Just got informed there is a meeting at 9am tomorrow at DNR regarding the removal of sheepshead from the snapper/grouper complex and I was also told there will also be an open discussion to potential size and creel limit regulations for sheepshead next year. Encourage all the opinions posted on here to attend if possible. My suggestion was 12" and 5 per person, though I am sure many do not agree, its just IMO that this would be best for the resource.
Thought some may want to know about the meeting, hope to hear or see many there!
I may not have this exactly right but due to declining trends in catch per unit effort and in average size landed, DNR recommended at the meeting Friday that the fishery have a maximum creel of 10. Plus in order to let the majority of the fish spawn at least once before harvest a minimum size of 12" Fork Length, and a return to using any type of hook.
The rest of us don’t like unreasonable over-regulation either, Opps-Lost. We just know that reasonable regulation natural resources is necessary because we don’t want to see a favored recreational target species go the way of the buffalo. If there had been a little restraint all across this country 100 years ago, I can only imagine how much more awesome the fishing and hunting might be today. We might even still have pumas in SC if a little bit of reasonable regulation had been implemented.
To each his own, though. It’s a shared resource, so we each deserve a say in making such decisions as a people.
My vote is for the limit Stretch suggested, and I also like the idea of dropping the circle hook in exchange for those limits.
Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance Agency, Inc. https://stricklandmarine.net
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862
I like the idea of slot and number limits too. I’m only learning to sheepshead fish but I ran into a pile of 12 & 13" fish a week ago and released them all. I’d set a 14" minimum limit just because anything smaller didn’t seem worth the trouble to clean.
I do have trouble hooking them though. Is it entirely my lack of experience or is it just hard to do with circle hooks?
Up early to shrimp/fish this AM and the rain started just as I was putting ice in the cooler…
I’d rather see 5 or 7 fish per person with a lower slot for most and then one fish over a certain a size. Example:
If 5 per person then 4 between 12-17 inces and one allowed over the 17 inch mark (and if you don’t get one over 17 then take a 5th between the slot).
I’m just imagining that if 10 per person then the same two brothers would go out, catch 20, post a picture of all the fish on a dock, and people would still see that it’s just too many fish per person.
Opps, knowing you I’d know (**() well that you’d be the first person to backhand some jack@$$ coming back with 20 sheep. You don’t want more regulations from the “man” so that’s the whole intent of the “right” people to do it before the “man” does. Plus I thought you’d want a creel limit of two since that’s the most you’ve caught in one trip all year
I am also in favor of 10 fish with a minimum 14" total length. If Hungryneck is correct about DNR recommending a 12" fork length, then this would be around 14" total length.
