Sheepshead part8

Catching Sheepshead in All Seasons

Catching Sheepshead in the Winter

Winter is probably the least promising season for landing big sheepshead, because the large adults will be offshore for spawning. That doesn’t mean that they should be written off for the whole season. The spawn is triggered by water temperatures combined with lunar cycles, and can differ tremendously year to year. Some years have very cold winters, while others have very mild ones. Often, the fish will not be offshore for the entire season, and can be found in many nearshore and even inshore areas during some parts of it.

Where the fish are in the Winter months

In the winter, sheepshead will be venturing offshore for their annual spawning event. During this time however, some fish will still be fairly close to shore at the artificial reefs and even ocean-side piers. Not many large adult fish will be in the inshore areas during this time, but plenty of juveniles will be present.

Catching Sheepshead on the ocean-side piers

The ocean-side piers hold high numbers of sheepshead in the winter on their way to and from their annual offshore spawning sites. The fish will be seen navigating the entire water column feeding off the pilings.

Catching Sheepshead on the nearshore reefs

Winter is the typical spawning period for sheepshead. During this time, the fish will be offshore from their usual estuarine habitats. Although fish will be present on natural reefs as well, sheepshead seem to associate more with the artificial reefs and wrecks.

An overview of catching Sheepshead in the Wintertime.

With the majority of large adult fish offshore during the spawn, winter is the most difficult time to target sheepshead. However, prior to and after the spawn, the fish will be at those nearshore sites and piers, and will usually be in shallow enough water to be visible.

Unfortunately, winter in Florida doesn’t always bring the best offshore conditions, so the fish can be difficult to find when under the spawn. The aggregations during the cold winter months however make up for their lack of presence otherwise.

Catching Sheepshead in the Springtime

In the spring, sheepshead have just completed their annual winter spawn, and are back to their usual estuarine habitats. If not back in the estuary, they will certainly be very close to shore. As the water temperatures warm, the fish will start inhabiting the wide range of their habitats, and can be found just about anywhere.

Where the fish are in the springtime

In the spring, large sheepshead may still be offshore on the nearshore reefs, jetties and ocean-side piers, depending on water temperatures in any given year. The large mature fish move to these offshore sites for spawning in the wintertime, and move back into the estuaries and bays once the waters warm in the late spring.

Catching Sheepshead on the jetties

One of the best places to find sheepshead in the spring is on a jetty. Jetties are essentially long piles of heavy rock designed to stabilize the inlet to an estuary. As a by-product, jetties provide excellent habitat for structure-oriented fish such as sheepshead.

Catching Sheepshead on the ocean-side piers

Ocean-side piers are go-to places for sheepshead in the spring. The fish will be directly under and around the pilings of the pier, not straying far from the structure. You will see the fish feeding throughout the water column, so pay attention to where the fish are oriented during each cast.

Catching Sheepshead on the nearshore reefs

When offshore, sheepshead will orient towards structures, and gravitate towards artificial ones – especially artificial reefs and wrecks – but can also be found on nearshore reefs. Reports of sheepshead out to several hundred feet of water are not uncommon, but they are far more abundant between 20-50 feet of water.

An overview of catching Sheepshead in the springtime

Finding sheepshead in the spring will depend on the particular year, and whether or not the preceding winter was particularly cold. Following a cold winter, the fish will likely still be offshore, and can be targeted on the nearshore reefs, piers, and jetties. Following a relatively warm winter however, the fish will likely have already moved into the inshore waters by the spring.

Catching Sheepshead in the Summertime

Summer can be an excellent time to fish for sheepshead. Many of the crabs and bivalves that sheepshead prey upon spawn in the spring and summer each year. This means that natural bait is easy to find, and easy to mimic if using artificial lures.

Where the fish are in the Summer months

In the summer months, sheepshead are found inshore in the estuaries, bays and coastal lagoons, where they take advantage of juvenile blue crabs, clams and oysters.

Catching Sheepshead in the summer on the flats

Summertime sheepshead will be found in almost all inshore areas, including grass flats, where they will be seen tailing in shallow water. These fish will be searching for small crabs, clams and other small morsels that live among the rich salt marsh ecosystem. Look for the fish on an incoming time, as they ride in the tide to catch these prey that they otherwise would not have access to because of the shallow water.

Catching Sheepshead in the summer over oyster reefs

Oyster reefs are excellent locations for targeting sheepshead in the summer. Sheepshead regularly feed on the smaller juvenile oysters. Since oysters typically spawn in the spring in Florida, those young oysters are attached to the oyster reef by the summer. The oyster reefs also provide habitat for the many other crabs, shrimp and mussels that make up part of a sheepshead diet.

Catching Sheepshead in Mangrove Channels

Mangroves serve as great areas for targeting sheepshead. Barnacles often attach to the roots of the red mangrove, and are an obvious attractant for sheepshead. Many other critters, such as the Fiddler and Mangrove tree crabs, also associate with the trees. Care should be taken when fishing around these structures, as the fish will easily take a run into the roots, causing a break-off.

Catching Sheepshead on the Piers, Bridge, and Seawalls.

Piers are often the most go-to place for catching sheepshead. In the summertime, look for inshore piers, bridges and seawalls in brackish water, where the fish will be associating very closely with the pilings of the structure. Often, sheepshead will also be found just within the jetties and ocean-side piers close to the inlets.

An overview of catching Sheepshead in the Summertime.

In summary, sheepshead will be just about anywhere in the summertime. The key is looking for the structures and habitats they associate with. As with many species, the fish seem to be most active in the early morning hours before the water gets too hot. Of course, the tides play a large role in their feeding as well.

Catching Sheepshead in the Fall

When the temperatures start to lower, the fall season can bring great sheepshead action. Since pier fishing is an excellent method for sheepshead fishing, the cool weather of fall makes this a more pleasant experience than the heat of summer.

Where the fish are in the fall months

The fish are still spending a lot of time in the grass flats and mangroves, but will be starting to show up more on the ocean-side piers and jetties as they prepare for their winter spawn.

Catching Sheepshead on the Flats

Similar to finding the fish on the flats in the summer, sheepshead will still be taking advantage of the abundance of juvenile crabs from the spring and summer blue crab spawns, and can be seen tailing the flats in search of them on the bottom. Look for the fish on the moving tides, as they swim in and out of the grassy areas.

Catching Sheepshead on the Piers, Bridges, and Seawalls.

In the fall, sheepshead will still be well within their estuarine zones, often inhabiting the inshore piers and bridges going over the intracoastal waters. Seawalls, like in all other seasons besides winter, are a top choice for targeting sheepshead. In brackish parts of the estuary where seawalls exist, many barnacles and juvenile oysters – two favorite prey items of sheepshead – will have attached to those seawalls from the spawning earlier in the spring.

An overview of catching Sheepshead in the Fall.

In the fall season, sheepshead are very active, widespread throughout their broad range of habitats, and hungrily preparing for their winter spawn. The cool fall weather also makes pier fishing more enjoyable than in many other seasons.