# Sheepshead and the circle hook



## Ga. Swamper (Dec 26, 2011)

Didn't know about the federal waters requirement for a circle hook. Saw video on here some guys catching sheepshead on them but that was all. Now I have grouper fished with them and few other bottom fish, reel up on them when you think they have taken the bait, but I usually snatch the heck out of a sheepshead bite on a fiddler. NOW WHAT. Also the size C hook ya'll use and technique.


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## Bryannecker (Dec 27, 2011)

*Circle Hooks: Reprint/Repost*

#1 or 1/0 are best. Owner is the sharpest. Light wire does less damage to the fiddlers. Constant pressure is the ticket. No hook set is required. Let them hook themselves. No gut hooking with the use of circle hooks is the usual case and they are hooked in the jaw area. It is very hard for them to throw the hook, too. It just takes getting used to not setting the hook. A tight line is the answer. That is why that a float will work inshore in shallow water.
My videos show that technique as the featured video via my home page per my profile. Look and learn.
Happy New Year.  
Capt. Jimmy


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## Nautical Son (Dec 27, 2011)

So let me see if I follow this correctly....I can't go catch BSB's but I can't catch a Sheepie without first getting the bait past the BSB's, then to top it off I have to use a circle hook to catch the Sheepie....Yup gonna need to take my lawyer fishing with me from now on...either that or take up some new hobby...apparently "Tree Hugging" and "Bunny Hugging" are becoming more popular...Honestly, I haven't had my boat in the water for 90+ days, and don't plan on putting it in anytime soon...I'm not giving the Fed's any tax money so they can tell me what, where,when and NOW they tell me HOW I have to catch fish....Washington needs an enema from the top down....


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## Ga. Swamper (Dec 27, 2011)

*Sheepshead on the float more info needed!*

Capt. Jimmy
I assume you are using a large float to give resistance in order for the fish to set the circle hook without any reeling of the line during the bite as with a grouper. In the video I didn't see an actual bite, do you wait for the float to go under or pull off as in running with it to start reeling in the fish. Have you tried it off shore with the slip cork? I'm going Friday to try them inshore and want to try the float rig and circle hook out then.


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## Bryannecker (Dec 27, 2011)

You have to make sure that he is hooked up and them reel him in. The structure will result in some cut offs.  Keeps the cork line tight and let him take in down.  Reef fishing will not work with the cork!
Offshore is too deep for a slip cork to work and the current is too strong and will float you off the sheepshead hole.  You must just develop your own feel for the inshore slip cork fishing for sheepshead.  Play it by ear and develop your own technique is how I did it and it does work but each angler must refine it to his own needs.  Five to ten feet of water is all the depth that it will work in as far as I know.  GOOD LUCK!  Oh, look at all my videos for sheepshead and you will see some other refinements.  The cork in the featured video is a normal trout size cork.  That is what will work.  You can apply all the resistance needed to hook the sheepie depending on the size of the individual critter.  Again, good luck Friday!


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## Bryannecker (Dec 28, 2011)

*Resist, Brothers, Resist.*



Nautical Son said:


> So let me see if I follow this correctly....I can't go catch BSB's but I can't catch a Sheepie without first getting the bait past the BSB's, then to top it off I have to use a circle hook to catch the Sheepie....Yup gonna need to take my lawyer fishing with me from now on...either that or take up some new hobby...apparently "Tree Hugging" and "Bunny Hugging" are becoming more popular...Honestly, I haven't had my boat in the water for 90+ days, and don't plan on putting it in anytime soon...I'm not giving the Fed's any tax money so they can tell me what, where,when and NOW they tell me HOW I have to catch fish....Washington needs an enema from the top down....



COMMENTARY

I agree that the situation is a complete mess and not of our own creation.  2012 is an election year and we can make one last stab at reform then, if that does not work, a revolt may follow. 

 In the meantime, do not let the "Tree Hugging" and "Bunny Hugging" clowns win.  It seems to me that it is not by mere coincidence that economy is tanking and the regulatory screws are tightening more with each passing day.  Could it be that this is 1775 or 1860 all over again.  It sure does appear to be to me.  

Furthermore, the sheepshead will be available when the BSB move off the reefs to deeper water in January, February and March.  Keep the faith and fish as long as you have the means to do so, and in that way the opposition will not be allowed to win.  A complete 
paradigm shift may occur with this next election cycle that could render all of this over-regulation a moot question.  

By the way,  I do take my personal lawyer with me on each and every trip but it does not help.  The regs are so overwhelming that he cannot keep up with them.  Same thing for the tax code and my personal tax advise is a close personal friend, too.  

So, again, keep on fishing!  

Capt. Jimmy


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## Nautical Son (Jan 1, 2012)

I hear ya Jimmy, there is a revouloution brewing....sooner or later we real fishermen(the ones who do it for OUR freezers not OUR wallets)will say enough is enough and it'll take every DNR boat in the state to stop the onslaught of hooks and sinkers coming their way...fact of the matter is I have already reached this point myself, if I want BSB for dinner and my 12 year old son wants to endure the seasickness to go with me to catch it, then there isn't a law enacted thats gonna stop me from catching them. Some folks may say it's a bad influence to teach my son to blatantly break the law, I say pffft...thats not a law thats just some folks trying to make sure the commercial guys can catch the quota before the first month of the season is over, there by reducing their costs but at the same time ensuring they have the money to pay all the business taxes and licensing fees so they keep the business going....It's all about tax dollars, these folks could care less about the fish population, otherwise they'd be conducting real studies on catch size and quantity rather than pulling a ficticious number out of the air and making it appear as the gospel truth....


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