Blue Shark Fishing

stick flicker · 08-17-2003, 07:46 PM

I enjoyed a day out at the rockpile out of Newport on tuesday with an absolutely incredible day of fishing and exploring the reefs on the south end. At one point we had 3 sharks around the boat cruizing while we bottom fished. We ended up keeping one of the smaller sharks to try as steaks. We bled it and iced the fish to maintian freshness, I am waiting to hear how it tastes, I had reservations about eating it due to its strong ammonia smell.
I am not writing this to just tell you about our shark fishing trip. I want to ask," why would you catch and keep this shark but if not to eat it?". I ask that because the other day while I was at the cleaning station filleting a Halibut I watched as one guy cutt the jaws out of a seven footer and then preceed to throw it in the dumpster. I can't belive that anyone would have such little regard as to waste this fish. I had to say something and asked how he could want and waste this fish. He looked at me and said that he was only storing it in the dumpster while he finished the the rest of his fish. Later a man told me that the guy had intended to keep it but, someone told him at the fillet sattion that the meat was wortless and tasted like ****, and thats when it went into the dumpster. Anyhow do you get what I am saying all you poeple that shoot them at sea or cut thier jaws out as a novelty stop its not right. Don't kill it if your not going to eat it. It has a place in a healty ocean and has been the most longlived fish on the planet.

Sea Jypzee · 08-17-2003, 07:58 PM

There has only been one shark that I've intentionally killed and that one had $25.00 worth of tuna gear in it's mouth that I was unwilling to let go of. It ended up with a few extra gaff holes in it before I got the hooks out and was bleeding rather profusely. It went back into the drink to play a new role in the food chain. I do not feel the least bit guilty about this. It didn't go to waste. I got my gear back, and a larger shark likely ended up with a nice lunch. :grin:

Mello-Yello · 08-17-2003, 07:59 PM

[img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

I agree whole-heartedly...with the exception of yellow jackets and carpenter ants. :grin:

Orca · 08-17-2003, 09:22 PM

If you catch it and kill it, you should eat it. If you don't want to eat it, then release it.

As far as sharks go, I have never hooked one and got it to the boat, but for those who will get one and decide to keep it, I understand that you will have to handle them correctly to make the meat worth eating.

The correct handling is immediate bleeding AND gutting. The sharks soil themselves from the inside out after being killed. As I understand it, you need to gut the shark out from the line of color change slightly up the belly on both sides. Remove everything up to this line along with all the inards. Can anyone else chime-in that has actually taken shark and handled it correctly?

Let's try to get everyone who wants to take a shark the knowledge they need to correctly handle the meat. I keep hearing the same story as told above about wasting the catch.

As far as eating, there was a post a while back about keeping and eating blue shark. There were those who say it tastes bad, and those who say it tastes great.

Other references:

http://www.ifish.net/cgi-local/ultim...;f=21;t=000490

http://www.ifish.net/cgi-local/ultim...;f=21;t=002147

http://www.ifish.net/ubb/ultimatebb....=000384#000000

[ 08-17-2003, 10:39 PM: Message edited by: Orca ]

Sadie-Lynne · 08-18-2003, 07:22 AM

Marie at TBC was giving away taste samples of some
blues that they caught and it was vary tasty.
They did say that if you are going to eat shark that you must clean them immediately upon landing. After tasting their samples I will be keeping the next one that I get to the boat.

Lovestafish · 08-18-2003, 02:25 PM

I also agree, mellow, but I want to add
slugs & starlings to your list....

Zippy · 08-18-2003, 03:13 PM

If you decide to catch any more sharks and need some bait I have a Brother In law I could put on a set of water skis for you.No Problem, Yeseree

WP · 08-18-2003, 04:48 PM

As Nancy says, sometimes you have a difficult time "releasing" sharks. It isn't even just the hooks. I had one hog tie itself with toughline in multiple knots and had two sets of gear imbedded in it. Sharks have a nasty habit of rolling and they are contortionist extrodinaire. I have cut gear from a couple (costly) and that one hog tied I actually nearly cut it in two. No regrets but I don't injure or kill indiscriminately. I don't eat them and I don't keep them. The few that have been beyond recovery, I let go back and nuture the ecosystem they came from. No real issue on this topic, I think taking what you are not going to use is un-wise but unwanted species (still parts of the ecosystem) should not be a cost burden to "save" either! I hook a lot of sharks...most live to bother others later.
WP

wak'm&stak'm · 08-18-2003, 06:48 PM

I killed 2 sharks and left them in the ocean, and never cared one bit. One last year totally destroyed my prop. The one this year just spiled my coffee.

SPAZZ · 08-19-2003, 03:03 PM

THATS JUST HOW SOME PEOPLE THINK. I PERSONALY EAT WHAT I KILL OR SHARE IT WITH OTHERS

stick flicker · 08-22-2003, 09:10 PM

What a display of ignorance.

Billfisher · 08-22-2003, 09:21 PM

Many sharks are quite tasty... My personal opinion on blues is that they are not, and too much of a pain in the butt to be worth it. Likewise, I cut 'em off, and set 'em free. If you keep one, remember to bleed it and gut it, but BE SURE THE DARN THING IS DEAD first. I personally prefer to shoot keeper sharks (head shot, straight down with good backstop/water clear.) I also tail rope, and use a gaff to pull the head into a stretch before doing the field carking. -D

RJ · 08-22-2003, 09:26 PM

Hey is that Roy Shieder (need a bigger boat) or Wak'm&Stak'm

skein · 08-23-2003, 10:56 AM

We caught two on the second halibut opener. I cut mine off well out of his reach, but decided to save the hook on the other one. How dumb can a guy get???? Here I was, working pliers inches away from enough teeth to sever my entire hand - and for what, $1 worth of hooks? Never again.

My sharks will go back. I'm not interested in eating or killing them.

Skein

Captain and Marie · 08-24-2003, 06:13 AM

Here is Steve W with his over 6 foot Shark yesterday!

I believe that if you catch a shark like this one you better not waste it!

I plan on smoken-it-up! Yuuuum Yuuummm Good!

photo by Marie (yesterday) aug 23rd.

Rodbender · 08-24-2003, 10:59 PM

Maybe it's been said here before-maybe by me- but Shark meat is best when-in addition to the excellent advice given above-it's marinated in low fat milk for 24 hours before cooking-change the milk after 12 hours and rinse thoroughly before cooking.

Powdered skim milk is fine and it's cheap too.

It's a little 'meatier' than something like Lingcod but excellent-much like Broadbill Swordfish or Marlin.

I've never had it smoked but have heard it's great when done by someone who's an experienced hand.