# Fishing for Sheephead



## Youngp (Nov 26, 2011)

I'd like to catch some sheepheads. I never caught one, but I love to eat them. Does anybody know a good place(pier, bridge, park etc.) or charter boat that I can catch some Sheepheads and Groupers? I live in Atlanta so SC, FL, or AL anywhere I have to drive 6-7 hours anyway. Also I'd really appreciate if you let me know how to prepare fishing rig and baits. Thanks in advance.


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## notnksnemor (Nov 26, 2011)

Panama City in mid march. Fish live shrimp off the jettys. You should do good.
I'll be there for a week with the boat, it's my favorite time. Sheepshead when the tide is right and then hunting for cobia the rest of the day.


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## Youngp (Nov 26, 2011)

NOTNKSNEMOR said:


> Panama City in mid march. Fish live shrimp off the jettys. You should do good.
> I'll be there for a week with the boat, it's my favorite time. Sheepshead when the tide is right and then hunting for cobia the rest of the day.



They said I can catch some in Dec. too. Is it true? I don't own a boat so can u tell me any good specific location I can go?


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## notnksnemor (Nov 26, 2011)

From my experience the sheepies stay pretty much on the reefs during the winter months. You can catch them but you you'll need a boat and some local info on the reefs. They move inshore in the spring to spawn and congregate around the rock jetty's.
In March, got to the St. Andrews State Park jetty (west jetty) about 2/3 of the way to the end, on the beach side.
Spinning gear with 10 to 12 lb. line, a 1 oz. egg sinker, barrel swivel, and 18 to 20 inches of 30 lb. leader tipped with a 1/0 mustad hook. Cast a live shrimp in the color break water ( where the water transitions from a muddy color to clear)  and hold on, you'll probably hook into a bull red too.


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## Youngp (Nov 29, 2011)

NOTNKSNEMOR said:


> From my experience the sheepies stay pretty much on the reefs during the winter months. You can catch them but you you'll need a boat and some local info on the reefs. They move inshore in the spring to spawn and congregate around the rock jetty's.
> In March, got to the St. Andrews State Park jetty (west jetty) about 2/3 of the way to the end, on the beach side.
> Spinning gear with 10 to 12 lb. line, a 1 oz. egg sinker, barrel swivel, and 18 to 20 inches of 30 lb. leader tipped with a 1/0 mustad hook. Cast a live shrimp in the color break water ( where the water transitions from a muddy color to clear)  and hold on, you'll probably hook into a bull red too.



Thanks for the Info.


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## jamessig (Nov 29, 2011)

Sheepshead are usually available most of the winter from the Destin jetties or the Destin bridge. A buddy and I dropped an underwater camera on the Shalimar bridge a week ago and it was loaded with sheephead. If the water is clear enough,  you can see them and cast on them otherwise work the pilings of any bridge or near the rocks of any jetty. I would think just about any structure inshore in the panhandle should hold sheepshead from now until late spring. A boat will give you more access underneath bridges but the fish can be successfully targeted from the bridge.
Sheepshead can be very picky and live or dead baits are the way to go. Shrimp, sand fleas or fiddler crabs are the most commonly used baits and should be available live at most bait shops with the exception of sand fleas which will be frozen. 
Small tackle is required as sheepies have small mouths. I wouldn't use anything bigger than #1 hooks and as little a weight as I can get away with. If you don't get bites on #30 leader material drop to #20 or less(but expect to lose more fish to break offs the lighter you go) and fluorocarbon may make a real difference especially if the water is very clear as it tends to be in wintertime.
Good luck.


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## jamessig (Nov 29, 2011)

*Grouper*

Gags are closed now until the fall on 2012. I believe regulations are being relaxed on red grouper at the beginning of 2012.


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## Youngp (Dec 3, 2011)

jamessig said:


> Sheepshead are usually available most of the winter from the Destin jetties or the Destin bridge. A buddy and I dropped an underwater camera on the Shalimar bridge a week ago and it was loaded with sheephead. If the water is clear enough,  you can see them and cast on them otherwise work the pilings of any bridge or near the rocks of any jetty. I would think just about any structure inshore in the panhandle should hold sheepshead from now until late spring. A boat will give you more access underneath bridges but the fish can be successfully targeted from the bridge.
> Sheepshead can be very picky and live or dead baits are the way to go. Shrimp, sand fleas or fiddler crabs are the most commonly used baits and should be available live at most bait shops with the exception of sand fleas which will be frozen.
> Small tackle is required as sheepies have small mouths. I wouldn't use anything bigger than #1 hooks and as little a weight as I can get away with. If you don't get bites on #30 leader material drop to #20 or less(but expect to lose more fish to break offs the lighter you go) and fluorocarbon may make a real difference especially if the water is very clear as it tends to be in wintertime.
> Good luck.



Wow. Always big helps. Thanks. Jamessig. So from a bridge or pier, should I target the bottom or mid? When u say #1 hook, not a circle hook right? For a weight, 1 or 1.5 Oz egg sinker'd be enough?


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## jamessig (Dec 3, 2011)

Almost all of the fish we saw at Shalimar were right on or very near the bottom. The water was fairly clear(maybe 10' visibility) yet they were deep enough that we couldn't just look down into the water and see them.  The channel depth at the middle of the bridge was in the 30' range and the shallower we looked the fewer fish there were. There were lots of pinfish and pigfish also, so if you use live shrimp, bring extra because the pins/pigs will beat the sheepies to your bait most of the time. You might want to keep a few of the bigger pigfish and try them, they're pretty good eating. I've caught more on circle hooks, but I'm not convinced it really matters one way or the other. A few weights from 1.5 oz down to 1/2 oz should suffice.
If you fish from a bridge, landing fish without a pier net will be an issue especially with bigger fish, anything over #5 could be a problem. The distance from water surface to bridge railing can be 20-30' and simply reeling them up may not be possible and certainly isn't good for your rod or reel. Either hand line them up and expect to lose some or, with bigger fish, keep them in the water and walk them to the closest or most accessible side and land them on the shore.
Hope this helps.


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## gafshr (Dec 25, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MqDXcZ1HTU&feature=youtube_gdata_player


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## mark1152 (Dec 25, 2011)

*sheepies*

Ft Pickens in pensacola for no boat or the fishing bridge along the pilings.  I used to have great luck in the pass on the right hand side(the other side from ft. pickens) in a boat.  We were out there one time when a pontoon with a bunch of drunks pulled up in the middle of everyone.  They caught 30 or so in short order and left.  I laughed because all these 50,000 dollar boats weren't catching squat.


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## HALOJmpr (Dec 27, 2011)

Too bad you don't have a boat.  In the back of Turtle and Bull bay (Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda, FL) in late January and February it is spawn time.  I have set back there and just using pieces of shrimp was picking "the big ones" and trying to get a shrimp right in front of them.  We had so much fun catching them until the shrimp ran out.  If you decide to try it let me know and I'll give you more details!


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## Parker Phoenix (Dec 30, 2011)

jamessig said:


> Gags are closed now until the fall on 2012. I believe regulations are being relaxed on red grouper at the beginning of 2012.



Yeah, the Gulf are allowing 4 red grouper per person in 2012.


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## jamessig (Jan 1, 2012)

Gag grouper open April 1 in state waters with no close date as of yet, but I doubt the season will remain open through the end of 2012.
In federal waters(beyond 9 miles) gags are currently closed until possibly November 1 pending approval.
Here's a link to the FWC page.

http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/regulations/groupers/gulf-grouper/


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