# Very Sad Sheepshead



## madbayrunner (Oct 25, 2013)

its pretty sad when these guide shops start hanging sheepshead on their catch boards to fill in the blanks for the day. don't mean to start something, but just sayin IMHO


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## FSSU3 (Nov 18, 2015)

Live Bait throwers


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## matterboy123 (Aug 24, 2011)

Have you ever eaten sheepshead?
If you have ever had the catch of the day at most resturants you are probably eating sheepshead. I used to throw it back until I was told by a chef that I was eating it. Know I keep them whenever I catch them. The meat is vey white and tender. it is excellent table fare. Give it a try you might just change your mind like I did.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

The fly fishing crowd, I'm a card carrying member, call them "Texas Permit". They are quite a challenge to get one to take a fly, so they say. I've got one on a fly purely by accident while casting in a marsh drain. Caught a pretty big one on a big skitterwalk in west matty. It slammed the topwater.


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## mjz (Jan 11, 2008)

Pain to clean, but darn good eating.


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## Hollywood1053 (May 15, 2009)

matterboy123 said:


> Know I keep them whenever I catch them. The meat is very white and tender. it is excellent table fare.


x2
I keep every one I catch.


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## LaddH (Sep 29, 2011)

A hard fight and great to eat. Beats getting skunked any day. Some people are happy to catch sheepshead and don't care if some elitist looks down their nose at them.
IMHO


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## sotexhookset (Jun 4, 2011)

^^^^ throw me in that group Ladd. Filled the box with limits in Poc last week for a couple of days with a bil and employee/friend that do not fish and they had a blast which is what its all about. Filleted everyone of those dudes along with some slot red and trout. Call me white trash but lookie there, we all have enough for a good size fish fry for family and friends.


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## Tomahawg (Aug 5, 2015)

We will generally pick up a limit when we are out flounder gigging


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## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

Yea 10-4, if I'm keeping fish, they will be in the box.


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## CaptBrad (Dec 29, 2007)

Nothing wrong with sheephead. Good eating and fun fight for their size. 
I laugh at the guys that only go for the coveted "trout", we call them Trout Snobs. Dang ol trout fight like a wet noodle anyway, skipjack and gafftop are more fun that trout anyhow.


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## duckmania (Jun 3, 2014)

I guess I'm a trout snob. Would rather catch a 20 to 25 inch trout over a sheepshead ANYDAY!
and would rather eat one too!


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

CaptBrad said:


> Nothing wrong with sheephead. Good eating and fun fight for their size.
> I laugh at the guys that only go for the coveted "trout", we call them Trout Snobs. Dang ol trout fight like a wet noodle anyway, skipjack and gafftop are more fun that trout anyhow.


Nooo, no, no, I absolutely hate skipjacks and gafftops. Slimy on both accounts, you caught one, You caught them all. Big trout are full of drama, tail walking, gills flaring, sudden shifts, head shakes, drag pulling, rushes towards you. Add to that the paper mouth and the heart break of losing them right at the net. I'm no trout snob, I love redfish, the power and agression. I love flounder, and their ability to shake loose and avoid the net for what feels like an eternity. Skipjacks and gafftops reside one notch, barely,above hardheads as the lowest of the low.


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## Cajuntriton (Mar 9, 2015)

Bay snapper... Aka sheep head, bony fish and there's a trick to cleaning them but I'll eat them over a trout or red.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

Easy to catch them at the jetties this month, and have a great fish fry. Sure, they don't fillet like a trout or mackerel, but an electric knife makes it fairly easy.


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## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

Sheeps are excellent table fair and in fact superior than trout in a snapper like way

Here ya go

http://www.nola.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2016/02/anglers_invention_makes_cleani.html


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## D HOGG (Jul 2, 2012)

Cajuntriton said:


> Bay snapper... Aka sheep head, bony fish and there's a trick to cleaning them but I'll eat them over a trout or red.
> 
> ^^^YEP^^^


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## fishin d (Mar 24, 2013)

Sheepshead are fun to catch. Sneaky little bastards that taste delicious. 
Fillet like any other fish once cut around the rib cage.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

If I hired a trout guide and he expected me to be happy with catching sheephead it would be a short day for him PERIOD, its no different than hiring a catfish guide and catching Bluegill. That said IF I take my young grandkids I wouldn't care what they caught BUT the sheephead would go back over the side along with hardheads after some pics. I hear **** is good for the table BUT I havn't had to eat any yet....


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## FSSU3 (Nov 18, 2015)

wet dreams said:


> If I hired a trout guide and he expected me to be happy with catching sheephead it would be a short day for him PERIOD, its no different than hiring a catfish guide and catching Bluegill. That said IF I take my young grandkids I wouldn't care what they caught BUT the sheephead would go back over the side along with hardheads after some pics. I hear **** is good for the table BUT I havn't had to eat any yet....


Haha agreed!! I'm not paying a guide to take me under the bridge to fish with bait for sheepshead lol


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## TrailChaser (Nov 7, 2015)

wet dreams said:


> If I hired a trout guide and he expected me to be happy with catching sheephead it would be a short day for him PERIOD, its no different than hiring a catfish guide and catching Bluegill. That said IF I take my young grandkids I wouldn't care what they caught BUT the sheephead would go back over the side along with hardheads after some pics. I hear **** is good for the table BUT I havn't had to eat any yet....


I'd compare **** to eating something like jack crevalle. 
Sight casting to them(SH) on the flats is pretty fun. They are way easier to spook than a redfish, but easier to spot and will actually fight unlike a black drum. Only downside is you have to throw edible at them. Plastic rarely ever works.

They are also a pain in the *** on the stringer...STOP biting and slide down.:headknock


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## SSST (Jun 9, 2011)

Yeah, i tried **** once, and unless i'm in the wilderness starving, it'll be the last time. Sheeps, on the other hand, have nice white fillets and are fine eating. I usually throw them back, but that's only because i don't care to clean them, and my freezer is usually full of catfish fillets.


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## iridered2003 (Dec 12, 2005)

catch you a 24 inch 9 1/2 lbs sheep and hang on. my wife did and was something she will never forget. the dig like a big snapper.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

There are days on the water when even a guide can't pull a rabbit out of the hat. A few of years ago, the son-in-law and I had booked a guide in the Aransas Pass area. When the day came, it was very cold, with occasional rain. We thought about canceling, be decided to go anyway. It beat shopping with the girls.

The parking lot at Conn Brown Harbor was near empty when we went out and still empty when we came back. We went to about 10 or 12 of his honey holes and didn't catch a fish. He was bummed out, but the SIL and I fish a lot and we know that these things can happen. We would have been happy that day to throw some Sheepies on the board.

It was the only day that the SIL and I fished that week, where we didn't catch a lot of fish. We still learned some new tricks, and spots to try later, from the guide. He got his full pay and a nice tip. 

I've been lucky enough find a few spots that are very consistent producers of both Reds and Trout. If I'm in Texas in March, there are days when I know that I could load up on Trout and Reds, but I make some dedicated trips just to catch Sheepies. If you gear up right for them, it's like catching 2 to 7# Sunfish on light tackle. Maybe some people don't find that fun, but the kid in this old man still enjoys it.

I'm with the crowd that really likes to eat Sheepies as well. And yes, I definitely prefer eating them to Trout. Capt. Dave has posted up some recipes for sheepies that will blow your socks off.


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## patwilson (Jan 13, 2006)

saltaholic said:


> Sheeps are excellent table fair and in fact superior than trout in a snapper like way
> 
> Here ya go
> 
> http://www.nola.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2016/02/anglers_invention_makes_cleani.html


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## Longshot270 (Aug 5, 2011)

I've never cleaned a sheepshead but it sounds like good meat hidden in heavy bones. Would putting difficult end in a crock pot for a fish soup work?


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Longshot270 said:


> I've never cleaned a sheepshead but it sounds like good meat hidden in heavy bones. Would putting difficult end in a crock pot for a fish soup work?


 The skeleton has very coarse bones, but when you are done filleting, there really isn't that much meat left behind. Sheepies, like Redfish, just don't have the high meat conversion rate the Trout do.

The cleaned carcass does make an excellent fish stock, but you would have to add back part of the filleted meat to make a decent soup. Been there, done that, liked it a lot.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

You can fillet triggerfish also and a offshore guide would be WRONG if he thought I would enjoy catching much less keeping them. To >me< it would be wasting time, same as seeing limits of ringnecks on a duck stringers, just a waste of ammo for >me<. Jacks, I think everyone should catch 1, I have caught 4 to many, just another waste of time. I know people that eat hardheads......but


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## manwitaplan (Dec 9, 2005)

wet dreams said:


> You can fillet triggerfish also and a offshore guide would be WRONG if he thought I would enjoy catching much less keeping them. To >me< it would be wasting time, same as seeing limits of ringnecks on a duck stringers, just a waste of ammo for >me<. Jacks, I think everyone should catch 1, I have caught 4 to many, just another waste of time. I know people that eat hardheads......but


I hear ya! BUT, some of us like the fight and catch (non guided of course)! I enjoy catching bigger fish and there are times when jacks and bull reds will cure my fix. I just like catching.

We kept a mess of sheep heads about 3 years ago and my wifes uncle said he would clean them. They were excellent table fair and soem folks thought they were better than trout.


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## Capt. AB (Mar 1, 2012)

Personally I applaud these guides. A lot of times these are business clients and not hardcore fisherman. They just want to feel a tight line and have a good time. It is an excellent way to take a little pressure off the fishery. Plus they taste great.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

I used to haul oilfield clients and their wives out every week, some of them from England and Canada. Hardly any of them could cast. So we fished straight down at the jetties for reds, trout and sheepshead. And caught a great many. In February, almost entirely sheepshead. In March, a few big drum mixed in. By Easter we were catching slot reds and 3-4 pound trout. I've cleaned many sheepshead, they just have a big rib cage to avoid. Many tasty fried fillets.


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## MathGeek (Feb 3, 2016)

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. I like sheephead better, but I can clean gafftops fast, and they are as good as freshwater cats if cleaned properly.


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

MathGeek said:


> When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. I like sheephead better, but I can clean gafftops fast, and they are as good as freshwater cats if cleaned properly.


When life hands you lemons you paint that sh!t gold!


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## matterboy123 (Aug 24, 2011)

wet dreams said:


> If I hired a trout guide and he expected me to be happy with catching sheephead it would be a short day for him PERIOD, its no different than hiring a catfish guide and catching Bluegill. That said IF I take my young grandkids I wouldn't care what they caught BUT the sheephead would go back over the side along with hardheads after some pics. I hear **** is good for the table BUT I havn't had to eat any yet....


I ve never hired a "TROUT GUIDE" only a "FISHING GUIDE" and for my money I would rather come back with something rather than nothing. I love to catch fish> I would prefer to catch trout, reds and flounder, but, if they aren't hungry then I'll take whatever tugs on my line. Thats why they call it fishing and not catching.


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## candk324 (Feb 8, 2010)

Cut the OP some slack, he made a comment thinking everyone would jump on board but it didn't happen. As far as the sheepshead, if you know how to clean them, you end up with white filets similar to crappie.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

I'd rather eat Sheepshead than trout, but trout is maybe a little more sporty to target. If I run into a school of Drum or Sheepshead I'll sit on them as long as I can, the trout can wait for another day.



candk324 said:


> Cut the OP some slack, *he made a comment thinking everyone would jump on board but it didn't happen.* As far as the sheepshead, if you know how to clean them, you end up with white filets similar to crappie.


lol yeah he did


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## SolarScreenGuy (Aug 15, 2005)

Absolutely delicious meat but you may need a hacksaw to clean them.
www.solarscreenguys.com


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## madbayrunner (Oct 25, 2013)

there was no reference to how tasty or fun a Sheepshead is, but personally im not paying $600 for a guide trip and show all my buddies the box of Sheepshead we caught...I wonder if Jay Watkins photos their Sheepshead catch..


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## candk324 (Feb 8, 2010)

madbayrunner said:


> there was no reference to how tasty or fun a Sheepshead is, but personally im not paying $600 for a guide trip and show all my buddies the box of Sheepshead we caught...I wonder if Jay Watkins photos their Sheepshead catch..


I get you, but I'm also not paying someone $600 to bring me to the fish and then showing off the pics to buddies like I did something special.


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

madbayrunner said:


> there was no reference to how tasty or fun a Sheepshead is, but personally im not paying $600 for a guide trip and show all my buddies the box of Sheepshead we caught...I wonder if Jay Watkins photos their Sheepshead catch..


When it comes to eating I prefer to eat sheephead over redfish. I'm 30 years old and never bought a lottery ticket therefore pretty tight with my cash, also never been on a guided trip. I guess to a tourist it's about the experience but to a cocky fisherman you either want a box of trout or nothing! When I do go on a trip I'd appreciate it regardless if/or what's in the box. My advice to someone overly concerned about catching "trash" fish is to go on an arti trip, problem solved!


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## Benelliboss (Feb 20, 2006)

madbayrunner said:


> there was no reference to how tasty or fun a Sheepshead is, but personally im not paying $600 for a guide trip and show all my buddies the box of Sheepshead we caught...I wonder if Jay Watkins photos their Sheepshead catch..


So basically you are an elite catcherman that hires $600 guides and only likes killing trout and redfish for a picture so you can brag to your buddies. Man you are cool. Hopefully one day I can hate sheepsheads as much as you.


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## duckmania (Jun 3, 2014)

Sheepshead are very good. Personally I don't care for redfish if its been frozen, fresh on the grill is best. I love trout, but again, rather have it fresh. 
Flounder, well that's a different story, those babies get the royal treatment.


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## texas skiffaroo (Oct 8, 2013)

duckmania said:


> Sheepshead are very good. Personally I don't care for redfish if its been frozen, fresh on the grill is best. I love trout, but again, rather have it fresh.
> Flounder, well that's a different story, those babies get the royal treatment.


Raised in Florida and would stop after work many days and catch sheep head around the pilings of the bridge on the way home and that would be supper.
They like barnacles, just put a fiddler crab or anything that looks like it along side a piling and you had supper.
Back in those days it only took two to feed a family of four, they were big.


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## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

I used to hate to have to clean them when I was a kid, but sheepshead was my dad's favorite inshore fish along with flounder. 

Being a Texas history buff, I learned that sheepshead was the fish of choice in the coastal cafes back in the 1800's and redfish and trout were pretty much ignored.

To show how tastes change, in the early colonial days, slaves were fed lobster because no one else would eat them. There was even a slave revolt protesting being feed lobster too much.

Folks didn't eat shrimp much either. On the west coast Chinese immigrates didn't just come over to build the railroads and open laundry houses, many had commercial fishing backgrounds. They would catch shrimp and what they couldn't eat they would dry and ship back to China because there was no local market for shrimp.

On thing I learned as a guide is to not ignore what the customer wants to catch.


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

Son, you better eat that sheephead. Over there in Asia they eat any thing that walks, flies, or swims!


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Sheepshead is great table fare. I never go after them and whatever few I catch are just accidents. They are, I'm learning, held in high regard in the local fly fishing community for being a fish that offers good sight casting opportunities but are much harder to fool than a redfish. The only one I caught on a fly was another one of my accidents. 

I've been to a couple of the Asian oriented markets in southwest Houston. They completely blow away in variety anything HEB or Kroger might have in the seafood department. Most fish is tasty if fresh and prepared appropriately. I've never really understood how so many Americans of European ancestry( I'm one) seem to turn their noses up at all but the most basic and least exotic seafood. Go to Europe and go to a fish market and you will see variety similar to our local Asian markets. It's your mouth and eat what you want, but I know I'm missing out on some great food if all I ever stick to is some fried flounder, trout and catfish.


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## Red3Fish (Jun 4, 2004)

I am like carstopo, any I have caught were an accident. Cleaning them is kind of like cleaning a porcupine!! LOL

They do have kind of a crab flavor, and one way I cooked them, was to put chunks of meat in a bag of cheese clothe and boil in crab boil, along with shrimp. They come out kinda close to crab meat. I don't particularly like RF over about 23", and if I keep a 6 or 8 pounder, will do it this way also. The meat gets kind of course when bigger, and hold up pretty well in the crab boil. "Back when", my favorite RF was about 14" to 17"! We would release anything over that.

In 65 years of fishing, I have never hired a guide, and never will. Half the fun of fishing is finding them! But I understand someone with limited time or lack of knowledge doing it. 

Later
R3F


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## troutalex33 (Aug 21, 2012)

*West Bay Sheepies !!!*

A week.ago before our last front I took my wife out to west bay and hammered a limit of puppy drum ,sheephead and trout . She fishes with live bait and I was throwing tails . She limited out on puppy drum and sheepies all by herself I was just her deckhand .Not only were they a blast and she had her best fishing trip ever they were tasty tasty ! I have to agree that fried sheepies are delicious ! Plus they are alot of fun to catch . I was brought up catching fish and I think sometimes we get so involved in chasing the elite that we forget the basics . Sheepies and small puppy drum get looked down alot by other people but too me they are tastier than any redfish I've eaten .


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## RedXCross (Aug 7, 2005)

Mine has a serrated 10" Mister twister, and it is Tim the tool man fast and powerful.



patwilson said:


>


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## Kyle 1974 (May 10, 2006)

I guarantee if one of my kids catches a STAR winning sheephead in the summer, I'll have a picture of that SOB on every single fishing forum in north america. I'll probably twitter it and facebook it too in a desperate maneuver for likes. And then after we weigh it in, we're going to eat it, because $32 oil and ***** arabs... 

#sheepheadlivesmatter


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## texasislandboy (Apr 28, 2012)

Nothing wrong with it at all. 90% of the time these people want to catch fish... They do not care about a trophy trout they do not want to grind out limits of redfish and trout... They want drop a hook and hook up.


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## mccain (Oct 20, 2006)

Hollywood1053 said:


> x2
> I keep every one I catch.


x3


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## MathGeek (Feb 3, 2016)

texasislandboy said:


> Nothing wrong with it at all. 90% of the time these people want to catch fish... They do not care about a trophy trout they do not want to grind out limits of redfish and trout... They want drop a hook and hook up.


I agree, it should all be about what the customer wants when one hires a guide.

The last thing I want is to run all over the bay and marsh chasing slot reds and trout.

My boat was unavailable for my son's 12th birthday, so I paid a guide to sit in Caminada Pass and catch bull drum and one big bull redfish, because that is what he wanted to do. It's still his biggest redfish.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

So I skipped to the last page after reading the first and part of the 2nd.
I wanted to relate my experience of late with "Nerd Fish" sheep head.
Went fishing and caught it all, reds, trout, flounder, puppy drum, sting rays, croakers, sheephead, and whitings.
I kept some of it all for the table (no stingray). When I fried it up I did so by fish, and would give my wife a piece and say, "This is a ____". 
She was fine with the trout, the flounder, the redfish, the croaker, and then said, "don't bring anymore sheephead home". I thought, well good they are a pain in the arse to clean or handle, or any other thing than to let them go.
Just saying, lol! 
It was very different in taste and texture than any other of the fish when compared side by side. I think dark and oily would be the words to describe it.


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## Blk Jck 224 (Oct 16, 2009)

shadslinger said:


> I think dark and oily would be the words to describe it.


You would think wrong...The only better eating fish I ever caught in the bay is flounder.


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## sotexhookset (Jun 4, 2011)

I think you wrote Sheepie on the ziplock you put your Jack fillets in.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Blk Jck 224 said:


> You would think wrong...The only better eating fish I ever caught in the bay is flounder.


Now flounder is a fish I am on board with!
I used to like sheepies too, and they seemed like good eating then. Used to fish the Port A jetties for them with special hooks and fiddler crabs in Jan and Feb. Real fun and tough fighters when on foot at the jetty especially.
The ones we ate last summer were not what I remembered them tasting like.


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

Nothing wrong with sheepshead. I've never personally targeted these fish, but have kept a few upon request from my clients. I used to think they were a pain to clean, but have an easy way of doing that now. You definitely get a small amount of meat for the size of the fish. The meat is very pretty white meat. I can only imagine it being good to eat. I've had a few people tell over the years that you can boil the sheepshead meat in crab boil and it tastes as good as crab meat, maybe someone else has heard of this before. Always remember, what someone might refer to as trash, may be a treasure to someone else!


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## tigerhead (Jun 17, 2005)

LA Wader,
You're right about the crab meat substitute. My brother and I caught some flounder and a big sheepshead. He boiled the sheepie and stuffed the flounder with it and I was impressed at how good of an imitation crab it was.


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## KDubBlast (Dec 25, 2006)

The ole sheepshead circle jerk. I agree with OP, I don't wanna pay a guide to go and take me to catch sheepshead. Don't get me wrong tho, the meat on them is pretty dang good, just a pain to clean. Make a good fish for cerviche due to the large flakes.


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## MathGeek (Feb 3, 2016)

While I agree that I wouldn't pay a guide to chase sheepshead as plan A, I don't think I would be disappointed if shifting to it as plan B seemed more advisable than maintaining a course chasing trout or redfish after a few hours coming up empty. I trust guides to know which plan would likely be more successful, and I'd rather fill the box with sheepies than go home fishless and frustrated from stubbornly chasing redfish and specs all day.


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## SKIPJACKSLAYER (Nov 19, 2013)

Sight casting to them with plastics is very challenging. and they taste excellent. I won't go out of my way to find them, but if they are there in casting to them.


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## cpthook (Jan 16, 2008)

keeping sheepshead is like being in high school getting drunk and ending up with a fat girl from a party. You sneak out the back door when no one is looking. This is where you have the secret special built in the floor cooler to hide them so when you around your serious fishing friends and back at the dock. We didn't catch a thing. When they leave you break out the sheephead and have a fish fry. lol


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## cpthook (Jan 16, 2008)

different strokes for different folks. if it floats your boat do it. some drive lamborghinis some drive smart cars. it's none of your business what others think about you, go have fun and ignore the small talk.


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## Finn Maccumhail (Feb 16, 2009)

Try sight-casting sheepies on the fly. They're extremely difficult to fool.

And I submit that if your entire reason for going fishing is to fill up the cooler or post bragging pics then you're doing it wrong.


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## weimtrainer (May 17, 2007)

FSSU3 said:


> Live Bait throwers


Live Bait, Oh the horror....They can't be "real fishermen"....LMAO....I'd eat a sheepshead, redfish or black drum over a trout any day.


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## FSSU3 (Nov 18, 2015)

weimtrainer said:


> Live Bait, Oh the horror....They can't be "real fishermen"....LMAO....I'd eat a sheepshead, redfish or black drum over a trout any day.


I never said anything about them being unreal fisherman DH. I don't care for sheepshead, but i'd much rather have redfish or flounder over trout. Run along now.


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## poppadawg (Aug 10, 2007)

I wouldnt pay 600 bucks for a guided sheephead trip either. But whatever makes u happy


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## KDubBlast (Dec 25, 2006)

weimtrainer said:


> Live Bait, Oh the horror....They can't be "real fishermen"....LMAO....*I'd eat a sheepshead, redfish or black drum over a trout any day*.


Really?


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## FSSU3 (Nov 18, 2015)

KDubBlast said:


> Really?


Be careful he's real tough with his words.


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## 3rdcoastfisher87 (Nov 26, 2015)

X2 pain to clean, but very very good tasting fish


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

3rdcoastfisher87 said:


> X2 pain to clean, but very very good tasting fish


I just clean out the gut and put it on the grill. Once cooked, I just peel off the skin.


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## Mont (Nov 17, 1998)

madbayrunner said:


> there was no reference to how tasty or fun a Sheepshead is, but personally im not paying $600 for a guide trip and show all my buddies the box of Sheepshead we caught...I wonder if Jay Watkins photos their Sheepshead catch..


My bet is you don't take $600 guided trips anyways.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

AvianQuest said:


> I used to hate to have to clean them when I was a kid, but sheepshead was my dad's favorite inshore fish along with flounder.
> 
> Being a Texas history buff, I learned that sheepshead was the fish of choice in the coastal cafes back in the 1800's and redfish and trout were pretty much ignored.
> 
> ...


This^^^^

Region also plays a huge roll. Mullet is the biggest table fare east of the Mississippi up the East coast to Virginia. Target mullet around here and people think it is a trash fish. Some of them have never heard of Biloxi Bacon or had Smoked mullet at Ted Peters in Tampa.

To each his own...


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## KDubBlast (Dec 25, 2006)

Its Catchy said:


> This^^^^
> 
> Region also plays a huge roll. Mullet is the biggest table fare east of the Mississippi up the East coast to Virginia. Target mullet around here and people think it is a trash fish. Some of them have never heard of Biloxi Bacon or had Smoked mullet at Ted Peters in Tampa.
> 
> To each his own...


I don't think anyone is saying that they don't taste good. The issue at hand is whether or not its worth paying a guide to take you catch sheepshead versus trout/red. I guess for the average angler who would rather catch fish for a meat haul, rather than fish for sport, doesn't really care what fish they are targeting. Lets be honest here, who would be happy paying lets say $400.00 to go out and catch a bunch of sheepshead versus trout/red with a guide?


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## planohog (Nov 1, 2006)

I tried reading going backwards, If the customers were pleased with the 
guide and how much fun they had, who cares. I have used guides in florida 
off shore before while on vacation. If the kids had fun , mission accomplished.
I wanted to let you know I eat gaftops, aka "Slimers" not hard heads.


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## scooter79 (Jul 15, 2010)

Any one want to take me sheephead fishing when I go down to Galveston the first weekend of April? Never caught any and I would love to take some home to Fort Worth...lol


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

scooter79 said:


> Any one want to take me sheephead fishing when I go down to Galveston the first weekend of April? Never caught any and I would love to take some home to Fort Worth...lol


$550 special!


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## Salty Dog (Jan 29, 2005)

The average group who books a guided trip has shifted considerably. It use to be 99% wade fishing and everyone wanted to throw lures for trout and redfish. The average guys booking trips were maybe a little more knowledgeable about bay fishing. Now the average party just wants to go catch fish, 90%+ want to stay in the boat and a great many have no preference one way or the other about what they catch or what type of bait or lure they use. They want pulls and all the different fish are fun and interesting to them. And that is really kinda cool. We get so caught up in trout, reds and flounder that we sometimes forget the other species can be fun and interesting in their own ways too.

I wouldn't say I personally know any guides who go out and target sheepshead but drifting shell with live shrimp is going to have you catching some along with croakers, sand trout, drum and of course redfish and trout. Most of the time customers will keep anything you tell them is Ok to eat and is legal. And hey, it's their trip. They are paying for it. Let them do what makes them happy.


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## Finn Maccumhail (Feb 16, 2009)

BullyARed said:


> I just clean out the gut and put it on the grill. Once cooked, I just peel off the skin.


Do you stuff the body with anything like lemon or herbs? What about scoring the skin?


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## Captain Dave (Jul 19, 2006)

*Very, Very Happy Sheepshead*

Guess I will join the Sheep's Crusade

Now, I would not take a guide up on this trip because I have my own boat and feech with others as well. Spring Break some guides will go 2 or more trips a day. Probably the same that feech the channel for trout in the summer the same way. Just keep it legal.

Sheeps give a great jiggy pull and get off the hook easy and steal your bait. Its not a gimme. Sharp J hooks # 1 or #2 with a egg sinker behind it. You can add color beads too. Cork or Free lined. Chum with some busted up crabshell or baracles too. :whiteshee

Link for a knife that makes Sheeps n Reds childs play at the cleaning table. The larger Sheeps 6 # plus are excellent half-shell or filet. Smaller ones are for Ceviche and Mock Lobstah .. Lots written , try a search.

Dang , I weat some kick *** Grub... lol I enjoy pulling up the archives for the folks that may not of seen em.. There is much much more listed.. Try a search... :dance:

Very, Very Happy Sheepshead

---------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.amazon.com/Mundial-5621-...83840004&sr=8-33&keywords=mundial+bread+knife

http://www.2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=1721946

http://www.2coolfishing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=852569

http://2coolfishing.net/ttmbforum/showthread.php?p=8722266


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## saltwatersensations (Aug 30, 2004)

I cleaned 10 of them Saturday. Not hard to clean if you know what you are doing. The are pretty good eating. Fried them up sunday for a bunch of people. Wasn't much left.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

KDubBlast said:


> I don't think anyone is saying that they don't taste good. The issue at hand is whether or not its worth paying a guide to take you catch sheepshead versus trout/red. I guess for the average angler who would rather catch fish for a meat haul, rather than fish for sport, doesn't really care what fish they are targeting. Lets be honest here, who would be happy paying lets say $400.00 to go out and catch a bunch of sheepshead versus trout/red with a guide?


Personally, I like variety. If I were to pay a guide I would be happier with a stringer consisting of one trout, red, flounder, sheaphead and drum than I would be with a limit of five trout.

I also realize that even the best fisherman can't always catch a limit of trout so I would prefer bringing home sheaphead than coming back skunked. At least 50% of any fishing trip is just a boatride on the bay and getting away from it all.

But I will say it's always better catching fish than coming back empty handed.


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## Captain Greg (Jul 19, 2007)

*Im that guide that posts Sheepshead Pics*

I grew up fishing with my Grandpa and my Dad for speckled trout in Trinity and East Bay, and occasionally we would hit the jetties when the winds were zero. My Dad preferred chasing reds in the bayous and marsh of West Bay. My Grandpa would rather eat golden croaker than specks, but the specks were fun to chase, and he taught me allot around Dollar, marker 37 and 42, and more shell reefs than you can imagine during the summer months and shallow specks early, early in the morning.....not to mention he was a shrimper on the side, and his 'Hang Map' of West Bay is priceless stuff today. Dad really didn't like to eat fish until he discovered redfish on the halfshell over hot mesquite. Both my Dad and Grandpa were natural bait chunkers, mostly live shrimp under a popping cork. Not until I turned 16, saved for my first boat, then a trolling motor did I start chunking artificials and fell in love. Nothing like a redfish slammin a SheDog in 2 foot of water.... that being said, as I became an adult I had a passion for getting kids hooked on fishing. Having an 8 year old out in 2 foot of water working a top water is not a good way to get them hooked on the sport in my opinion (though it worked for my son, but I had more than 4 hours to do it). I actually have Kids Summer Fish Camps to teach basics of fishing and safety. Kids just wanna catch fish. And you might be surprised at the amount of adults that just wanna do the same. They may not be avid anglers or own their own boat, but a day out on Galveston Bay with a bent rod, as well as some fresh fillets to bring home is priceless to someone that wasnt brought up like most on this board.
There are many fishing guides that are amazing speckled trout guides, and I could name a half dozen real quick, artificials or natural baits, and my hats are off to them. They are good, dedicated and have a passion for chasing Speckled Trout. To me, I have chose to be a family and kid friendly fishing charter that fishes for what is biting. Sheepshead are an amazing fish to catch this time of year, and many kids that enjoy fishing with me and learning how to set the hook, fight a fish and land it - then enjoy the fine table fare if they choose may very well, one day be that avid 'speckled trout and redfish' angler throwing only plastic or plugs. 
I have literally had customers from East Texas slamming specks in June, and close to filling their limit ask me "is this all we are going to catch?" We were hoping to catch a shark or one of those fish with the funny teeth (sheepshead).

I love bringing people fishing for what is biting. Sheepshead are an amazing fish to eat. Cleaning a sheepshead is the trick.... Once mastered - if you like white, flaky fillets..... you will never throw one back. Ceviche, fried, baked or on the halfshell.... good stuff! I have cleaned allot of fish in my life. Two species of fish from Galveston Bay that I have never seen a parasite in....... Flounder and You guessed it the sheepshead.

If someone calls me to book a trip this time of year, I tell them what is biting. If they insist on only fishing for specks, I dont take them to the jetties right now, and if I am not on anything else in West or East - I tell them and give them Steve Hillmans number. If they wanna throw arties - call him. He is good, dedicated and is on fish when even the best aren't.

I totally understand someone on this board saying "Why would anyone pay a guide to go catch sheepshead?" Though it is not as easy as it sounds...I would have said the same thing 20 years ago because I never targeted them.


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## Finn Maccumhail (Feb 16, 2009)

If any of y'all have a trick to cleaning sheepshead, please share it.

Thanks.


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## Captain Greg (Jul 19, 2007)

I will put a youtube video up soon. I am pretty sure there are some already out there if you look it up. Its not too difficult at all. I can clean 30 in 35 to 40 minutes. I clean sheephead the same way I clean red snapper..... I have cleaned many of both!

I wear a glove on my left hand (non knife holding hand) and a very sharp Bubba Blade, a pair of catfish skinning pliers, and your set.


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## SSST (Jun 9, 2011)

Finn Maccumhail said:


> If any of y'all have a trick to cleaning sheepshead, please share it.
> 
> Thanks.


I just use my American Angler electric fillet knife and do it like I would any other fish, just gotta have good sharp blades.


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## WilliamH (May 21, 2004)




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## Mid-Coast Bay Charters (Aug 20, 2013)

*This*



Salty Dog said:


> The average group who books a guided trip has shifted considerably. It use to be 99% wade fishing and everyone wanted to throw lures for trout and redfish. The average guys booking trips were maybe a little more knowledgeable about bay fishing. Now the average party just wants to go catch fish, 90%+ want to stay in the boat and a great many have no preference one way or the other about what they catch or what type of bait or lure they use. They want pulls and all the different fish are fun and interesting to them. And that is really kinda cool. We get so caught up in trout, reds and flounder that we sometimes forget the other species can be fun and interesting in their own ways too.


 A lot of the customers I get are tourist in town for a few days. They may never fish when at home.They just want to get on the water enjoy the day and get that pull.


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## poppadawg (Aug 10, 2007)

Kind of makes you want to go catch some sheepshead


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## FSSU3 (Nov 18, 2015)

poppadawg said:


> Kind of makes you want to go catch some sheepshead


Kind of..... Lol


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## saltwatersensations (Aug 30, 2004)

Sheepshead fillets.


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## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

They still have sweet and sour sheepshead in the Chinese restaurants? Back in the 1980s some friends reserved a whole restaurant near downtown Houston. Each and every table had a sweet and sour sheepshead, literally an entire pink fish...I thought it was a little weird. They were only two-pounders and you were supposed to pick at them as an appetizer, before ordering.


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## Finn Maccumhail (Feb 16, 2009)

WilliamH said:


>


Hell, that's easy. I've always thrown back sheepies because I've heard about how hard they are to clean but I might have to keep a few now & then.


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## Billphish (Apr 17, 2006)




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## polecat (Jan 21, 2005)

A couple weeks ago, I had my sister, 4 yr old daughter and 70 yr old dad aboard, to say the least fishing was slow, we had a couple trout, flounder and reds but it was slow and my crew started getting bored, I went to an ol deep drain and commenced to working over huge sheepshead and nice reds. Everyone was having a blast and we kept every sheephead as they were large. We fried up every species we caught and did a blind taste test. Out of 10 people, every person picked the sheep head except one, and they picked flounder. If cleaned properly, they are not only food but excellent. But they do take awhile to clean, nothing a large glass of whiskey can't help with though.


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## Winters97gt (Jun 20, 2013)

texasislandboy said:


> Nothing wrong with it at all. 90% of the time these people want to catch fish... They do not care about a trophy trout they do not want to grind out limits of redfish and trout... They want drop a hook and hook up.


Exactly. Put clients on fish, regardless of what is used unless you specifically ask them what they want to catch and on what type of bait.

I love fishing with plastics/top waters, sticking my pole down and wading. Other days, with friends on the boat on an 800 mile weekend or mid week round trip drive to my boat, I'll run them out for a quick snapper bite offshore before the wind picks up, then target drum and sheepies under structure. Sheepies are great table fair IMO and they put up a fight as well as any fish in our bays pound for pound besides our yellow fin tuna. Then we will throw plastics, DOA's and popping corks for trout/reds.


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## planohog (Nov 1, 2006)

Right On Capt Greg:
They may not be avid anglers or own their own boat, but a day out on Galveston Bay with a bent rod, as well as some fresh fillets to bring home is priceless to someone that wasnt brought up like most on this board.


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## fritz423 (Jul 4, 2015)

My first salt water fish was a ribbon fish caught on a plastic worm off the jetties during a boy scout trip.

My second catch was another boy scout who stood too close behind me (oops). That ribbon fish hooked me too and I've been fishing the salt ever since. 

I don't remember anyone telling me that it wasn't a "cool" fish or that I should be embarrassed.


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## KadeChiz (Feb 4, 2016)

:headknock just so y'all know, I actually went out targeting Sheepies a couple weekends ago near Thompsons and I was skunked! Same thing near Aransas Pass. I'm a very bad Sheepie angler! Easier for everyone else! Someone come show me the dang Galveston West Bay and Galveston area!


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## chunker59 (Jul 20, 2011)

Finn Maccumhail said:


> Hell, that's easy. I've always thrown back sheepies because I've heard about how hard they are to clean but I might have to keep a few now & then.


Same here. Everybody makes it sound so hard, but that video shows the same way I clean redfish.


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## planohog (Nov 1, 2006)

Kade, dont ask me im pro-gaff-top level 3 non-sponsored


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

You slimmer and porcupine eaters just get after it, it's all a matter of taste after all. 
All fish are pretty fun to catch especially porcupines, they really brawl hard.
I'll stick to trout and flounder, then croaker, whiting, puppy drum and even a big piggy before I keep another sheepy for the table.


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## saltwatersensations (Aug 30, 2004)

KadeChiz said:


> :headknock just so y'all know, I actually went out targeting Sheepies a couple weekends ago near Thompsons and I was skunked! Same thing near Aransas Pass. I'm a very bad Sheepie angler! Easier for everyone else! Someone come show me the dang Galveston West Bay and Galveston area!


 Free shrimp the jetty rocks


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## Prof. Salt (May 6, 2014)

Last Saturday I was kayaking around an offshore rig. Dropped a 5 ounce knife jig and bounced it off the bottom. Got hit hard and when I got the fish beside the kayak it was .....a big sheepshead! I would have never guessed they'd eat a large jig. Took him home and gave the fillets to some older folks at church. They loved it.


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

These are the 2 we caught Saturday! Our favs


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## simple man (May 17, 2012)

This sheepy was caught by a buddy of mine a few week's ago. He felt sorry for it so he turned it back one tooth and all.








Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2


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## Captain Dave (Jul 19, 2006)

*Very Happy Sheepshead*

For you Shadslinger...:dance:

From last week see Feeching Reports....

The Dishes:

Mocked Crab Sheeps Stuffed n Fixings

Blue Cornmeal Crusted Ancho Pepper,Sun dried tomato Toasted Almond Pesto ( Fav )

Sheepshead Polish Italian Boat Shell n Orzo Cucumber Salad


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## jimj100 (Dec 1, 2012)

wet dreams said:


> If I hired a trout guide and he expected me to be happy with catching sheephead it would be a short day for him PERIOD, its no different than hiring a catfish guide and catching Bluegill. That said IF I take my young grandkids I wouldn't care what they caught BUT the sheephead would go back over the side along with hardheads after some pics. I hear **** is good for the table BUT I havn't had to eat any yet....


This is a menu from the best restaurant in New Orleans, which has the best seafood in the world. Take a look at who's up there with the snapper and mahi and swordfish!


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## scooter79 (Jul 15, 2010)

*Sheepies*

Thanks for the report Captn Dave. I hope there are still some on the granite in 3 weeks. I have never caught one, its a goal for this trip...lol

Scooter


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## jeffm66 (Sep 14, 2010)

Most people that don't fish very much think sheephead are cool looking. If someone else was cleaning them I would eat them.


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## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

jimj100 said:


> This is a menu from the best restaurant in New Orleans, which has the best seafood in the world. Take a look at who's up there with the snapper and mahi and swordfish!


Yep!


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## Southernflounder (Dec 19, 2013)

Catch the sheepshead all the time but only keep 18" and bigger, not much meat when you filet a smaller than 18" sheep.


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## ddmm (Feb 22, 2010)

What's the best rig to catch the sheepshead with: size hook\weight. We've fished out at the jetties at Port A and have used basically a Carolina rig with wither a 1\0 circle hook or pre-tied straight 1\0 (kids like this so when one breaks they simply thread another hook on).


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