[Stoat]

 

The charter company owner said the average hammerhead is about 7 to 8 pounds

I guess they get the little ones over on the east coast. In the Gulf we commonly see them in the 3-5 foot range and offshore a twelve-footer is certainly no big deal.

He may be talking about a bonnet head shark. They have a very similar shape but they are much smaller than hammerheads and they stay small.

Bonnethead Shark

Just curious...I hadn't heard that sharks are very good to eat.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, we don't really have sharks in any significant number, we have dogfish which are a relation, but they're regarded as a nuisance and thrown back when caught.

Do people eat a lot of shark?  From the linked page: "Bonnethead shark meat is sold commercially. The meat is dark and eaten fresh or dried. "

I haven't eaten shark that I'm aware of, although I did have gator a few times when in Louisiana and Florida.

[capt. norm]

Shark meat is a lot like crabmeat in that it spoils quickly. The shark must be cleaned and the edible parts iced down as soon as you get control of the fish. Once that is done, you've bought some time and prevented spoilage. Even then, it doesn't keep well.

The shark meat has a texture a lot like swordfish and if properly prepared, it is excellet table fare. Stingray is much better tasting but it's harder to harvest the best parts of the fish due to the way they are built. The wing meat is best but it's mighty thin.

[oceanperch]

I have seen shark in store up here in the PNW but the counter person did not have a clue to what type of shark it was. Import from the South most likely.

I have eaten nurse shark when I was a teen in the Philippines and it was delicious.

[chemicalman]

I've eaten shark that I had caught on a fishing trip. It was cleaned/fillet differently than normal fish to avoid the blood lines. It was really good. Cosistancy of a steak, but tastes like fish...of course. Like they say...lemon and butter, and throw in some garlic and parsely.

[Victor]

Dogfish (aka sandshark) is excellent. Shark has no bone (it's a cartilaginous fish); you just whack the body into chunks and batter/deep-fry. Delicious.

I've heard that the Brits use dogfish for fish 'n' chips.