“Real Winter Sheepshead Bite”
By Terry Lacoss
“The winter fishing is definitely my favorite time of year when targeting sheepshead,” Captain Danny Flynn said. “During the last few winter fishing seasons, sheepshead fishing has been simply phenomenal, particularly after the Navy removed both of their towers at the St. Mary’s inlet. The structures that supported the navy towers harbored an impressive sheepshead stock. Once the towers were removed, huge numbers of sheepshead that once made their homes at the towers, migrated to the St. Mary’s jetties and similar submerged structures that harbored barnacles and fish haven for these delicious eating and gamey fish.”
“Sheepshead also spawns during the winter months while migrating from deep water to shallow water structures where they are more likely to bite my clients barbed fiddler crab baits.”
Keep in mind that the popularity for sheepshead fishing has grown in leaps and bounds during the last few fishing seasons. While during the winter fishing season many species of game fish have migrated offshore, or simply harder to locate and catch, sheepshead fishing actually improves during the cold winter fishing season.
Charter fishing captains like Captain Danny Flynn are now capitalizing on the excellent winter sheepshead bite to not only provide and excellent fight for their clients, but for excellent table fare as well. Captain Allen Mills was recently showcased on the popular television fishing show “Bass 2 Bills” while fishing for Fernandina Beach sheepshead.
The “Jacksonville Offshore Fishing Club” successfully runs a sheepshead tournament during the month of February attracting 366-boats during the 2011 event. The event is called the “El Cheapo Sheepshead Tournament”. Entry fee this year is $60.00 per boat with a first place prize including a 2012 18-foot Carolina Skiff powered by a Mercury four-stroke outboard motor. The fishing outfit is valued at $20,000.00. Second place is a 2012 ATV-4 wheeler from First Coast Power Sports valued at $5,000.00. The tournament date is February 25th. For information go to www.jaxfish.com.
Captain Danny Flynn offers excellent advice on angling techniques when targeting Fernandina Beach sheepshead.
“My favorite sheepshead waters include the St. Mary’s jetty rocks. Captain Danny Flynn said. Here sheepshead will congregate close to the low areas of the jetty rocks during the low tide periods. My favorite tides to catch sheepshead include the last few hours of the falling tide and the first few hours of the in-coming tide.”
“Other prime sheepshead waters include both the “George Crady” fishing pier and the “Shave Memorial Bridge”. Here barnacle clad bridge pilings offer excellent habitat for sheepshead fishing. Boat docks that run out to deep channels can also produce awesome sheepshead catches during the winter months as well.”
Fishing tackle is key when catching toothy sheepshead, which at times, can be very tricky in their feeding habits.
“I typically use twenty pound spinning tackle, with spinning reels spooled with twenty-pound braided fishing line,” Captain Danny Flynn said. A one to four-ounce egg sinker is threaded on to the braided line, using just enough weight to keep the bait down next to the piling, or structure. A twenty pound barrel swivel is then tied to the tag end of the braided fishing line. Next, a twelve-inch section of twenty-pound fluorocarbon shock leader is tied to the remaining side of the barrel swivel. Finally a size four Kahle hook is tied to the business end of the shock leader.”
Excellent reasoning for employing a small #-4 Kahle hook offers more bites from spooky sheepshead that often mistake the small saltwater hook for a fiddler crab leg!
“Sheepshead strikes are often difficult to detect,” Captain Danny Flynn explains. “Keeping a tight fishing line, while raising and lowering the rod tip, is a good tip for detecting sheepshead that are trying to sneak off with my barbed fiddler crab. When a strike is detected, I simply firmly raise my rod tip.”
“My favorite way to prepare sheepshead, is definitely leaving the skin on and grilling them on the grill, skin down, using barbecue sauce!”
The current Florida fishing regulations for sheepshead is 15 per harvest day with a minimum size limit of 12-inches.
