Trying to catch some sheepshead

[Yakattack]

I was wondering if anyone has had consistent luck catching sheepshead around the Wakulla County area? I do most of my fishing out of a kayak near St. Marks Lighthouse or Wakulla Beach. I do have access to some boats, are there any "go to" spots for you guys? I have caught virtually every inshore species but a Sheepshead and I'd like to cross it off my list. Any insight would be much appreciated.

[DixieReb]

I think a lot of the bigger ones go offshore this time of year to spawn, but smaller ones can still be caught inshore. I'd try fishing fiddler crabs on bottom near barnacle-encrusted piers or bridges. Best on a falling tide. If you can rake some of the barnacles off into the water around where you're fishing, it might help.

[Yakattack]

Ahh, I will have to give that a try, thanks! The oyster bars I've been fishing are pretty much only yielding me redfish so I was wondering what the deal is. When during the year would you consider it to be "prime time" for sheepshead?

[DixieReb]

Probably when it cools off some, I don't think they like the near-90 water temps like we have now. But you can still catch big black drum around the same structures.

[silverking]

Sheepshead spawn in March and April. They can be found year-round inshore around oyster bars, docks and up in the tidal creeks with rock formations. One of the forum members has been catching them consistently this summer.

Fiddler crabs and live shrimp are good baits. They'll occasionally eat lures and crustacean pattern flies. You can get sheepshead fired up chumming by scraping barnacles off pilings, but for the most part they are very wary.

Good luck with your quest.

[Salty Gator]

Everything SK said!
Try the ochlockonee bridge. Easy paddle from the launch on the sw side of the bridge. The most underrated inshore eating fish IMHO, you just don't get much meat off of the small ones, if you do end up w some smallish ones, de head, gut , scale, score the sides and fry whole, yum. Good luck

[sailcat]

If you go down highway 65 S. and turn off to the right at bloody bluff landing and go left down the river until you get to a Y, fish that area with fiddler crabs and you
can catch all the sheeps head you want. And if you go about a mile or two further down the river that area is good also.