Blacktip Shark

If you go on offshore fishing trips in Port Aransas TX and spot a shark, it will be more than likely a blacktip shark. They are among the most common sharks in the area and among the ones that Port Aransas fishing guides can help you catch. Some Corpus Christi fishing charters focus or specialize only on catching big fish and sharks. Other names for the blackfin are gray shark, common blacktip shark, and Atlantic blacktip shark.

 

How Port Aransas Deep Sea Fishing Guides Identify Blacktip

The name blackfin comes from the fact that the shark’s dorsal, pectoral, and tail fins have black tips-it’s that simple. People confuse them with spinner sharks but the anal fin of a blacktip is completely white with no hint of black unlike the spinner. Just like other aggressive predators of the sea, blacktips have torpedo shaped brownish bodies which allows them to swim at great speeds.

You will notice during your offshore fishing trips in Port Aransas TX that the blacktip is actually a small-medium sized shark. Adults can reach up to 6 feet in length and can weigh over 55 pounds.  Blackfin sharks feed on bony fishes, squids, sting rays, shrimp, crabs, and smaller sharks.

 

Where To Find Blacktips

The Port Aransas fishing spots where you can find blackfin include bays, coral reefs, and shallow clear waters off the beaches. They are actually a migratory species that swim in schools that are either exclusively male or exclusively female. But their migrations are not long distance because this fish’s movements are tied to the distribution of coral reefs. For example, a blackfin spends more than 60 percent of its time within an area measuring 0.11 square miles in a year. It’s very uncommon for this shark to travel long distances over oceanic expanses. This means Corpus Christi fishing charters don’t have to sail farther into the sea to find blacktips.

 

Techniques For Catching Blacktips

You need a surf rod, spinning reel, a 40 to 65 pound braided line, 6/0 to 10/0 circle hooks, and 3 to 4 feet of 19 wire with 10 to 12 feet of 400 to 500 pound grander leader material. You can use a conventional reel with a 50 pound monofilament if you do not have a braided line. Live bait for catching blackfins include mullet, pinfish, big live shrimp and more. You can also use fresh bait such as ballyhoo, mullet, bonito strips and more. The best thing about catching blacktips on your offshore fishing trips in Port Aransas is the variety of ways you can catch the shark.  Some of the methods for catching blackfins include jigging, chumming, bait casting, drift fishing and more.