# Sheep Heads



## Yaker (Oct 30, 2013)

Anyone seeing/catching any sheep heads yet?


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## noodlez94 (Mar 27, 2013)

I see them all the time I just can't catch them lol


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## Yaker (Oct 30, 2013)

Lol have you tried fiddler crabs or shrimp?


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## noodlez94 (Mar 27, 2013)

Tried live shrimp but either my hook or technic of trying to hooks them when they bite fails and as for Fiedler crabs the one time I ask for them they had none so that's when I got live shrimp but will try for them this weekend if weather permits


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

Yaker said:


> Anyone seeing/catching any sheep heads yet?


We caught a couple at perdido pass jetties last weekend. Along with small gags all on live shrimp


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## DAY OF REST (Dec 7, 2013)

Always done good in the past on sand fleas, fiddlers, and shrimp at Pickens just past the Jetties. Have not had a chance to get out there by land or by boat. But I will soon.


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## Heineken777 (Oct 27, 2011)

*Here's your key*

For SHEEPS.
Pensacola brigde, 3 Mile bridge or ANY major structure.
Get Fiddler crabs.
DROP SHOT RIG. (google it)
Don't buy a pre-made rig drop shot rig. That stuff sucks. Learn to make it yourself.
use a #4 or #6 hook.
Don't confuse that with a 4/0 or 6/0 hook.
YOUR SET, DONE, go fishing.

Drop your rig as close as you can to the structure you're fishing at and let your weight hit the bottom, but keep your light TIGHT.
The very SECOND that you feel a bite, SET the hook. It may bite like a baitfish, but if you're using fiddler crabs, it's most likely a sheepshead. SET the hook like you want to rip it's mouth off. 

You'll still lose a lot of bait, this isn't a fool proof plan. I had 2 dozen fiddler crabs the other day and only caught 4 Sheepshead. Not a terrible haul, but not a great one either. Still happy.

Good luck!


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## Yaker (Oct 30, 2013)

Thanks for the reports and tips guys.


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## reel talent (Feb 26, 2013)

Drop shot rig is definitely the way to go most of the time, but when they start spawning and you can literally see them everywhere, I like using either a #6 or #8 hook, (depending on size of fiddlers), and putting two medium split shots right above the hook to make it slowly drift down on 15lb fluorocarbon. This is also great because you can watch them come up to your crab and eat it:thumbup:


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## pompano67 (Oct 28, 2013)

Buddy of mine got into them pretty good around the pylons at Lillian bridge yesterday.Fiddlers is all he said he used.Told me he just went under the bridge to get out of the rain,ended up catching a mess of them.


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## brianBFD (Sep 17, 2012)

Fished the Lillian Bridge pilings this past Sunday morning. Goin Fishin was closed, so no fiddlers. Luckily my buddy brought some live shrimp which we ended up just using pieces of. Between the three of us we landed 7 or 8 with about 30 hook ups. Either the hook pulled or they wrapped us up in the pilings. It was a lot of fun regardless. I also caught a black sea bass that was about 10"-12" long.


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## gulfbreezetom (Jun 12, 2012)

Does Bob Sykes bridge hold any sheepshead?


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## brianBFD (Sep 17, 2012)

I can't answer that because I've never fished there, but there are plenty of folk here who have.
I don't see why it wouldn't.


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## bay slayer (May 26, 2008)

They are not really thick this time of year once march rolls around you will get tired of them go to the pcola pier or pickins pier


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## Rob J (Apr 7, 2013)

gulfbreezetom said:


> Does Bob Sykes bridge hold any sheepshead?


They are in there. I have been catching them on live shrimp and a drop shot rig.


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## 20simmons sea skiff (Aug 20, 2010)

I looked up sheephead hooks on line, none in Pensacola, have some ordered, according to man using them the hookup rate is so good they did a tv show on them 208409 gamakatsu


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## 2RC's II (Feb 2, 2012)

20simmons sea skiff said:


> I looked up sheephead hooks on line, none in Pensacola, have some ordered, according to man using them the hookup rate is so good they did a tv show on them 208409 gamakatsu


Questions. Are these the 208409-25 or just the 208409 and are they #2 offsets or not? and if you don't mind how much for how many did they cost?


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## 20simmons sea skiff (Aug 20, 2010)

208409 size 1 or 2 the 2 is the 208409, said it outfishs the j hook, but is a octopus circle hook, the eye is offset I ordered them from haddrells point in sc, Charleston, about 6 to pack, 2 packs and shipping $8.00 I think the 1 is a 209411 which I found at outcast. go on puter, pull up sheepheads hooks, you should find story, mustag also had a few good hooks. ill pull up story again has all advantages of j hook and a circle hook. says he also uses them cause he catchs mangrove snapper on them, my phone # 607 7063, ill give you better info.


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## 2RC's II (Feb 2, 2012)

OK thanks. I prefer a J hook cause not many times you get to enjoy the action of setting the hook anymore on live bait. I will order some just to see the hookup rate and compare my skills with a J to them.


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## Rat (Oct 3, 2009)

You also might want to look at the Owner mutu light in the sizes you were looking for... Similar in the sense they are fine wire and offset but do not have the upturned eye... The -25 in the Gamakatsu hook just means bigger pack... If you go with the mustad sea demon fine wire pick up a slightly larger size because the gap between point and shank is smaller on Mustad hooks


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## bamacpa (Nov 8, 2013)

Are offset hooks legal for all FL state waters and federal gulf coast waters and all fish? I thought someone told me a few years back that you couldn't use offset hooks. Don't know if it was for a certain area or certain fish. Can someone please clarify this for me?


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## DAY OF REST (Dec 7, 2013)

In reply to brian A day fishing beats any day at work. At least you were catching some. Sounds like it was a fun trip. Tight lines my friend!


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## tkh329 (Mar 14, 2012)

bamacpa said:


> Are offset hooks legal for all FL state waters and federal gulf coast waters and all fish? I thought someone told me a few years back that you couldn't use offset hooks. Don't know if it was for a certain area or certain fish. Can someone please clarify this for me?


My understanding is that the regs require the use of non-offset circle hooks for reef fish. I do not believe sheephead are classified as reef fish.


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## brianBFD (Sep 17, 2012)

DAY OF REST said:


> In reply to brian A day fishing beats any day at work. At least you were catching some. Sounds like it was a fun trip. Tight lines my friend!


We went back last weekend and didn't so well. The wind was howling and we more or less just gave up. We relocated to Palmetto Creek to fish the white trout hole and only caught a couple of stingrays. BUT, like you said we weren't at work.

I'm beginning to wonder if Goin Fishin is ever going to reopen. They weren't there this past weekend either.


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## Dimebag (Jan 15, 2014)

Has anyone tried using ghost shrimp on these bad boys? I seen schools and schools of sheep head at navarre pier but haven't caught one. I've actually haven't seen anyone on navarre pier catch a sheep head before. People always fish for them but they never bite. I watched a school eat stuff off the pilings where their were barnicles.


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## 85okhai (Mar 15, 2010)

Dimebag said:


> Has anyone tried using ghost shrimp on these bad boys? I seen schools and schools of sheep head at navarre pier but haven't caught one. I've actually haven't seen anyone on navarre pier catch a sheep head before. People always fish for them but they never bite. I watched a school eat stuff off the pilings where their were barnicles.


have heard of people saying ghost shrimp will outfish fiddler crabs/live shrimp any day, but have never tried it myself


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## SwivelTitz (Jul 17, 2013)

asian shore crabs(the dark ones about the size of a fiddler but they're flatter and their shells are spongier than fiddlers so when the thief bites he doesnt crush the shell and make off without a hook in his mouth) they live between and under rocks on the shore and they're easy to catch now with it being cold. baby stone crabs also are in the same habitat but u cant use those but its easy to tell the difference


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## tiderider (Oct 1, 2007)

Silver Cricket


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## BY Ryan (Apr 28, 2013)

Any small shrimp will work, but you might have to slap 2 or 3 ghosts on the hook to go after the big boys. Canned clams work, and so do oysters that come in a tub at the grocery store.


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