Dear Flagler Sportfishing Club Members,
Let us talk about thievery, those of you who know, understand what I am talking about.
The moment when you bring in your line and your bait is gone. There is no other fish in
our area that is the dirtiest, under-handed crook that I know. This fish has many names
one of the most popular is the convict. YES…. I am talking about Sheepshead. They
loiter around bridge/pier pilings, rock piles and docks. They can often be found cruising
seawalls looking for trouble. The reason these fish have the reputation that they do is
because of the long rap sheet of theft charges from stealing bait all along our shore.
Sheepshead fishing can be rather frustrating, since they are structure fish and they
have a very lite bite. The bite is not like a Redfish, Trout or Snook. Sheepshead are not
a striking fish; they bite and grind their food. They are more of a pick-pocket.
Now, you have an understanding of who the convict is let’s discuss bringing them to
justice. This is where you can be judge and jury.
Their typical prey or target is Fiddler Crabs or Mud Crabs. They will also eat Sandfleas,
shrimp, clams and oysters. You can chum for them, grind up some oyster or clam shells,
after you have eaten the best part of them. If you are on private property or have
permission from the owner you can scrape barnacles from the dock post or seawall. Do
not do this if you do not own the property or have permission.
So, you have set the trap, you have made yourself an easy target, you are in the right
location at the right time. You can see this striped criminal swimming just several feet
beneath the surface. Did you bring the search warrant? Before you kick in that door, you
need to assess your gear. You need a rod strong enough to wrestle them away from the
structure, but light enough to witness the bite (without witnesses, there is no crime).
Your line needs to also be up to the same task, plus it needs to be able to withstand the
abrasion of the structure when the convict runs back into the cover. I would not
recommend using a circle hook as this deviant is not the type to hit and run. You want a
hook that is very sharp, I use an Owner Mosquito Hook Size 1.
The next thing we need to talk about is the weight. Do not weigh the line down so that
you cannot see or feel the bite. You want just enough weight to keep your offering in the
target zone.
If you have staked out this criminal and the warrant came through, I hope that you made
the arrest. If you are a lenient judge you let the convict go, if not send it to the frying
pan. As Alton Brown would say, “It’s Good Eats”
Remember the fishing lies start here.
Capt. Mike Vickers Jr.