Got out this morning on a day off to myself. Got some fiddlers to try for some sheep since I haven’t tried since June… only had to go to one spot and had constant action but kept coming up short for keepers by an inch. Some of those look good enough to get a decent fillet off of but weren’t quite 14". Definitely lost a few that would’ve been keepers. Ah well, didn’t want to spend anymore time and so I headed towards my “new to me” red spot. Met a nice guy by the name of Dan there who didn’t mind me being too close to him (thanks Dan!). Chit chatted with him and we picked at little stuff (I got a few smaller slot reds) and then a (**() good fight with a 31.5" red. Once away from structure I let him run a bit so I could tire him out and get him to me. Got him, snapped a pic, and let go. Then I foul hooked a croaker and cut him up for bait… believe it or not, a crab wouldn’t even touch the croaker. I’m very surprised. Called it quits and picked up my son at day care. Met up with my neighbor and the three of us went out of limehouse. Since I had my son with me then we ran up on shark tooth island and deployed the sand spikes. Had a good time letting him explore but our baits got nothing but crabs. Hit some docks past limehouse real quick and had a bruiser slam one of rods. He fought like hell and we had him on for awhile but then… CRAP, HE’S OFF! Too bad because he was definitely bigger than the 31.5" fish from earlier. Ah well, good excitement.
Luck was on BIG chunked mullet. Water was a good temp at 86. Nothing hit on crab but didn’t use it that long.
Sheep were on fiddlers of course. Just after low tide. Dropped it down and reeled the baitcaster up 6 turns. Seemed to be on sunnyside of dock with tide taking fiddler just under the dock next to the pilings.
One time i was catchin a pile of nothing on dead crabz and switched to snails - like the ons that crawl on grass and what not - i had got em from flatz bc they kept being in my shoes, but thought they might be eatin em on flatz. So i collectd a pile andn drilled really small holes in them and run mono through em and wad about 5 onto a #4 treble, had abunch of them rigged like that in a small bucket like the ones you buy oysters in w-out the shells. But a ton of stuff ate the snails, seriously. Caught 5 reds 7 sheep prolly 10 black drum and 1 nice flound. It made me feel awesome right? That feelin if catchin each one and the drag going out zzzzzzzzzzzzz and just like, amazin. See doggy I had seen snails in ther bellys cleaning em, but had to come up w a way to hold em together, 2 lb mono, 4 times thread through holes and snaggd up in hook, then pile up in bucket that used for non shell oysters. Then rig w 15-25 lb braid on reel w backing on reel, then a in line cigar wt of 2 oz. then a 40 lb mono leader. Then a hook w snail cluster, would shock yall how many fish jumped all up on it. Fried up sheep and red las night one tyyyyme an had some leftover ladyz from top action. Sidez were okras, beets, carrots, scallped potatos… Bread, butter in bread, and juice w ice twice. Eateats. I. Got. This… Chuckfish.com youtube.com big ups to a&t and SC ie socross dawg.
Nice report. I’ve only been sheephead fishing once in the last year or so. I was thinking this morning that I need to start going after sheephead and put the flounder down for awhile. My favorite inshore dinner fare.
Narcosis
Southern Cross, that’s awesome. I NEVER thought about using those snails and there have been several times where I didn’t plan on sheeping but had wished I had some crabs. I’d used barnacles & those spider/dock crabs before with only luck on the later. You’re right though, I’ve seen those snails in their bellies and think that’s a good idea during those situations. Thanks bud.
Narcosis, thanks. Yeah, I was the same way and was disappointed with a weak sheep bite this June (usually I get a good bite that time of year) so I hadn’t really targeted them since then. I’m with you on the sheep & flounder dinner fare! They’re the only 2 that I’ll keep consistently (once in awhile a red or trout but not often).