South Africa's Spotted Ragged Tooth Shark Eugomphodus taurus (Grey Nurse Shark)

Fishing For The Ragged Tooth Shark: What You Need To Know

Out of all of South African's saltwater fish species and shark species the Spotted Ragged Tooth Shark is one of the most sought after angling species. This very popular South African Shark species is commonly caught by shark fishermen from the shore all year round, but particularly in the November, December and January months. Because of the popularity with anglers targeting the Ragged Tooth Shark the South African record for this fish changes almost every year. Fifteen years ago it was 216 kilograms and as I write this article now it is close to 300 kilograms. This is personally one of my favourite Shark species to target off the shore in South African waters.

The Spotted Ragged Tooth Shark is also known as the Sand Tiger and in the U.S.A. it is known as the Grey Nurse Shark and is regarded by competition Shark anglers as a nuisance. If you catch a grey Nurse Shark in some Shark fishing competitions you get minus points! But other than that it is a hardy predator and is fairly abundant in South African waters. The "Raggie" is a sluggish predatory fish that prefers shallow reefs and bays where it lies in the sand and waits for its prey to take its last swim past it. The Ragged Tooth Shark has the ability, unlike most other sharks, to respire in the same way as bony fishes do i.e. it can stay still and pump water through its gills to breathe. Spotted Ragged Tooth Sharks often move into estuaries and the adolescent and younger sharks move far up into river systems especially in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. In the summer months it is believed that the Ragged Tooth Sharks do their mating rituals in estuaries. The Ragged Tooth Shark obtained its name from the teeth it possesses and the potential wounds they could inflict. Raggies are harmless to people and are very slow moving docile fish. However, if they are harassed they will become aggressive!

How To Catch The South African Spotted Ragged Tooth Shark

The Ragged Tooth Shark is a great sport fish and can be caught in estuaries, river mouths, sandy beaches and especially rocky ledges. When targeting the Spotted Ragged Tooth Shark you will need at least a 10 or 12 foot rod with at least 25 pound line. Steel trace or wire should be attached to your hook as well to prevent this fish from biting through your line. Preferably I would use a 13 foot rod with anything between 35 and 50 pound line. Live baits are most successful when targeting Ragged Tooth Sharks... Live baits like Shad, Grunter, Stumpnose, Hound Sharks And Sandsharks all work very well. Dead baits also work well too: Chokka/Squid, Octopus, Sardine, Tuna, Yellowtail, Bonito, Sarda Sarda, Bonefish, Mackerel are just a few of the good baits to target the supreme predator in South Africa's shallow coastal waters... The Spotted Ragged Tooth Shark!

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