Homosassa to Steinhatchee

Includes Horseshoe Beach, Suwanee, Cedar Key, Waccasassa Bay, Yankeetown, Crystal River, Steinhatchee and Homosassa.

March 12-14

Yipes! Stripes! Sheepshead!

The big talk among guides during last Sunday’s Annual Meeting of the Florida Guides Association was not if fishing would rebound after the freeze of 2010, but when. And that particularly applied to discussions about sheepshead in the Gulf of Mexico.

Sheepshead remain one of the few species that keep offshore (and nearshore offshore) anglers busy during the February and March Gulf grouper closure. And they’ll get more popular each year as we see the cold-weather closures continue (or lengthen). The biggest problem, however, seems to be predicting just when they’ll begin their spawning ritual and start eating.

Sheepshead can be found all along the Big Bend most of the year. In warm weather, the smaller versions, mostly males, are found on oyster bars and in creekmouths. The larger females are well offshore. But in winter, something triggers the females to start congregating around rockpiles, big rocks and even single channel markers in depths to 30 feet. Of course, the males follow, but they’re not nearly so big. Often the roe-laden females grow to ten pounds, providing anglers with some reasonably big fish to satisfy their desire to load the boat.

It seems that this year’s cold weather may have affected the sheepshead bite in one of two ways. One, colder-than-normal water temperatures may have delayed the spawn, and if so we will see the sheepshead fishing improve in the next week or two as the water gets to whatever temperature sheepshead like. The other scenario is that the sheepshead have already spawned and anglers missed the action due to the foul weather keeping them ashore due to cold and high winds in late January or February. Based on reports received from local guides that the spawn is late, and that sheepshead season has just begun.

Capt. William Toney (www.homosassainshorefishing.com) from Homosassa reports: “Sheepshead are still out on the rocks but a little deeper than last month. Most of the guides have told me that they are running out to 10 to 14 feet of water. Shrimp on a ¼-ounce jighead or bait hook with a ¼-ounce lead to get it to the bottom. The water has been murky and a depthfinder has to be used to find the rocks even in the shallow depths.”

Capt. Rick Davidson (http://bitemefishing.wordpress.com) spent his weekend catching gator trout in the shallows near Steinhatchee, but noticed a few smaller (male?) sheepshead at the Sea Hag Marina’s fish cleaning table on both Saturday and Sunday. An email thread by some serious Gainesville Offshore Fishing Club anglers was less encouraging, with slim pickings reported from both Cedar Key and Suwannee. The GOFCers hit lots of spots, including the GOFC reefs and the Steel Tower at Cedar Key, with little to show but a fuel bill.

So it seems that sheepshead are as finicky as to when they bite as to what they eat, and where. My best advice is get out there and fish. Live shrimp on jigheads, braided line, and medium-action spinning tackle will do you well. If you don’t see any at one spot, assume they’re not there and move along. They could be bunched up as little as 20 feet away! Also assume that any smaller fish, in the 2 to 3-pound class, are males. The bigger fish are females. Do consider not taking lots of the females, as that’s the future of that species—and we certainly don’t want anyone in Tallahassee to get the idea that we’re killing too many fish and to give us a sheepshead closure in future years. Keep only what you can eat that night without freezing the fish. It’s better that way, for everyone!

In closing, just a few words about our trout and reds: They’re back

Be safe, and don’t take unnecessary chances with the weather, other boaters or alcohol.

captain@twotree.net | www.saltwateranglersguide.com

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