[tigerbytes1979]

Last week while in Surfside Beach on vacation I watched as someone surf fishing pulled in a 4 foot hammerhead near the pier. After a few minutes he swung it by the tail back into the surf. My question is are you required by law to throw it back? I wasn't sure how surf rules(if there are any) or fishing ettiquette differed from pier rules in this regard. Due to a hammerhead's aggressiveness and it's closeness to the beach, I wondered if it wouldn't have been better to let it die. Any thoughts?

 

[TopSnipe]

While a 4' hammerhead is nothing to fool around with, they are going to be feeding on prey smaller than adult humans. As they grow older (bigger) they move off-shore. I would have released it too.

keep em tight.....Kurt

 

[dkingman]

Hammerhead

Tigerbytes, Disreguardless of any local Ordinances in the City of Surfside Beach,SC Sharks are Federally Regulated and other than Smooth or Spinny Dogfish and the more commom Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks the minimum size for Hammerheads you might consider Keeping is 54" under Federal rules.Under South Carolina Department of Natural Resources laws the species is fishable and keepable but as well must be no shorter in length than 54". The State of SC adopts the same regulations for Sharks each year as The Federal mandates.
If fact thats true for all US states boarding the Salt Waters of the nation. Dave

You may travel to NC and Land ,Keep and eat legal size species of Sharks at will. But they too must meet the same requirements.