Hey this is my first time on this forum and the first time I’ve been fishing for sheepshead. I’m hoping you guys could tell me where and how to catch sheepshead. I’m not asking for anyone’s secret spot (Unless you wanna tell me:smiley:) but I would like to know a general area were you can catch them. I’m going to be trying to catch them off a boat but it’s not a skiff so I can’t go really shallow I’m going tomorrow so if I catch anything I will post the pics tomorrow afternoon. I also could use some help on rigs and bait. Thank you and I hope this doesn’t bother anyone on this forum.
I use a Carolina rig with a 1oz weight typically and a 1/0 owner ssw. Others have suggested #1 mosquito hooks they seem a little light to me. Use the lightest weight possible. I like fishing around low tide. Fish around structure (rocks or pilings) with barnacle. Rake barnacle off of the structure to chum them up but not to much. Fiddler crabs for bait. Have caught them using barnacles, oysters and clams.
Thank you I will report if we catch any tommorow.
Can you catch them at the nearshore reef?
I’ve heard reports of doing so but I personally don’t have a boat so I fish docks and jetties that have public access.
Yes, they are at the nearshore reefs. You will have to fight the seabass though.
Inshore, try the burned out tressel across from Drum Island in the Cooper River.
Thank you we will be going up the cooper river because of the strong winds tommorow.
Meanwhile, fishguy, I do it similar to C-rig. I use the mosquito hooks he’s talking about though (number 1 or 2). Never tried the owner ssw. I used to be so light with weight (a few small split shots and hook tied to mainline; split shots about 18 in above hook), but now I just use braid with a Carolina rig (about 1 oz or 1.5 oz egg sinker) with about a 18 inch leader (heavy; I think I’ve been using 60 lb… I like to over compensate). Then I find a bunch of docks close by and only spend about 4-5 mins at each one just trying to lose a crab. If no lost crab in 4-5 mins then I move to the next dock or to another portion of that dock. Def scrape barnacles or squish old frozen fiddlers together and chum. If you do lose a crab then dawn another crab and no try to feel the bite + watch to see if the line moves AWAY from a piling. Sit the hook good and hope your line doesn’t fly out of the water at your face… it happens.
I’d take that offer on having someone feel the bite and set the hook for you… isn’t that the hardest part with sheepshead? haha
Rig:A Carolina rig, lightest weight you can get away with. 10" of 20-30# flourocarbon. A 1 or 1/0 mosquito hook is perfect for sheepshead. You want a strong rod with a fast actiom tip and BRAID so you can feel the bite.
Bait: fiddler crabs, live shrimp are nice to have as well, clams or oysters can be used, scrape barnacles off with a paddle for chum.
Location: anywhere with tons of shells, old docks with an oyster bar are great, bridgr pilings, really any structure with tons of growth. Known areas are the jetties, and the coal shoot 23 speaks of.
You wanna be fishing vertically if possible. For your first time take AT LEAST a pint of fiddlers!
Come in to haddrells tomorrow before you go and theyll point you in the right direction!
Dont ask for spots on this site or anywhere else really, people aint gonna take you seriously, and are gonna be “asshats”
14’ Skiff-“Redfish Reaper”
Oysters are best for the BIG sheeps.
What kind of boat is a indigo bay? cant find anything on them when I search…
191 Bay Scout
Wow, isn’t that a surprise, not everything is on the internet.
Its a 17’ semi-deep V center console made by Fast Craft boats. They only made this hull for 1.5 years before the economy went south, and went back to small boat production. People couldn’t afford the big motors it took to power them, so they sold more 15’ Fast Craft with 50-60 2 strokes. And I think the four strokes taking over added too much weight on the boat as well. Rather than re-engineering the hull in a down economy, they stopped making them.
“Banana Pants”
Indigo Bay 170
90 Johnson
How many people on here are Charleston natives, born and raised? just curious no relevance to the topic.
If this is such a great site, then what’s up with some people and their photo shop pictures (makes me laugh, get a better program than paint), or like the one guy who when you ask, “man nice fish” (that was a compliment btw), “where was that at?”…when you get a response of “the ocean” or “the water” you want to slap him…probably had a buff mask on too!..I think this site is for posting pictures and look at me photos, not sharing. Havent seen much help on here for those less fortunate to have been born into the hobby…Same attitude for guys with charters…perfect example…our family goes on a trip south of here every year once a year…girlfriends dad asked me to find a charter so we don’t have to deal with anything (he’s loaded would rather pay when out of town) few guides told me “nah brah I cant take yall if you are bringing your own boat” I said ok buddy, for one we come once a year, for two we are cruising with the girls on our boat the next day, for three you must not be a good guide if you think you have to guard your spot that hard and if you only have a few spots you suck anyway, and most important I told him sucks because you most likely just lost a 1000$ tip dumbass" her dad doubles the price every time to be nice,…needless to say that guy called back 8 times…haha what I had to say…
191 Bay Scout
So far we’ve talked about buff masks and asshats… I have one of those hats with the cover on your neck and feel like an asshat wearing it until the end of the day when I’m not burnt. I got it when I had leukemia, was getting chemo and was sensitive to the sun. Just because someone looks like a douchebag doesn’t mean they are one…but if they act like one that’s a different story.
quote:
Originally posted by jsc84tgrIf this is such a great site, then what’s up with some people
you suck anyway […]dumbass
</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>yeah, what IS up with some people?
So how did you do fishguy?
I hope the clowns didn’t scare you off.
I’ve only ever targeted sheepshead one time. I ran out of bait pretty quickly that time and had nothing to show for it. I hope you had better luck.
I think there are more helpful folks on here than clowns, by the way. 
Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole
quote:
Originally posted by jsc84tgr“nah brah I cant take yall if you are bringing your own boat” I said ok buddy, for one we come once a year, for two we are cruising with the girls on our boat the next day, for three you must not be a good guide if you think you have to guard your spot that hard and if you only have a few spots you suck anyway, and most important I told him sucks because you most likely just lost a 1000$ tip dumbass" her dad doubles the price every time to be nice,…needless to say that guy called back 8 times…haha what I had to say…
</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>so the guy tells you his policy then you dangle the “he doubles the price” crap over his head? hope y’all caught some nice fish in your boat…
The Morris Island Lighthouse www.savethelight.org
^^^ Like
'a stranger is just a friend i havent met yet’jt
to the o.p., sorry i didn’t add something helpful. my strategy is currently very much like yakman’s (who’s changed his to a lot lighter approach, if i remember his comments from last year). up to a 3/8oz egg c-rigged on 20-30lb fluoro to an owner #1 ssw cutting point, not the needle point. hard to find in stores but same price online, worth ordering some to try. they’re plenty strong, caught my personal best 11# on one a few years ago. below is 2 solo trips from last fall using only fresh oysters.
now you have to give us a report!
hey 84tiger, look at me. i didn’t use the airbrush tool to keep you away from my driveway, figured you’d appreciate it.
