# Sheepshead and Oysters?



## Sea-N-Double (Jan 13, 2010)

I'm going to nearshore reefs Friday for sheepshead and can't get fiddlers.  Bait shop at Shellman's is out ( they all froze) and I won't have time to dig any.  Planning on using oysters.  I once read that you can microwave them to make them tougher and stay on hook better.  Anyone ever tried this or have any other advice?
Thanks!


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## Mechanicaldawg (Jan 13, 2010)

Before you put them in the microwave sprinkle them with cheese and put a slice of jalapeño pepper & cook them for 4 minutes on high.

Then use a pinch of live or fresh dead shrimp for sheepies.

Seriously, I've never fished with a microwaved oyster but I have eaten one and it does toughen them up a bit.


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## Skinin&Grinin (Jan 13, 2010)

I dont really care for oysters as bait we end up eating more of them than go on the hook.I like clams allot better,they stay on the hook way better than a oyster,I have caught some studs using clams.Also in my opinion one of the best big sheephead baits is quartered blue crabs,I caught my biggest sheep on crab,and had a buddy smash the Florida record using crab a few weeks ago.
To bad he ate it.LoL


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## Sea-N-Double (Jan 14, 2010)

Thanks for the info.  I'll have to try the clams.


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## Fishdog31024 (Jan 17, 2010)

Jim:
I've never tried it, but I was told by a good Bluff Sheephead fisherman that you can wrap an oyster in a peice of pantyhose and tie it with a rubber band and it will stay on the hook and the fish will still hit it. Let me know how it works.

David


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## Skinin&Grinin (Jan 17, 2010)

Fishdog31024 said:


> Jim:
> I've never tried it, but I was told by a good Bluff Sheephead fisherman that you can wrap an oyster in a peice of pantyhose and tie it with a rubber band and it will stay on the hook and the fish will still hit it. Let me know how it works.
> 
> David



I have heard the same thing,but it was putting fiddlers inside the hose.I think some poor boy got caught with panty hose on his boat and was getting ragged so that was the exscuse he came up with and now its turned in to a tale...


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## Nautical Son (Jan 17, 2010)

Skinin&Grinin said:


> I have heard the same thing,but it was putting fiddlers inside the hose.I think some poor boy got caught with panty hose on his boat and was getting ragged so that was the exscuse he came up with and now its turned in to a tale...



could be the case but we used old panty hose to hold our chicken liverrs to gether when we fished in catfish tourneys.......guess it would work with oysters as well


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## Sea-N-Double (Jan 18, 2010)

Ended up taking some micro-waved oysters and some live clams.  I think if I had microwaved the oysters until they were like rubber they would have done better.  They didn't last long.  Clams worked a lot better.  Ended up with 15 sheepies, 3 puppy drum and 10 black bass. The bsb and pigfish were thick.  Had to weed through about 15 of them per sheepshead.


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## PaulD (Jan 18, 2010)

I like clams for a back up. Also, chunk o crab will work. Figures that they would let the bait die at the bluff. It ain't like it used to be there.


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## Skinin&Grinin (Jan 18, 2010)

Sea-N-Double said:


> They didn't last long.  Clams worked a lot better.  Ended up with 15 sheepies, 3 puppy drum and 10 black bass.


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## crackerdave (Jan 18, 2010)

Sea-N-Double said:


> Thanks for the info.  I'll have to try the clams.


They're the bomb for _big_ sheephead! Go in the creeks at low tide and get the big mud clams.The sand clams are the best eatin'.


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## gdhames (Jan 19, 2010)

My wife and I use the mussels that grow with the oysters little green ones. You have to get them at low tide areound the Piers. Just crack the nose a little to make it weep and hook through the fat end and hang on. DH


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