Edible sharks? Precautions?

[snook.hooker]

What sharks in FL are edible?

What precautions need to be taken when cleaning or cooking them?
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[Tarpon4me]

A better question would be which ones are worth eating. Two come to mind, and I wouldn't mess with any of the other ones. Mind you, if you target sharks, you need a Federal Highly Migratory Species Permit to keep them.

Mako and Bonnethead. Not sure what your range is for the mako, but bonnethead are caught coastally, in the inlets and bays. Excellent eating fish, as their primary diet consists of things like crabs and shrimp.

Make sure you skin the fillets. Don't be a hero. The skin contains urea(piss). Fillet and cut into steaks and grill or blacken. I prefer blackening fish now a days in a cast iron skillet. If you're going to blacken the fish, do it right. get a cast iron skillet and do it over a fire. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

The better eating of the two is Mako. But targeting Mako sharks requires a skilled crew, specialized gear, and lots of know how in order to be safe. Any yahoo can catch hook a shark and cut it off at the boat. When you are going to actually bring a 200 pound shark on the boat, things change a bit.
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