Sheepshead

[theangler]

[size 1]In an effort to help each other get on the fish, we will be adding a series of posts entitled by the type of fishing we are targeting and would like all users who wish to include their "favorite way to catch these fish", "favorite spots" (doesn't have to be exact), "favorite guides for these fish", "tackle tips", "recommended tackle", "beginner tips", "boating techniques" or any other information you feel would be helpful to other anglers targeting this type of fish.[/size]
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[davetclown]

[center][/center][center][font "Arial"]Description: Basic silvery color, with 5 or 5 distinct vertical black bands on sides, not always the same on both sides. Prominent teeth, including incisors, molars and rounded grinders. No barbels on lower jaw. Strong and sharp spines on dorsal and anal fins.[/font][/center] [center][font "Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"]Where found: Inshore species around oyster bars, seawalls and in tidal creeks. Moves nearshore in late winter and early spring for spawing, gather over debris, artificial reefs and around navigation markers.[/font][/center] [center][font "Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"]Size: Inshore 1 to 2 pounds. Offshore common to 8 pounds.[/font][/center] [center][font "Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"]Remarks: Feeds on mollusks and crustaceans such as fiddler crabs and barnacles. Famed nibblers, prompting the saying that "anglers must strike just before they bite."[/font][/center]
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[DH_tubinjoe]

the sheepshead taht i catch off catalina and the horseshoe kelp over here in california are black with red vertical stripe down the middle, or they are jsut bright pink... different species or what?



joe
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[byrumjr]

[font "Arial"][size 2]Sheepshead

This is what I use and it work for me. Hope it helps you.

Bait- I used crabs, sand fleas, clams, shrimp, and cut fish.

rig-

Take a egg sinker run you line thru it. The weight of the sinker will depend on where you are fishing and how much current you have. 2 ozs. will work for most places. Then tie a barrel swivel on, so the egg sinker will slide up and down you line. Next tie a leader to the barrel swivel, the leader should be around 12 inches long and over 20 pound test or wire leader works good. Last, tie a hook to the end. The hook needs to be small.

Tips-

Sheepshead are not hard to catch once you learn how they bite. First they crush they food with they teeth, then suck it in. Don’t pull on the first bite, wait till you feel the second bump.

Sheepshead like structure and hang around most bridge support that are in salt water.[/size][/font]
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[dh_tubinaaron]

Were talkin about California sheephead, not eastcoast.

Joe those are an eastcoast deal. Those look more like a perch

Aaron
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[gvanzant]

California Sheephead: There are fish named Sheephead and Sheepshead all over the world. The California Sheephead is a structure fish that has the head and teeth of a sheep. Males have a prominent bump on their foreheads with black heads and black tail regions and a red to pink midriff.Females are solid pink all over. I have found that they like small crabs for bait, even over live squid. But the main bait for them by the partyboat guys, is ghost shrimp purchased in a bait store before boarding the sportboat The latest commercial market is the trapping and selling of them alive. Sheephead are one of the few species of fish that can change sex if it is needed in the habitat. Lobster have a rough time around them because sheephead love to bite off their antenna. I once dove off a reef in the channel islands where every Lobster I saw were minus their antenna.
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[DH_tubinjoe]

actually, we mainly use stripped squid for the sheepshead in california, but alot of the bigger ones are caught on ghost shrimp.



joe
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[thegame]

Live or dead shrimp rigged on a carolina type rig with a small treble or streight # 1 hook and a half oz. egg sinker. Fish around brocks, peir, any barnicle incrusted structure.Sheep head like to chew on shuch things.

Good eatin but hard on your fillet knife.
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