Convicts On The Loose!
- Captain Billy Howell
- Jan 29, 2019
- 5 min read
In the words of Antoine Dodson,"Hide yo' wife, hide yo' kids, hide yo' husband," Sheepshead AKA Convicts AKA Billy Bob could use a visit to the orthodontist to get braces, are on prison break and are fleeing river prisons like rats right about now and may soon be found congregating around bridges, jetties and rigs just off Alabama coastline. They will soon be found slumming it anywhere near a good hiding place and gorge on barnacles, oysters,crabs, shrimp and other bivalves as they fatten up for the spawn.
If you want to get a head start on the rest of those who are waiting for the easy pickings, hit up any of the wooden pilings, docks and stumps near the lower parts of rivers funneling out into the Bay right now.
Fun Facts About Sheepshead
Sheepshead, scientific name too difficult to pronounce and don’t even ask an angler to spell it, are a marine fish that can grow up to 30 inches in length but more commonly are seen in the 10-20 inch range. In addition to their sharp, spiny dorsal fin (Did you say fingerprick?), their body is deep and compressed in shape with dark bars down each side, hence the nickname convicts. For those who don’t live in the area, they are kind of shaped like a big ole bream. Novice anglers or googans might confuse them with puppy drum, but it would only take the misplacement of a finger to quickly find out that mis-identification.
Getting’ Time
Let’s keep things simple here, If you don’t have any fishing plans for the month of February and March and you want to catch sheepshead, circle that couple months on the calendar. The convicts enjoying their yard time as they feast and get their bellies full!
What Do They Eat?
Sheepshead have nearly a full set of teeth made for crushing barnacles, clams, fiddler crabs, sand fleas, small oysters, shrimp or anything that looks tasty and bite size. Any of the listed baits can be gathered in a variety of different ways. Sand Fleas, if present that early on, can be gathered with proper tools on the beach. Ghost shrimp, another favorite, may be pumped up from the sand. Fiddler Crabs may be found along boat ramps under rocks just out of the edge of the water. Barnacles grow on pretty much any structure that sits in the saltwater.
Captains’ Tip – “Carry something with you in the boat that will allow you to scrape barnacles off those structures into the water. Typically it will have the same effect as fish food in an aquarium and you will likely see them come up and feast if they are present.”
Tackle for Success
Choose a medium to medium to medium heavy rod, sinkers ranging from ½ ounce to 1 ½ ounces depending on whether you are inshore with little to no current or offshore, Number 2 or Number 4 kahle hook or a number 6 or 8 treble hook (depending on your preference) and 15-20 lb fluorocarbon.
Depending on the current, sometimes you can get away with free lining shrimp, but sheepshead typically don’t like to work really hard for their food, hence the heavier sinker.
My set up:
#Daiwausa 7 foot medium heavy Procyon Rod, with BG 3000 reel, 30-lb Daiwa J-Braid Grand, ¾ to 1 ½ ounce weight above a bead, barrel swivel, then about an 18 inch 15-20 lb fluorocarbon leader tied to a # 2 Kahle hook.
One of the reasons I prefer Kahle hooks is because if you let the fish eat, they typically hook themselves in the right place, the corner of the mouth, where it will be easier to remove the hook.
There will be times when water clarity is such that you have to bite the bullet and go to a significantly lighter fluorocarbon. After the sheepshead have been pressured for a few weeks that can get finicky, so if they do, try going to a much lighter set up.
Hooking Up
The key to catching pretty much any species of fish is Presentation, Patience and Persistence.
Presentation – The presentation of bait matters to any target species but one thing to remember is that fish typically feed on baits that are above their head (heads up). Use your depth finder even side scan to figure out where the fish are and start your baits in and just above that zone.
Patience – Most peoples’ first instinct when they get a bite is to try to set the hook or reel. With sheepshead you need to be patient. They will nibble the bait sometimes until they get what they want without getting caught. Could be what they were convicted of to start with, grand theft! Let them eat and when you feel tightness in the line, start reeling.
Persistence – When they steal your bait, keep rebaiting until you run out of bait, then go buy some more bait and get your buddy who knows how to catch them come hook them up for you. 😊
Captains Tip – (Captain Taylor Fisher) – "If you are having trouble hooking a sheepshead or if you have a client who is impatient and insists on setting the hook. Set a baited rod in the rod holder and wait."
Sometimes the sheepshead bite will be ferocious and you will catch them almost every drop and sometimes those little nibbles just aggravate you send your patience over the edge.
Creel Limits and State Record
Alabama Anglers may keep up to 10 sheepshead per day and they must be at least 12 inches fork length. I typically don’t keep sheepshead until they get into the 14-18 inch range. A 4 – 8 lb fish will provide a fistful of action and a hefty table fare.
The state record sheepshead for Alabama is currently held by Brandon Collier. Brandon caught a 22.6 inch, 13 lb, 9 ounce sheepshead on April 1, 2015 around a beacon near the mouth of Mobile Bay.
Florida anglers will be in for a big change this year as FWC voted to decrease angler bag limits from 15 per day to 8 and they must be 12 inches fork length.
While we are talking about limits, let me take a moment to say I never encourage limit fishing. We work on behalf of the customer and always try to educate our anglers on conservation for perpetuation of the species for future generations. Having said that, when customers pay to go fishing, it is their trip and we follow all regulations to the letter of the law.
Outlook
The next few days might be a little chilly but warmer temperatures are on the horizon as our unseasonably warm and wet winter continues. The good news is that the speckled trout bite that has been inconsistent has gotten a little better than it had been over the previous 3 weeks. People have been catching them on #slicklure and on popping corks with #vudushrimp or #gulfshrimp on shallow flats.
LOCAL LEARNING
Click the image below to sign up for the Surf Fishing Seminar that will take place next month at the Orange Beach Community Center.
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