"It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming.”- John Steinbeck, author. Look around you today and remember what the weather was like just a week ago. Cold. Real cold. So cold that commercial bait providers could not catch enough shrimp to supply the local bait shops. So it should come to no ones surprise that the fishing in the area has been slow. Now, with this warmer weather and rising water temperatures, the fish are becoming more active daily. Some species, like the sheephead, seem to be more active now than they have been in several months.
Sheephead, aka Archosargus probatocephalus, is a member of the Porgy family which also includes pinfish. They are recognizable by the five or six black bars on their side with a gray background. Some sheephead anglers refer to these bars as “Jailhouse stripes” because of the fish’s reputation of being a bait thief. The fish’s name refers to its oddly shaped mouth and incisor teeth, which are somewhat reminiscent of a sheep's dental structure. They can be found feeding on barnacles and mollusks on dock and pier pilings as well as the undersides of boats. If you walk along a sea wall or dock on a quiet day you can hear them grinding and crushing these crustaceans using their several rows of stubby teeth. Light spinning tackle with eight to twelve pound line is used when fishing sheephead. Because the fish are usually caught around sharp edges of barnacles and razor clams, a short monofilament leader of twenty to thirty pound test is recommended. Baits include live fiddler crabs, live shrimp, barnacles, and shucked mollusks and clams. Many anglers consider a flat head shovel as necessary sheephead fishing equipment. The idea is to attract the sheephead by using the shovel to scrape the barnacles off of an encrusted dock piling creating a chum and dropping your bait amidst it. Remember if you are using live fiddler crabs as bait to not leave them submerged under the water for long. They are air breathers and must surface occasionally. Most anglers tell us that the trick to good catches is to set the hook quickly when you feel a tap. Sheephead are very light biters and are said to be able to steal the bait without even moving the bobber. It is also a good idea to keep a finger resting on the line itself to help you feel the light tapping. When handling the fish be attentive of the sharp spines along its dorsal fin. Because of its diet, the sheephead’s flesh is very sweet and delicious. It is best filleted and pan fried. The world record on sheephead is 21 pounds, 6 ounces. Remember that the Bait House has dock access for your boat and we can always be reached on your marine radio to check on bait availability. New tackle and gear arrive weekly. We also have rental rods and reels as well as aerated bait buckets for your day on the water. Thanks to those that email at Jim2988@msn.com and as always, Good Luck Out There! Jim can be found daily at the Bait House - Clearwater Municipal Marina, phone 446-8134
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