Saltwater
Sheepshead
Where to find them, how to catch them and the tackle to use.
01Introduction
The sheepshead, or "convict fish," is a deep-bodied, black-and-white-barred porgy with sharp spines and a mouth full of blunt, human-looking teeth that it uses to crush barnacles, crabs and shellfish. It lives around pilings, bridges, jetties and reefs, steals baits with uncanny skill, and is excellent to eat. Most run 10 to 20 inches and 3 to 4 pounds; big ones top 10 pounds.
02Where to Catch
Range: the western Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, with the greatest numbers in Florida. Sheepshead were once common as far north as New York Harbor, declined, and have returned to Mid-Atlantic bays over the past two decades.
Habitat: hard structure in bays, tidal creeks, inlets and nearshore waters: bridge and pier pilings, jetties, rock piles, seawalls, oyster bars, mussel beds, mangrove roots and artificial reefs. They like brackish water, and young fish live on grassy flats and mud bottoms.
Seasons: in the South, sheepshead gather to spawn around jetties, nearshore reefs and wrecks in late winter and early spring, a prime time to catch them. In the Mid-Atlantic, they're caught from late spring into fall around back-bay structure before moving offshore in autumn.
03How to Catch
Baits
Sheepshead eat crabs, barnacles, clams and mussels. Fiddler crabs, sand fleas (mole crabs), live or fresh shrimp, clams and mussels are the top baits.
Getting bites
Fish tight to the structure, with a small, strong hook so the fish can't strip the bait without getting hooked. Many anglers fish on the bottom right next to pilings or rocks; one Mid-Atlantic guide finds sheepshead feeding along pilings anywhere from just below the surface to 10 feet down, and drops a light jig tipped with a fiddler crab in short steps down the piling. Stay alert and set the hook at the first hint of weight; by the time you feel a clear bite, the bait may be gone.
Handling
Watch the sharp dorsal spines and the razor-edged gill covers when you land and clean sheepshead.
04Tackle
A medium-light to medium spinning or baitcasting rod with braid (for feeling the light bite) and a fluorocarbon or monofilament leader, plus small, strong hooks, light jigs and enough weight to hold bottom beside the structure. Check your state's regulations; sheepshead limits vary, and some Mid-Atlantic waters have none.
05Questions anglers ask
Why is it called a convict fish?
Its bold black and white vertical bars look like an old-fashioned prison uniform. It also has a mouth full of blunt, human-like front teeth and molars for crushing shellfish.
Why do sheepshead keep stealing my bait?
They're expert bait stealers that nibble crabs and barnacles off structure. Use a small, strong hook, keep the bait close to the structure, stay alert, and set the hook at the first sign of weight.
How do I tell a sheepshead from a black drum?
Sheepshead have no chin barbels and have prominent incisor-like teeth. Young black drum also have dark bars but have whisker-like barbels under the chin.