I have been catching pretty much everything except Sheepshead, pretty much because I have no idea where to find them. I have heard rocks and jetties but I am in a paddle kayak and i think the jetties would be too rough and far for me. Any advice appreciated!
I wouldn’t recommend you traveling to the jetties in your kayak; that’s a recipe for disaster in my opinion. Sheepshead will live anywhere there is significant structure like bridge pilings or rock piles. Any of the inshore bridges just about hold these guys. They are there all the time, but I like a falling tide best. Lite leaders, Carolina rig style with small strong hooks. Fiddlers, oysters, clams for bait. They will eat shrimp too, but it seems like fiddlers are the most common bait of choice. This needs to be all vertical fishing, straight up and down. This should be easy for you being in a yak, so that you can get really close to the structure. The secret to catching lots of sheepshead is setting the hook right before they bite the bait.
Never really perused them here but they are all over the flats by the house.
First, Most, Biggest
We see them on the flats when out chasing reds, but I’ve never gotten one to bite a fly. You can pretty much walk right up to them though. I assume they’re up there eating crabs.
I would not suggest going to the jetties in your kayak unless you have a lot of experience in it and that you go with a buddy or two. The Lowcountry kayak anglers just had a sheepshead fishing seminar on Tuesday at Haddrells Point. If you go to the kayak forum and look back through the feeds you will find some good info on fishing for them from a kayak and the kinds of rigs to use. We are having a meet & greet on Nov. 15 @ the Folly landing at 8am we also fish so if you can make it out you can get good info there and see some other rigging ideas for your kayak. We also have a club page on the forum site here where we put club events. We also have a web page and Facebook page links are in my signature. Tight Lines!!
Ocean Kayak Prowler Big Game II
www.lowcountrykayakanglers.com
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ANY OYSTER/BARNACLE ENCRUSTED STRUCTURE WILL HOLD SHEEPSHEAD. I PREFER THE WHARF CRABS OVER FIDDLERS, BUT THEY DONT REALLY SEEM TO MIND. USING OYSTERS IS A PAIN. WHOLE MUSSELS ALSO WORK WELL, BUT ARE ALSO A PAIN TO BAIT. FOR MY TERMINAL TACKLE, I USE 20 TO 30# MONO LEADER WITH A 1/0 OCTOPUS HOOK AND ENOUGH SPLIT SHOT TO KEEP THE BAIT IN THE STRIKE ZONE.
BTW, I’D LEAVE THE KAYAK AT HOME. YOU CAN CATCH SHEEPSHEAD OFF ANY OF THE PUBLIC PIERS(PITT ST, MT PLEASANT PIER, ETC…). WHEN YOU’RE FISHING FOR THEM, FISH STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN. LET YOUR BAIT HIT THE BOTTOM, THE REEL IT JUST OFF THE BOTTOM TO KEEP TENSION IN THE LINE. SOMETIMES YOU FEEL A NIBBLE, OTHER TIMES YOU WILL SEE YOUR LINE MOVING LATERALLY. SLOWLY MOVE THE TIP OF YOUR ROD UP AND DOWN PERIODICALLY TO LOOK FOR LATERAL MOVEMENT IN YOUR LINE. THEN SET THE HOOK. GOOD LUCK. IT CAN BE A LOT OF FUN WHEN THEY’RE BITING WELL.
I saw 6 today tailing in the grass in a very small area. They are TOUGH to catch while sight fishing!
quote:
Originally posted by 23SailfishWe see them on the flats when out chasing reds, but I’ve never gotten one to bite a fly. You can pretty much walk right up to them though. I assume they’re up there eating crabs.
quote:
Originally posted by RADDADDYI saw 6 today tailing in the grass in a very small area. They are TOUGH to catch while sight fishing!
quote:
Originally posted by 23SailfishWe see them on the flats when out chasing reds, but I’ve never gotten one to bite a fly. You can pretty much walk right up to them though. I assume they’re up there eating crabs.
Try using a gig…
Shoot them…