New state record for Atlantic Sharpnose Shark
Posted on Apr 29, 2009

Myrtle Beach female angler set the state’s first Marine Gamefish State Record for her catch of an Atlantic Sharpnose Shark.

According to a press release from the SC Deptartmentr of Natural Resources, Lori Murphy of Myrtle Beach caught a 13 pound 5 ounces Atlantic Sharpnose Shark on Saturday April 18th, off of Murrells Inlet, which adds a record for this species to the Marine Gamefish Record list. Murphy, 36, set out at 4:30 a.m. for a fun filled day of fishing with her husband, Sean. The adventurous couple trekked 55 miles offshore from Murrells Inlet to fish near the Winyah Scarp.

Aboard their 21-foot Sea Chaser boat, Lori and Sean first began trolling in hopes of catching a few pelagic species. They landed a dolphin and released another before they tried their luck at bottom fishing. After landing a large Red Grouper, Lori hooked the Atlantic Sharpnose Shark. She had the shark to the boat in a few short minutes. The female shark was a big keeper, and Lori knew that the species had not yet filled its record slot and contacted the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. David Player, a fisheries biologist with the Marine Resources Division in Charleston, met Lori at Seven Sea Seafood in Murrells Inlet to verify and certify the catch.