Got in trouble with the man a few weeks back for sheepshead fishing without using circle hooks. Was wondering if there was any chatter about them repealing this stupid law?? i heard a little while back that they were going to try to do something about it. needless to say, I was catching sheepshead, and when I was made to change the hook I missed every bite!!! After about 20 mins and about 8 missed bites; (I am pretty good at hooking these fish and don’t miss that many in a row) I got angry and went home. Pleeeeeseee tell me they are going to do something about this. It is IMPOSSIBLE to catch a sheep on a stupid circle hook!
no its not.
xHCFCx
Fish are too valuable to be caught only once.
After january first they are changing them from one complex to another making them a state fish not federal so the dnr is repealing that law on 1-1-12
A small fish in hand is better than big fish in thought
Not doubting your experience, but I catch more fish of all kinds with circle hooks. I just resist the urge to set the hook and start reeling them in when it’s obvious that they are hooked. When I’m getting a bite, I just take any slack out of the line and wait for the fish to hook itself…right in the lip.
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
1/0 circle hooks work just fine for me.
After january first they are changing them from one complex to another making them a state fish not federal so the dnr is repealing that law on 1-1-12
I don’t believe I’m familiar with the ‘state fish’ complex. Do you have a reference?
#1 or 1/0 mutu owner circle (Haddrell’s recommendation), Resist the hook set and it should be easy to overcome, was for me. In fact I may not even switch back, although one of the first I caught was gut hooked believe it or not!
Go to some sellsfish posts on sheepshead. I remember specifically a You-tube video where he purposefully showed it could be done - by the cooler full!
Vinman
19.5 Triumph, 115 HP Honda
“Every saint has a past, every sinner a future”
www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
sheeps were in the snapper complex and now They are changing them to something else to take from a federal fish to a state fish to be able to repeal that circle hook law
A small fish in hand is better than big fish in thought
Yak, I think you are incorrectly correct. They were INCORRECTLY put into the snapper group by legislative hockey pucks who know more about legislating than fish.
That will be corrected, and they will be placed back in their proper grouping, deleecio onaplatus, with a potential size and cull limitation.
Vinman
19.5 Triumph, 115 HP Honda
“Every saint has a past, every sinner a future”
www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
lets hope for nothing less than a 10 fish per with a 14" minimum.
xHCFCx
Fish are too valuable to be caught only once.
Dang Vin, for a minute I thought you were Barbawang with all that fancy Latin.
Hey John, they are recommending 12" minimum.
1720 KW 110 Johnson
16’ Bonito 65 Johnson
Archosargus est sapidissimus maximus!
stretch and coot bring about a good point- will it be a fork length or a total?
it would be the first inshore species (possibly first state-managed species for SC?) to have a fork length limit, so maybe it would be 14" TL as an equivalent to 12" TL?
living in such tight structure (and maybe nipping at each other?), it does seem the tips of caudal fins are often damaged, making the fork seem like the better choice for more accurate management of the fishery, but maybe not for implementation/enforcement of the law.
quote:fish today work tomorrow
Originally posted by fishboyGot in trouble with the man a few weeks back for sheepshead fishing without using circle hooks. Was wondering if there was any chatter about them repealing this stupid law?? i heard a little while back that they were going to try to do something about it. needless to say, I was catching sheepshead, and when I was made to change the hook I missed every bite!!! After about 20 mins and about 8 missed bites; (I am pretty good at hooking these fish and don’t miss that many in a row) I got angry and went home. Pleeeeeseee tell me they are going to do something about this. It is IMPOSSIBLE to catch a sheep on a stupid circle hook!
[size=2]Always have an extra rod or 2 rigged with circle hooks, then when u see the man cut the line with the j hooks. I dont agree with breaking the law, but sometimes you have to bend it. I know some of you are gonna bust my chops on this so lets get started oh yeah how much was the fine[/size=2].
I use circle hooks, especially for sheeps.I won’t use any other kind of hook because I love the fish I catch too much to kill them
with a little practice sheeps can be caught just as successfully on circle hooks as with J hooks…Team 23BonzoRapTang caught over 60 sheeps in about 4-5 hours all on circle hooks…go up one size from the J hook you are used to fishing…
The Morris Island Lighthouse www.savethelight.org
well I guess I am the only one on here who can’t catch a sheep on a circle hook. Just sitting there and waiting for a sheep to hook itself just seems silly to me. If it were that easy than catching sheeps would be as much as a no brainer as catching a bsb. We all know it isn’t like that! I have to snatch them right when they bite or I will miss them everytime. Anyway, Glad to see they are changing that law in January.
Bonzo,
Not sure but it looks to me like you are on a reef. Much different catching them on reefs as opposed to catching them inshore.