# Shark ID help



## fishermandan (Mar 15, 2013)

Im not very confidint in my ID'ing. Any one know what this is?

I caught it this morning around 0730. Im two for two with red snapper heads this year. One issue though. Both fish have been gut hook'd. Im not sure if it the way im baiting the hook or if its just by chance that this has happened. I think I am going to have to invest in a bolt cutter.


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## fishermandan (Mar 15, 2013)

I also can't spell


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## fishheadspin (Jun 9, 2008)

looks like a spinner but could be black tip....look at anal fin...if it is tipped black...it is a spinner

could even be a small bull


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## catdad100 (Nov 17, 2009)

yep just the opposite of what id think seems like the blacktip would have more black tipped fins not less than a spinner but fishheadspin is correct theres been plenty of spinners identified as blacktips for sure and from what I can see its either or but would need closeup pic to know for sure.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Alot of times, a shark will tail whip what it's bout to eat. That being said if he passed your bait and tried to tail whip it, they may get foul hooked....That's why when my clicker goes off, I just feed em line!


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Length of snout along with shape and size of dorsal suggests a Blacktip


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## HappyHourHero (Jan 31, 2012)

I think he meant it swallowed the hook. 

Do sharks always take the bait and run or do they sit there and chew it? I have not caught one yet but when I target them I either catch a huge red that runs or have short 2-3 second bursts and then the rod just sits there and jerks real hard but no line gets stripped. When I reel back in the bait is gone or chewed off around the hook.


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## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

tipper.


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## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

BT or Spinner. Looks a little like a Sandbar but the coloring is a little too dark across the back.


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

fishermandan said:


> Im not very confidint in my ID'ing. Any one know what this is?
> 
> I caught it this morning around 0730. Im two for two with red snapper heads this year. One issue though. Both fish have been gut hook'd. Im not sure if it the way im baiting the hook or if its just by chance that this has happened. I think I am going to have to invest in a bolt cutter.


Nice shark, are you using J hooks or circle. I had a shark with the circle pretty deep yesterday (it still has it), the circles usually come back towards the corner of the mouth when you tighten the drag.


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## fishermandan (Mar 15, 2013)

It was a circle hook.


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

fishermandan said:


> It was a circle hook.


Sometimes I guess they just swallow the bait all the way down fast. Like I said, I had a circle deep down last night, what I mean by deep is 'out of sight" so I think it was towards the front of the throat. Not in the gut, but not in the corner of the mouth....


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## Justafisher (May 23, 2013)

How are you baiting the circle. I've never gut hooked a shark with one. The key with a circle is to place it near the edge of the bait. Leaving the barb exposed. For instance if your using a fish head for bait, just push the hook through the nose. Or trying using a triangular shaped chunk and place the hook on a point of a triangle. The hook needs to be able to rotate and catch the jaw as the shark swims off with the bait. Leave as much hook exposed as possible. Hope this helps.


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## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

Justafisher said:


> How are you baiting the circle. I've never gut hooked a shark with one. The key with a circle is to place it near the edge of the bait. Leaving the barb exposed. For instance if your using a fish head for bait, just push the hook through the nose. Or trying using a triangular shaped chunk and place the hook on a point of a triangle. The hook needs to be able to rotate and catch the jaw as the shark swims off with the bait. Leave as much hook exposed as possible. Hope this helps.


yep, leave them exposed. this is how i rig. for the most part anyways.


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## Randall2point0 (Feb 11, 2011)

Wirelessly posted

They say to tell the difference between black tip and spinner is the dorsal fin placement. If the dorsal is behind the fins then it's a spinner, and if the dorsal is in line with the fins then is a black tip. There have been spinners with black tips and black tips with no black tips, but that is suppose to be the scientific way to tell them apart. Marine biologist at the dissecting tent for the Outcast Mega Shark tournament 2012 informed me of this.


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## bahnburner (Mar 1, 2013)

Randall2point0 said:


> Wirelessly posted
> 
> They say to tell the difference between black tip and spinner is the dorsal fin placement. If the dorsal is behind the fins then it's a spinner, and if the dorsal is in line with the fins then is a black tip. There have been spinners with black tips and black tips with no black tips, but that is suppose to be the scientific way to tell them apart. Marine biologist at the dissecting tent for the Outcast Mega Shark tournament 2012 informed me of this.


 
Looks like that's a spinner then...


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## Randall2point0 (Feb 11, 2011)

Wirelessly posted

This is on Florida museum of natural history. 

It is often confused with the blacktip shark (C. limbatus), however it is possible to distinguish these two species. The first dorsal fin of the blacktip shark at midpoint of pectoral fin inner margin in contrast to the spinner shark where the first dorsal originates or behind the rear tips of the pectoral fins. While this difference is useful in the identification of adults, it cannot be used to distinguish juveniles. The shape of the first dorsal fin also differs between the two species. In the spinner shark, the posterior edge of the fin is approximately perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the body and the tip is more rounded. The blacktip shark's first dorsal fin has a slightly falcate trailing edge. Another difference is the anal fin of the spinner is tipped in black while the blacktip shark lacks this marking. However, this black marking can fade on dead sharks. 

So I was on the right path.


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