Very similar to blacktip but more slender with a longer snout; black tips on the fins INCLUDING the anal fin (the key ID) and the first dorsal set slightly farther back. Caught 4-6 ft (30-90 lb) in the Galveston surf and nearshore.
⚖ Texas limits · 2026-27 license year Sharks: 1/day all species combined · non-offset non-stainless circle hooks required in state waters · 64″ min · verify at TPWD →
On the water
WhenWarm months, strongest spring and fall bait migrations (April-June, Sept-Nov). Moving tides and low light (dawn, dusk, night) with active bait; clean, warm water.WhereGalveston beachfront surf and nearshore water, the jetties and ship channel, and around nearshore bait schools and rigs. Often mixed in with blacktips on the beach during bait runs.HowSame program as blacktips: surf-cast or kayak cut/live baits to the guts on a fish-finder rig; free-line or float live mullet/menhaden in rips; drift or chum nearshore over bait. They also crash topwater lures and spoons during frenzies.BehaviorNamed for its feeding behavior - it charges vertically up through bait schools while spinning, snapping menhaden and mullet, and often clears the water rotating. A fast schooling predator drawn by dense bait and scent.The fightSpectacular - repeated spinning leaps clear of the water plus fast runs. Pound-for-pound one of the most acrobatic sharks in the surf.
Baits that work
Live or cut menhaden (shad)
Fresh cut mullet
Live mullet
Cut whiting/croaker
Ladyfish chunks
Tackle
Rod & reel8-10 ft medium-heavy surf spinner (6000-10000) or 4/0 conventional; MH bay/jetty spinner works for average fish.Line30-50 lb braid or mono.Leader12-18 in of 90-175 lb single-strand/coated wire above a 3-5 ft 100-200 lb mono shock leader.Terminal8/0-12/0 non-offset, non-stainless CIRCLE hooks (legally required).RigFish-finder/Carolina rig on bottom; balloon or popping-cork float for suspended live bait in the surf.
The bait clock
☀ DawnFresh cut mullet or menhaden
Spinners chase morning bait schools in the surf, often skying on hooked fish.
☼ MiddayCut mullet or live whiting
Like blacktips they feed by day when bait schools push the beach.
☾ DuskFresh oily cut bait
Evening feed on baitfish schools in the guts.
★ NightFresh cut mullet/jack on casted or yakked rig
Night scent-soaking in the surf is reliably productive for spinners.
[{'months': [4, 5, 6, 9, 10], 'note': 'Best during spring and fall mullet/menhaden runs along the beachfront.'}]
Often indistinguishable from blacktips in the bite; bait-school presence outweighs time of day.
Handling & releaseLegal to keep (64 in min, 1/day). For release keep it wet, limit air time, cut the leader on deep hooks, avoid gaffing, and revive in current. Handle the tail and teeth with care.On the tableComparable to blacktip - mild, firm meat and among the better shark table fare; moderate mercury, eat in moderation. Bleed and ice immediately to avoid ammonia taste.As baitNot typically used as bait; primarily sport/table fish.
The bar to beat
Texas state record
212.6 lb · 89.75″ — Howell Kines
Gulf of Mexico, TX, 2000
World record
197.75 lb — —
USA, —
Records as compiled in the IronJetty guide (Aug 2026) — verify current marks with TPWD records / IGFA. The Texas state spinner shark (212.6 lb) actually exceeds the commonly-cited ~198-lb world figure; spinner world-record details are poorly documented — treat as approximate.
