# Sheepshead bait?



## ldw (Aug 30, 2009)

What's a good sheepshead bait or lure? Seeing them on pilings and docks. Alsox, are they good to eat?


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## 192 (Oct 1, 2007)

Fiddler Crabs, live shrimp. They are terrible, throw them all back--j/k. They are pretty tasty.

Mike


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## PurpleNGold (Mar 15, 2011)

Fiddlers, ghost shrimp, live shrimp. They're some of the best eating if you ask me. Good luck catching them right now.


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## ldw (Aug 30, 2009)

What kind of leader is best? I wonder if I could take them on a fly. 

They are thick at my house. One was up top crashing something this morning. Others I see deep close to the pilings when I'm down there with my mask. Yesterday one was hanging tight to a puppy red.


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## PurpleNGold (Mar 15, 2011)

I either use a Carolina rig, weight varies, or just a #10 treble with a split shot. I'm not sure about a fly fishing, that out of my jurisdiction.


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## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

when I fished the pass for them frozen sandfleas worked well . they also stayes on the hook better then other things I tried.

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## ldw (Aug 30, 2009)

So no wire leader needed? What pound mono 
leader?


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## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

when fishing bridges for em I use about 30 lb leader. they are fun to catch.

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## PurpleNGold (Mar 15, 2011)

No wire needed. My leader is typically the same as my main line 8-10lb or any random line I can find laying around.


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## oxbeast1210 (Jun 21, 2010)

purple has more skills then me when I hook em around a bidge if I use less.then 20 I lose them to the barnicals on the pilars. I need to learn to pull em away quicker.

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## tjwareusmc (Jul 10, 2008)

Live fiddlers are my favorite for them. I use a Carolina rig as well. Getting the hang of filleting them was the toughest part for me. They can be pretty nasty if you cut the belly. I learned to just fillet around the rib cage, for a quicker and cleaner job.


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## minkmaster (Apr 5, 2008)

PurpleNGold said:


> Good luck catching them right now.


Whats this mean? I have never had a chance to fish the march spawn period but have caught tons of sheepshead in the summer months while on vacation. Sight fishing for them at the end of Captiva Island was a blast when I was a kid. I caught limits of them on peeled shrimp and sandfleas.


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## Sedge (Apr 30, 2012)

Fiddler crab. Very tasty


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