When winter turns frigid there’s one thing that is for sure; you can always count on sheepshead.  These are not the same fish that are considered trash in other parts of the country, these sheepshead are hard fighting and arguably better tasting than grouper and with the current closure restrictions in effect, they offer a nice alternative for flaky white sweet fillets.  

As we move out of winter and into spring, sheepshead fishing steadily improves. Throughout this time frame they also seem to forget the bait-stealing ways that they are so famous for and begin to strike more like a grouper with solid hits that are unmistakable.  Some crusty salts will still tell you that you have to set the hook before they bite or your bait will be gone, but this is simply not true.  Slowly lifting your rod tip until the weight of the fish is felt and then quickly reeling will out perform the jerky hook setters every time.

Another nice thing about sheepshead fishing is that you don’t need to go far to find them.  In fact, you don’t even need a boat as some of the best fishing can be done from piers and bridges.  A common mistake made by land-based novices is to cast out as far as you can instead of dropping down as close as possible to the pilings.  Sheepsheads are grazers and hang close to the structure nibbling barnacles, mussels, and small crabs off the pilings. These barnacles, mussels or crabs obviously make good baits but they are more difficult to obtain than shrimp, which also work very well.  Sheepshead also respond well to chum so dicing up a few shrimp and sprinkling them down through the water column or scraping some barnacles off to drift down with the current will help to instigate a bite and concentrate the fish in your area.

In the fishing world there’s not very many things that are certain, but when the water temperatures are chilly you can certainly bring home a sheepshead dinner when other species are not cooperating.  It’s odd how they don’t get much respect other times of the year, but right now they are the fish you can count on.

Capt. Brent Gaskill is a full time guide fishing year round in the St.
Petersburg area.  He can be contacted at 727-510-1009 or e-mail
captbrent@summervacationcharters.com.  For more charter information view
His web site www.summervacationcharters.com or find him on Face Book and
Look for upcoming information on paddle fishing and eco tours.