An active, adrenaline-charged pursuit of sheepshead.
In my 25 years of law enforcement, I loved nothing more than pursuing convicts on the streets that I patrolled. But in my 9 years of retirement I have found nothing more satisfying than pursuing “convicts” in the waters of southern New Jersey whether aboard my Carolina Skiff, spot locked next to a bridge abutment or in my Old Town kayak patrolling docks and pilings.
Convict fish, the nickname given to the sheepshead, are steadily becoming one of the most sought after and prized fish in our backwaters. These vertically striped summer visitors to the Jersey Shore are known for their light bites and keen ability to steal baits from the sharpest of hooks, causing countless anglers to throw their arms up in total disbelief and sheer frustration.
However, the moment you hook, battle and guide one into the net will forever secure a place in your soul and light a fire inside you to now dedicate endless hours in pursuit of your next sheepshead.
First and foremost, sheepshead in New Jersey waters are pretty much unregulated, meaning there’s no size limit, no bag, nor is there a “closed” season on them. That topic has been brought up by the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife and the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council and future regulatory considerations can probably be expected at some point. But for the time being, I encourage you to consider taking a conservative approach to what you actually consider taking. Sheepshead are rather tedious to fillet, but they do make incredible table fare.
The sheepshead’s diet consists of crabs, mussels, oysters, barnacles and various crustaceans, all of which lend to their delicious taste when sautéed in a skillet with salt, pepper, butter and olive oil. Firm yet flakey white fillets that, when not overcooked, will tantalize even the most finicky palate. Sheepshead are one of my favorite fish to eat, however I have bent the knee and sworn an oath to practice only catch and release from now until my dying day; I love catching these fish so much that in my own small way I want to do everything I can to ensure that there will be sheepshead in our waters to pursue for years and years to come.
Plan Of Attack
Convicts are best known for populating bridge abutments, pilings, docks and occasionally along sod banks. Bridge abutments and pilings, especially those constructed of concrete, often hold a plethora of barnacles, tiny muscles and even oysters. These are some of the primary food sources of sheepshead and the older structures adorned with more growth tend to hold more life below the surface. Small crabs, shrimp and other crustaceans are often located in these same areas, as well as docks and sod banks, and sheepshead can be found right behind them looking for their next meal.
| NJ FISH FACTS |
| So how long can you expect to find sheepshead on the prowl in New Jersey waters? The longstanding state 17-pound, 3-ounce record for Manahawkin’s Paul Lowe was caught in September of 2003. According to the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife (Division), “Lowe was bottom fishing with clams when he caught the record sheepshead on 17-pound test line near the Causeway Bridge.” That record was ultimately eclipsed in October of 2014 when Vetnor’s William Catino caught a sheepshead of 19 pounds, 3 ounces while fishing off a dock in Longport.
“The sheepshead is a large porgy that can reach a maximum weight of about 20 pounds,” the Division website notes, describing the fish coloration as mainly gray with five or six broad dark bars along each side. It is found in shallow coastal waters and estuaries from New York to Florida and may even enter fresh water on occasion. The sheepshead uses its broad, peg-like teeth to crush mollusks and crabs, and to scrape barnacles and other encrusting organisms from rocks and pilings. It is a relatively long-lived species and grows quickly during the first three years of life. |
Though I can’t speak for other anglers, I can absolutely share the methods and gear that have helped me catch sheepshead to 10 pounds. I would be completely remiss if I did not pay homage to the Capt. Dan Schafer of Insomniac Fishing Charters; he has not only reached the pinnacle of sheepshead herding, but he’s also developed and marketed one of the most lethal jigs (Bottom Sweeper Jigs) used to catch not only sheepshead, but countless other fish like tog, drum and seabass to name only a few. I have studied Capt. Schafer’s methodologies and tactics and use only his Bottom Sweeper Jigs when pursuing sheepshead and have done so with what I consider to be great success.
In my own personal pursuit of sheepshead, I have primarily targeted bridge abutments and their attached pilings, made easier by the Minn Kota trolling motor on the bow of my skiff; the use of “spot lock” is paramount in staying in the “Zone of Productivity.” I like to target sheepshead at either the dead low or slack high tides but have caught fish on the leeward side of structure when the current is running. The slower or still currents coupled with the Minn Kota’s Spot Lock lock feature allow me to stay stationary within only a few feet of the structure so I can drop my bait down in a calculated manner.
The Business End
As noted, I only use Bottom Sweeper Jigs, and depending on the current’s strength, I try to use the lightest jig possible with a 1-ounce jig being the heaviest I will use. I caught my very first, and largest (double-digit) sheepshead on a piece of green crab, but now I routinely use only sand fleas that I’ve caught on local beaches. I’ve found that the stout, short shanked and extremely sharp hooks on the Bottom Sweeper Jigs tipped with a sand flea present a compact and easily inhaled meal for a prowling convict.
Of course, sand fleas are not the only game in town when it comes to catching sheepshead. Other baits, such as fiddler crabs, Asian crabs and tiny mud crabs all make amazing quarry to entice a hungry sheepshead to strike. I’ve even seen videos of sheepshead being caught by anglers using freshly scraped barnacles on their hooks. My pal and SORD Fishing Products Sales and Community Partnership Manager, Conner Bos, swears by using oysters to target sheepshead down in the waters of Destin, FL.
Outside of jigs, there are numerous more traditional rigs that can be used to successfully target and catch sheepshead including Carolina rigs, “chicken” rigs, hi-lo rigs or even something just as simple as a split-shot rig when deployed and worked properly. I’ve had my best success using 20-pound Seaguar Red Label fluorocarbon fishing line as my leader tied to my 15-pound Power Pro braid with a uni-to-uni knot.
Pay It Out
Just like when I was still on patrol, there are certain tactics needed to catch a convict! One of the most tried and true tactics to find and catch a sheepshead is to find where they are holding in the water column. Simply put, you need to find how deep the fish are and this can easily be accomplished by systematically working the water column in 2- to 3-foot increments, no matter what jig or rig you are using. I start by dropping my jig down about 5 feet below the surface. I will hold my bait there for 30 seconds up to a minute, and if I don’t get hit, I will slowly pay out 2 to 3 feet of line and allow the jig to descend, all the while maintaining full contact with my jig below.
Do not allow any slack in your line; these fish are called “convicts” for more than just the prison stripes. These are seasoned bait stealers that will strip your hook clean. Again, I hold my bait at its current depth for about a minute and if it doesn’t get hit, I will once again slowly lower it as previously mentioned.
| ARMED FOR BATTLE |
| Over the years, I’ve used various types of rods and reels to successfully catch sheepshead. Whether it was one of my light weight, fast-action spinning rod/reel combos or one of my fast-action baitcasting combos, the one thing that was always a constant was that the drag on my reel was tight! Though sheepshead tend to hit your bait with a very subtle tap, once hooked, they fight hard and head straight for the structure below to try and ruin your day. Make no bones about it, sheepshead fight hard and have a very distinct “pull” on the line once hooked.
-BStavfishing |
I’ll continue probing the water column until I either get hit or reach the bottom, and then will start the process of incrementally working the water column all over again. There’s a good chance you are going to either catch a few tog or be harassed by smaller nuisance fish, but there’s also a great chance that there will be your targeted species somewhere in the mix! Remember, “action brings action,” and you might not catch a sheepshead straight out of the gate, but that action will surely get the attention of any sheepshead that’s on that structure and cause it to come in and see what all the commotion is about.
Earlier, I spoke about my very first sheepshead being a double-digit fish. I was fishing pilings along a bridge when the fish hit. It ran me into submerged structure not once, but twice and I was putting serious pressure on this fish. Somehow, by working both my rod and reel in conjunction with my trolling motor to move my skiff away from the bridge structure, I was able to free the fish from the riprap below and get it in the net! That backwater donkey was captured on a few pictures as well as video and released to fight another day.
Find productive structure, secure yourself some fresh bait, be patient and persistent, and most importantly, have fun and hang on because when you hook into one you’re going to be hooked as well! Best of luck and keep ‘em tight!
