How To Catch Any Fish
  How To Catch Any Fish
  • Home
  • Species Guides
    • Saltwater Fish >
      • Barracuda >
        • Great Barracuda
        • Pacific Barracuda
      • Barramundi
      • Bass >
        • Calico Bass
        • Sand Bass
        • Spotted Bay Bass
        • White Sea Bass
      • Billfish >
        • Black Marlin
        • Blue Marlin
        • Pacific Sailfish
        • Striped Marlin
      • Black Drum
      • Bonefish
      • Groupers >
        • Broomtail Grouper
        • Goliath Grouper
        • Leopard Grouper
        • Tropical Cods
      • California Sheepshead
      • Dorado
      • Emperor Fishes
      • Giant Needlefish
      • Halibut (California)
      • Halibut (Pacific)
      • Lingcod
      • Mackerels >
        • Cero Mackerel
        • King Mackerel
        • Pacific Sierra
      • Napoleon Wrasse
      • Pink Salmon
      • Redfish
      • Rockfish
      • Snappers >
        • Barred Pargo
        • Golden Snapper (Fingermark)
        • Green Jobfish
        • Mullet Snapper
        • Mutton Snapper
        • Pacific Cubera Snapper
        • Red Bass
        • Yellow Snapper
        • Yellowtail Snapper
      • Sheepshead
      • Silver Salmon
      • Snook
      • Speckled Trout
      • Tarpon
      • Trevallies and Jacks >
        • African Pompano
        • Amberjack
        • Blacktip Trevally
        • Bluefin Trevally
        • Brassy Trevally
        • California Yellowtail
        • Giant Trevally
        • Jack Crevalle
        • Longnose Trevally
        • Queenfish
        • Rainbow Runner
        • Roosterfish
      • Tuna >
        • Albacore
        • Bonito
        • Dogtooth Tuna
        • Skipjack Tuna
        • Yellowfin Tuna
      • Wahoo
      • Yelloweye Rockfish
    • Freshwater Fish >
      • African Tigerfish
      • Arctic Grayling
      • Arowana (South American)
      • Bass >
        • Hybrid Striped Bass
        • Largemouth Bass
        • Peacock Bass
        • Rainbow Bass
        • Smallmouth Bass
        • Striped Bass
        • White Bass
      • Catfish >
        • Blue Catfish
        • Channel Catfish
        • Redtail Catfish
        • Suribim Catfish
        • Vundu Catfish
      • Clown Knifefish (Featherback)
      • Dolly Varden
      • Jacunda
      • Jaguar Cichlid
      • Machaca
      • Muskellunge
      • Panfish >
        • Bluegill
        • Crappie
        • Central American Cichlids
      • Payara
      • Pike
      • Piranha
      • Sardinata
      • Sheefish
      • Trout >
        • Brown Trout
        • Lake Trout
        • Rainbow Trout
      • Walleye
      • White Sturgeon
      • Wolf Fish
  • Tackle Guide
    • Lure Reviews >
      • Bomber Fat Free Shad
      • Heddon Super Spook
      • Heru Bobara Lure Review
      • Heru Cubera Popper
      • Sebile Stick Shadd
      • Surface Iron Review
      • Yo Zuri Crystal Minnow Review
    • Recommended Baitcasting Reels
    • Recommended Spinning Reels
    • Recommended Saltwater Conventional Reels
    • Recommended Freshwater Rods
    • Recommended Saltwater Rods
    • Recommended Line and Leaders
    • Recommended Terminal Tackle
    • Recommended Lodges and Guides
    • Fishing Apparel
  • Fishing Advice
    • Gear Selection
    • Fishing Knots
    • How to Release Fish
    • Lure Fishing
    • Bait Fishing
    • Tackle Tips
    • Pound for Pound Fight Ratings
    • Miscellaneous Tips
    • Seasickness
    • Getting Kids Into Fishing
    • California Party Boat Fishing
    • Float Tube Fishing
    • Fishing Travel Tips
    • Preventing Insect Bites
    • Spear Fishing Link
  • Trip Reports
    • US and Canada >
      • God's Lake Canada - Pike, Trout, and more
      • Colorado Trouting
      • Admiralty Island, Alaska Lings and Things
      • Lake Tawakoni - Catfish and Stripers
      • Shallow Water Bull Redfish - Louisiana
      • Lake O the Pines Texas Crappie
      • Cocodrie Louisiana Marshes
      • Alaska Sportsman's Lodge - Rainbows, Salmon, and Bears
      • South Florida Freshwater Exotics
      • Aniak River, Alaska - Trout, Salmon, Sheefish
      • Calcasieu and Venice Louisiana - Redfish and Trout
      • Southern California - A Summer of Party Boat Fishing
      • White River Arkansas - Brown Trout
      • Dry Tortugas, Florida - Massive Reef Variety
      • Boca Grande - Goliaths and Much More
      • Hawk Lake Ontario - Bass, Pike Walleye
    • Central America >
      • Quepos Marlin and Roosterfish
      • Drake Bay, Costa Rica - Inshore Quick Trip
      • Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica and Punta Burica, Panama - Offshore and Inshore
      • Osa Peninsula Costa Rica - Inshore Pargo and Roosters
      • San Quintin, Mexico - Yellowtail and Calico Bass
      • Cebaco Bay, Panama - Inshore Popping and Jigging
      • Rio Indio Nicaragua - Tarpon, Rainbow Bass, and More
      • Lake Agua Milpa Mexico - Family Bass Trip
      • Puerto Vallarta - Marlin, Mahi, Tuna, Pargo
      • Puerto Vallarta - Big Offshore Giants and Pargo
      • San Quintin, Mexico - White Seabass and Barracuda
      • Puerto Vallarta - Roosterfish Mania and Freshwater Bass
      • Puerto Vallarta - Inshore/Offshore Slam
      • Puerto Vallarta - Summer Inshore Monsters
      • San Evaristo Mexico - Baja Inshore Variety
      • Rio Parismina, Costa Rica - Tarpon
      • Mariato Panama Fall Giants
      • Mariato, Panama Inshore Bonanza
      • Mariato, Panama - Wind and Tuna
    • South America >
      • Colombia - Amazon Peacocks and Payara
      • Trinidad Tarpon Madness
      • Colombia Pacific Coast
      • Amazon Bolivia - Big Payara and Variety
      • Amazon, Brazil - Peacock Bass, Wolffish, and Catfish
      • Amazon Brazil - Peacock Bass and Exotics
    • Australia and the Pacific >
      • Burdekin, Australia - Big Barramundi and Reef Variety
      • Great Barrier Reef Australia - Insane Reef Variety
      • Aitutaki, Cook Islands - Giant Trevally Popping and Napoleon Wrasse
      • New Caledonia - Popping Giant Trevally
      • Marshall Islands- Remote Reef Exotics
    • Africa and the Middle East >
      • Tanzania Offshore
      • Tanzanian Tigerfish
      • Oman GTs and Inshore Variety
  • About/Contact
  • Videos
    • How To Videos
  • Best Places to Fish
    • Aitutaki
    • Amazon
    • Belize
    • Bolivia
    • California
    • Costa Rica
    • Florida
    • Great Barrier Reef
    • Mexico Fishing - Baja
    • Panama
    • Puerto Rico
    • Puerto Vallarta
  • Trophy Gallery
Picture
The author's big Sheepshead caught in Venice, Louisiana on a live shrimp
Sheepshead
Archosargus probatocephalus
Home
Other Species

Sheepshead Description

Sheepshead are a scrappy member of the porgy family.  They are found in coastal waters from Nova Scotia to Brazil but are most common in Florida and the Gulf states.  They are a popular fish due to their proximity to shore and good taste.

Sheepshead have a compressed body and some very sharp dorsal spines that you don't want to get poked with.  They have several rows of teeth used to crush the crustaceans such as crabs and shrimps that they eat.  The front teeth resemble human teeth.

 They average around 3-4lbs in size but can reach double digits in weight (often farther from shore on oil rigs and other structures).

Sheepshead Pound for Pound Fight Rating - 6.5 out of 10 on the Saltwater Scale

Sheepshead are scrappy, and they turn their broad bodies in such a way that makes them difficult to pull in.  However, with reasonable tackle you will land most of them and you could even get cute and fool around with light tackle and land quite a few, although some would bust you off.


Sheepshead Culinary Rating - Medium

Like many fish that primarily feed on shellfish, Sheepshead are very good to eat and taste somewhat like Snapper.  They yield surprisingly little meat for their size, however, and are difficult to clean. 

Sheepshead Tackle

These are not huge fish, so light tackle is in order.  You can use spinning or baitcasting tackle with a rod tip that is not too whippy so that you can set the hook in their toothy mouths.  Also, you need a little backbone in the rod to bring them in since they turn sideways and use their thick bodies to put up a lot of resistance.  Click here for tackle recommendations.

Sheepshead Techniques

Sheepshead are usually found near some sort of cover or structure, including piers, jetties, and nearshore oil platforms.  Sheepshead can be caught on lures, but the vast majority are caught on bait.  Sheepshead are notorious bait stealers and can be tough to hook.  If you do a conventional hookset, you will usually pull the bait out of their mouths.  The trick is the let them eat for a little while (not too long or they will just steal the bait) and then start reeling steadily and lift the rod up when you feel the weight.  That will result in a lot more hooked Sheepshead.

Sheepshead Baits

Crabs work well for bait, in particular Fiddler Crabs.  Live or dead shrimp also work well.

Where to get the big Sheepshead

Venice, Louisiana has a lot of big ones as does Galveston Bay in Texas.


Picture
A close up look at a Sheepshead's mouth. Perfect for crushing crustaceans.
Picture
The author and friend Gary with some hefty Sheepshead caught in Venice, Louisiana on shrimp. These ones headed to the frying pan.
Picture
A strikingly patterned Sheepshead caught in Galveston Bay, Texas.
Picture
Being a nearshore fish that readily bites bait put in front of them, Sheepshead can be a good fish to start kids on fishing.