Thread: where are the sheepshead?

went to the pass last week caught 13 sheepies 1 flounder and 1 trigger fish.this week we caught 1 sheepie and we fished for like an hour. whats happening? arent they supposed to be spawning right now. and i know they bight all the way through march. anybody kno?

Thats why its called fishing & not catching. The sheepies will be in spawning mode for at least another full month, but only they know when they will be in a biting mood.

Exactly!
Several things are at work here...

First off the sheepshead are definitely PRE-spawn.
You will notice their sex organs swelling up for a month before the actual spawn (usually 'peaking' in mid-late March).
That's when they get all 'stupid' and eat most anything.

The water temps are highly variable in the pass (4-8 degrees) depending on the tide direction, strength and duration (time of day).
Also changes in salinity and turbidity greatly influence when these fish feed or bite.

All the sheepshead do not migrate or respond to general environmental changes at the same time.
There can be two or three 'waves' of spawning depending on the individual's response to the environmental factors encountered and their own genetics.

One thing fer sure, and that is the sheepshead bite should just get better.
But my three decades of pursuing them has proven they have a habit of confounding anglers at every opportunity.
Maybe that is what makes them so enjoyable? :headbang:

I dove the rock island at the pass yesterday. saw blues, mullet, pomps, but not one single sheepshead. ???

I bet if you dove 3-mile barge, it would be loaded with them.
(Is there still structure at 3-mile barge??? Havent fished out there in 10 years)