I really wanted to catch some good sheepshead on an offshore reef, so Friday while the ocean was agreeable I gave it a shot. Fiddlers are difficult, if not impossible, to find. I struck on the notion of using the claws from big crawfish hoping to avoid the small Black Sea bass. The first stop was in 45 ft. over a tug that I know has sheeps on it. After an hour and a half and nothing but bsb, I gave up on the sheeps, and ran to live bottom in 80 ft. Lord have mercy!
Using nothing nothing but homemade artificialls, I’m sure I boated close to a hundred on a light rod. The anchor never went down on them. The jig I used , made by a friend, is big - about 3 or 4 ounces, and I’ve never seen one like it. The little fish were nailing it, but couldn’t take it.
When my shoulder couldn’t take any more, I headed in. After 2 miles I stumble onto a large turtle, and I said , bless your heart.slowing to trolling speed, I circled him about a couple of hundred feet out, and every time the bottom lit up I punched the gps. No telling what is there!
Lessons:
Go it alone when the weather is agreeable. You can experiment without interference.
There is a lot of uncharted hard bottom out there. Get a Maps Unnique chart, and go from there.
Don’t ignore a concentration of birds, and don’t ever, ever,ever ignore a loggerhead.
I kept my seven fish, and had a great ride home!
Always heard that turtles love live bottom. I think you are wise in that judgement
Thanks for the report!
“mr keys”