Fishing Report: Panhandle sheepies on the move
With spring just around the corner and the water warming up, the annual migration of Sheepshead will start. These clever bait stealers move out of the rivers and upper bays and head out to the gulf to spawn. . Sheepsheads are notorious for stealing your bait before you realize it’s gone. With their Sheep- like teeth they can pick at your bait and leave you fishing on credit, as I like to say, which is when you bring up an empty hook!
Sheepsheads eat primarily crustaceans and barnacles, and live mostly near oyster beds and along bridge pilings and old docks. The baits of choice are live shrimp, fiddler crabs, and a little secret that not a lot of people know about: Oysters. Stop over at a seafood market and pick up a pint of oysters and put one on a hook, and you will see that this works great when the others are not producing well.
I had a few trips this past week, and the bite was very good as long as we had some current. Make sure that when fishing for Sheepshead, you have some type of moving water. We hooked some good fish on my last trip, with a couple topping the scales over 6 lbs.
Here are a couple of big sheepies.
During the Sheepshead run you will also catch Pompano, and many people agree that Pompano is one of the best-eating inshore fish along the gulf coast. Pompano also show up in mid-March when the water temperature starts to rise above 60 degrees. Many anglers catch them surf fishing off the beach or in our bays by using a variety of baits such as sand-flees, shrimp, or small jigs known as Pompano Jigs. Also, don’t forget to cruise the beach and sight-fish for Redfish and more Pompano. These fish can also be caught using jigs and live bait.
With a variety of fish to be caught like Specks, Sheepshead, Pompano, and slot Reds, it’s no wonder why many winter- bound anglers get the fishing fever the first week of March in the Panhandle.
Till next time, Bent Rods and Screaming Drags.
Capt. John
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