Thread: sheephead

How do yall catch the sheepheads? Live or cut bait? Cork or no cork?ey

carolina rig (Egg sinker then Swivel then about 12 inches of line then your j hook)< what i use works pretty good

for bait live shrimp fiddler crabs also and i dont use cork

Live shrimp, fiddler crabs, ghost shrimp or hermit crabs.
If they are really turned on, fresh, as in never frozen, shrimp works.

On the pier, no cork, just a hook and enough weight to keep in contact with the bait. If I am fishing the rigs or bridge piles, I use a cork.

Thanks so much!

Would tightlining work, where the weight is at the end of the line, for sheepies?

I forget who posted this... But credit to whomever it was.

Rigs for Sheepshead.

If it is calm and very little wind,
six# test, no leader, just a little split shot a little ways above the hook #10 treble.

If it is a little windy,
8# rig, Carolina rig using a half ounce egg weight 10-20# fluro leader(depending on how picky they are being) with a #10 treble.

It it is really windy,
16# test, a 1 oz egg weight 20# fluro leader and #10 treble.

As far as bait, live shrimp, ghost shrimp, or fiddled crabs work.
They are very picky so bait must be live. Main thing is be patient.
They nibble most of the time, so let them nibble a couple of times.
When you finally feel a bit of tension, jerk that sucker as hard as you can.
You are going to want to run a slightly heavy drag and jack them up.to the surface basically because they generally want to run under the pier and around pilings, so the sooner you fan get them towards the surface, the better you will be able to control them. They stay at varying depths on different days so some days this will be harder,

Good advice, and I think that was Rocknchef who posted it. Most folks go toward the heavy end---they aren't as accomplished as the chef. (Me too)

I like small mosquito hooks or live bait hooks.. Those little trebles can come back in balls quite often..

I also like to use 10 lb braid with 8-15 flouro leader... And make it long if the water is clear at all..

That does sound like my post. All the equipment matches. You are right Peaches, they can destroy those trebles, but I have a lot better success with a treble than a single. But to each their own. If everybody fished the same, there would be no individuality. Much like a recipe, these are just base guidlines but everyone can adjust to their own taste. Good luck to you fish slayer and tight lines.