How To Catch Big Sheepshead

[flagold]

How To Catch Big Sheepshead - How To Attract Big Sheepshead - Sheepshead Tactics, Sheepshead Bait - YouTube

Turns out the #1 thing they eat is grass . . . which was a real surprise to me, followed by mollusks then crabs and fish. Freddie also taught us there is a type of fiddler crab they prefer above the rest and that is the black ones that crawl out on docks, sometimes end up in the boat. When presented with two fiddlers side by side, they'll take the black one first.

And no, Freddie has not been caught, is now the family pet and I would probably be homeless if I filleted him.

 

[Steve]

In my opinion they are one of the best eating fish in the Gulf. Not the easiest to clean but I get through them OK.
I don't recall seeing those particular snails around here but I'll look for them next time I go fishing, probably next week.

 

[flagold]

In my opinion they are one of the best eating fish in the Gulf. Not the easiest to clean but I get through them OK.
I don't recall seeing those particular snails around here but I'll look for them next time I go fishing, probably next week.

Agree on the taste, their fondness of crab probably has a lot to do with that - much better fish than grouper to me. Negative is the fins. Those snails have a fondness for concrete seawalls and I've noticed a lot of them right at the boat ramps here in Fl.

A similar fish, easier to catch (much), is the Jolthead Porgy which gets even larger (28 lbs). They catch them as far up as New Jersey so I assume they're all over.

 

[Capthead]

Man, you call that a sheepshead?

This is what we catch here. This is a Sheepshead.

 

[flagold]

Man, you call that a sheepshead?

This is what we catch here. This is a Sheepshead.

That even looks like a sheep.

 

[Capthead]

That is a male. They develop the red stripe when they mature. They live in the kelp areas here in the cold pacific. I've caught them, and they are hard to catch as they are usually smarter than the fisherman, but the taste to me is too heavy on the kelp side.

 

[N4712]

Never thought about eating sheepshead.

 

[Forkliftt]

Sheepshead here on the gulf are great table fare, and are listed as such in the saltwater fish guide I have. I love them in the BarbieQ.


1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's

 

[Steve]

This is the Sheephead,aka "Convictfish" in the Gulf of Mexico, I think on the Atlantic Coast too. By the way, the usual way to catch them around here is to fish the pilings, bulkheads, rock jetties, oysret reefs, with a small hook tipped with shrimp. They are expert bait stealers so a small piece of shrimp on the tip is best. Fish with or without a bobber depending on the bottom.

 

[Diesel Duck]

In my younger days while living in SoCal I used to spearfish off the coast and Sheephead/Sheepshead was always on the menu because they were such easy pickins'. They'd pretty much swim up to you and BAM dinner for four or more. And if they didn't I'd simply crack open a sea urchin or two and BAM BAM BAM an all you can eat buffet.