How To Catch Sheepshead

Sheepshead

This article has tips on catching sheepshead including tackle, techniques, baits, and more.

What are Sheepshead?

Sheepshead are silver with 5 or 6 distinct vertical black bands along their sides.

These colorful members of the grunt family are caught from Maryland to Florida.

Sheepshead are common around rocks, reefs, bridges, wrecks, inlets, and other structure.

Sheepshead feed on crabs, shrimp, barnacles, mussels, and other marine life.

How to Catch Sheepshead

Sheepshead are fun to catch but notoriously difficult to hook. Anglers use small, sharp hooks and pay close attention to their lines. As soon as a fish is felt, anglers must set the hook with a short but firm twitch of the rod.

Pier fishermen sometimes use specialized techniques for catching sheepshead. One technique is to use a long-handled scraper to loosen barnacles and other debris from pilings or other surfaces. When done correctly, this type of chumming can attract sheepshead and other structure loving fish.

Baits for catching sheepshead include shrimp, soft crabs, peeler crabs, fiddler crabs, and other baits. These vary with season and location. Fishermen choose live baits depending on availability and personal preference.

A small cast net, umbrella net or seine can be a great asset for anglers that prefer to catch their own shrimp, crabs or other small baits. Another possibility is a trap, which is baited and left overnight. This is a good option for fishermen that are staying near an estuary for a few days.

Best Baits For Catching Sheepshead

Blue Crabs

The Atlantic blue crab is found in inshore environments from Nova Scotia southward. These crabs make excellent bait for sheepshead. They are fished as cut bait.

Green Crab

The green crab is an introduced species that is originally from Northern Europe. Their shell size can be up to 3". Green crabs are now found from New Jersey to Nova Scotia, and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Rock Crab

The rock crab is a common species of shallow-water crab found from Labrador to South Carolina. It is usually found sheltering in nooks and crevices.

Jonah Crab

The Jonah crab is a species of crab found on the Atlantic coast of North America. It is closely related to the Dungeness crab of the Pacific Coast.

Mole Crab

Mole Crabs

Mole crabs are found along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts southward. Fishermen also gather them with special metal mesh scoops or with meshed wire nets attached to poles. They can sometimes be purchased at bait and tackle shops.

Shrimp

In southern states, fresh warmwater shrimp are popular for catching sheepshead. Shrimp are sometimes marketed by "count", with the value being the average number of shrimp specimens per pound.

Hard Clams

The hard clam or quahog is the most popular American clam. When fishing for sheepshead, anglers sometimes break clams by tapping them together and letting the juice and shell fragments fall into the water. The process creates a chum which attracts fish to the area. The clam meat can be extracted and used for bait.

Surf Clams

The Atlantic surf clam is harvested commercially off the Northeast USA coast. Surf clams range from 4 to 8 inches in length. They are cut into strips for fishing. Surf clams can be brined and frozen, making an excellent stored bait.