screeminreel (Jun 2, 2004)

*WElcome to the board....*

There are some good folks here and if you hang out and get to know some of them you wil find a wealth of knowledge to be shared.

As for Galveston, there might be some action but this time of year don't get disappointed if you don't get a lot of it. The redfish should be decent as well as some big drum action possibly.

Good luck and hopefully some of the other upper coast folks will join in with some tips. Stick around it might be a month or three but things will definately start picking up, and more folks will be hitting the water.

LAter,
SR


----------



## 6DollarRooster (Jan 3, 2005)

Sounds good so far. Anyone else?


----------



## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

Caught two just like this one at SLP over the summer. Best type of fishing ... with the family. No Kayak was necessary. Waded to the first bar, cast and after a great 20 minute fight put them both back in the water.


----------



## Vinny (Aug 25, 2004)

What kind of shark is that?


----------



## Vinny (Aug 25, 2004)

OK, I can see it is not a blacktip, and it's snout is too pointed to be a small bull.. With it's relatively small size and pointy snout, is it a sharpnose, or could it be a sandbar...? Or am I wrong on all counts and it is something else..? I have to say, I am REALLY surprised that no one has replied to this question..

Tu Primo


----------



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

No ones responding because I don't think no one really knows.

It looks like a small sandbar because of its large dorsal. Might be a finetooth.

Definately not a bull, blacktip, or sharpnose.


----------



## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

Vinnie/SurfRunner,

The complete report is here: http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=787

Or, just look up all my threads and you will see it at the bottom. So far from summer it was great to read the report and think back.

It was hard to identify back then. OZ weighed in and said black tip. Others said Sandbar. What I find amazing is what I used as bait. A long time ago on the former "BeachBum" board I read that some folks used hardheads as bait. Never would have believed it until I tried.


----------



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

I remember that post.

That first pic is definately a blacktip. More than likely, Oz is right in saying this one is too.


----------



## Vinny (Aug 25, 2004)

I use every hardhead I catch for shark bait, and I have caught several and had many more pickups with them. I am kind of surprised to learn that other people weren't using them. Sharks eat 'em like popcorn! I clip the spines - not to make them more attractive to the sharks, but for my own safety in handling them. I have found that the sharks don't really care whether they still have their spines or not..


----------



## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

Vinny said:


> What kind of shark is that?


Looks like a silky to me.


----------



## Oz (May 24, 2004)

*Nope*

I could see how the shark could be perceived as a Silky or something else due to the angle of the fish etc, however it is indeed a true 100% Blacktip.


----------



## Oz (May 24, 2004)

Even though the free-tips on the 2nd dorsal are hanging over, the Silky's are even longer and their dorsal is much smaller. It is a Blacktip.

Since we are on the silky topic, here is a true silky from last year I got..


----------



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

There used to be a handful of sharks caught from the Dirty Pelican Pier years ago everyone called Silky's. They always showed up around the 4th of July. I showed Beach bum a pictue of one a couple of years ago and he said it was not a silky. They didn't look anything like picture Oz has posted either. I know they weren't blacktips or bulls. Maybe they were Finetooths????? It seemed to me like they has that ridge on their back and their fins were kind of long.


----------



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

I have a picture of one but it must be on my computer at work. Maybe monday I can post it if it is at work.


----------



## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

SurfRunner said:


> There used to be a handful of sharks caught from the Dirty Pelican Pier years ago everyone called Silky's. They always showed up around the 4th of July. I showed Beach bum a pictue of one a couple of years ago and he said it was not a silky. They didn't look anything like picture Oz has posted either. I know they weren't blacktips or bulls. Maybe they were Finetooths????? It seemed to me like they has that ridge on their back and their fins were kind of long.


Same thing at at the galveston pier.
That picture of the first shark looked like those sharks.


----------



## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

*Two More Pictures of My Shark*

All,

Sorry I can't help identify any better. Living in Dallas does'nt allow me a lot of trips to the coast to fish. Here's two more pictures that may help. I was just happy to catch 'em and release 'em.


----------



## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

here are some pics of finetooths


----------



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

Could ZinDaddys shark be a sandbar? I have refrained from saying that since I know he caught it in the summer. That fin sure looks big. I guess it could be a blacktip like, Oz said, but it sure is a skinny one.


----------



## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

SurfRunner said:


> Could ZinDaddys shark be a sandbar? I have refrained from saying that since I know he caught it in the summer. That fin sure looks big. I guess it could be a blacktip like, Oz said, but it sure is a skinny one.


And Its lacking something very important ,,, Black Tips
Iv'e caught many of those sharks and never really new what kind they were.
Then someone started calling them silkys and I went for it.
I gues I'm clueless.
I also always thought that there could be some blacktipless blacktips , just like spotless Reds.
Do all Spinner sharks have blacktips as well?
The differiences in the two are very subtle. Someting to do with their dorsal and Pectoral overlapping planes, back of Pec, front of dorsal.


----------



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

I can ID a spinner shark by looking at its dorsal. It is much smaller than a blacktips. More like the "silky" Oz has posted.

If it looks like a blacktip with a smaller than usual dorsal fin, it is probably a spinner.

Tunakilla has a good picture of a big spinner he caught last year if you can find it. I tried to find it but couldn't.


----------



## FishinTheBarge (May 21, 2004)

Surfrunner is right, the spinner has a smaller dorsal than the blacktip. If you look at the other pic you can see that the pecs, and both dorsals have slightly black tips on them. Also on most of the spinners I've seen, the fins looked like they had been dipped in jetblack paint. Also, only the spinner will have a blacktip on the anal fin, the blktips anal is white. But be careful, sometimes the black tips on older sharks can become dusky and not very evident. Another quick way to rule out certain sharks is the presence or lack of an interdorsal ridge between the two dorsal fins. Just a few are your duskys, silkys, and sandbars have a ridge, the blacktips, spinners, bulls, and finetooths do not. Hope this helps a little.


----------



## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

All,

Thanks for the input. Always flattering that my first two 'real' sharks warrented such a large post. This year I'm aiming for my first Bull Shark. Set aside enough cash so I can rent a beach house for a week. Not sure on the week, or if it will be on the upper cost, or down near PINs. Any suggestions on time of year or location?


----------



## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

ZenDaddy said:


> All,
> 
> Thanks for the input. Always flattering that my first two 'real' sharks warrented such a large post. This year I'm aiming for my first Bull Shark. Set aside enough cash so I can rent a beach house for a week. Not sure on the week, or if it will be on the upper cost, or down near PINs. Any suggestions on time of year or location?


Late in the summer and maybe the seaweed will be gone.


----------



## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

FishinTheBarge said:


> Surfrunner is right, the spinner has a smaller dorsal than the blacktip. If you look at the other pic you can see that the pecs, and both dorsals have slightly black tips on them. Also on most of the spinners I've seen, the fins looked like they had been dipped in jetblack paint. Also, only the spinner will have a blacktip on the anal fin, the blktips anal is white. But be careful, sometimes the black tips on older sharks can become dusky and not very evident. Another quick way to rule out certain sharks is the presence or lack of an interdorsal ridge between the two dorsal fins. Just a few are your duskys, silkys, and sandbars have a ridge, the blacktips, spinners, bulls, and finetooths do not. Hope this helps a little.


Good Info!!


----------



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

Zendaddy,

Try the Mouth of the Brazos River for a bullshark. There are a lot of them there. Last summer, I had a buddy who got into the 6 footers big time there on cast baits in the first gut.

June should get you a bull shark. But, Redfishr is right. There are more of them in September.


----------



## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

SurfRunner,

Ya got me on the mouth of the Brazos River. I'm from Dallas - the Brazos here runs through my hunting lease - and I hope like heck there ain't any sharks in it. Where abouts would I find the mouth? Is it surf fishing on the beach? Sounds like it is worth a trip in June.

On the house, I'm going to go with August ... the kiddies are in school in September.


----------



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

Yes, it is surf fishing. Actually anywhere along Bryan beach might score you a bull shark. I think my friends were a mile or two from the river last year when they got into them. This is in the Freeport area west of the Surfside Jetties. This is the same beach the young boy got attacked.


----------



## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

6DollarRooster -

You started this chain of messages. Have you been out fishing yet? Did you catch anything? How did the gear work? Once you ask for advice, it's only fair to come back and post a report ;- )


----------



## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

SurfRunner -

Thanks for the info - sounds like a swell place to bring the family. Good thing my wife's a real trooper. I've fished Surfside before - I usually cross at the toll bridge over San Luis Pass. Do I just continue down the road until I hit the Town of Surfside - (I'm guessing it's down that way, as I've never gone that far south.) WIll there be a sign marking Bryan Beach and is the mouth of the Brazos easily recognizable? How about undertow like at the SLP? Is it as dangerous? Are there nearby hotels? Sorry for all the questions - but if I catch anything I'll certainly post a report!


----------



## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

Zendaddy,

Your best option would be to take 288 south from 45 in Downtown Houston. This will take you through Lake Jackson. Take the Surfside Exit and drive until you come to Buccees, which is on the right at a stop light a couple of miles down. Turn right there. Stay on that road and it will put you on Bryan Beach. If you turn left on the road before entering the beach, there is a park where there are capmsites. Turning right on the beach will take you to the mouth of the Brazos River. 

Be sure and get directions on a map since I don't know the street names. I can get there but it is kind of tricky in a couple of places, which is hard to explain.

I would take as much precaution there as I would at San Luis Pass.

There are motels in Surside and Hotels in Lake Jackson.

Hope this helps.


----------



## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

ZenDaddy said:


> SurfRunner -
> 
> Thanks for the info - sounds like a swell place to bring the family. Good thing my wife's a real trooper. I've fished Surfside before - I usually cross at the toll bridge over San Luis Pass. Do I just continue down the road until I hit the Town of Surfside - (I'm guessing it's down that way, as I've never gone that far south.) WIll there be a sign marking Bryan Beach and is the mouth of the Brazos easily recognizable? How about undertow like at the SLP? Is it as dangerous? Are there nearby hotels? Sorry for all the questions - but if I catch anything I'll certainly post a report!


There's a website on that little town Bryan Beach, Tells all you want to know.


----------

