# 12/31 & 1/1 Ponce Inshore report / FIDDLERS = SHEEPIES



## KodiakZach (Mar 16, 2005)

Sick of using dead shrimp (since it seems to only catch Whiting here lately), I scrounged up a very small amount of fiddler crabs and decided to target Sheepshead. Since most of the bait shops are sold out of fiddlers I decided to dig for some on my own. What a pain it was this time of year since they are buried so deep in the ground it's hard to get them. I think I got 6 or 7 crabs in 30 minutes of digging. 

I won't go into a long rant about tourists either, but geeeeeeez they sure make fishing more complicated. And with the beautiful weather we've had the last 2 days, there was no shortage of idiots on the shoreline the last couple of days. Still managed to land some nice Sheepies though:




























Had a get together with some buddies last night and let me say that fishing the Ponce rocks with a hangover is not too terribly fun :drunk:


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## Sand Dollar (Nov 26, 2005)

These fish are so sneaky. I have a very hard time catching them. I did, however, catch one when I pulled my hook up to check my bait.


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

I was running through the inlet back in from fishing offshore Saturday. There were quite a few people out on those rocks fishing for the sheepshead. I might have to give it a shot this weekend.


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

we've been doing pretty good on the heads up here around the Fernandina area, myself and two friends fished the Ft. Clinch area & had 61 sheeps to 7.5 lbs last week. Yes we only kept 45,I know the bag limits. I'll post the pics of my commercial buddies catch when he gets them to me.75 fish trip to 8.5lbs No B.S. I here the trout have been thick up aroun the nassau river off the old bridge this past week,easy to limit out on the incoming tide.


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## AtlanticAngler (Oct 26, 2005)

*Actually Bart*

if you add it all up it was 91 sheepshead that day, we had our 30 as well. 300+ pounds of convicts, yummm.


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

Your right,I need to get those pics from james, I heard the cats outta the bag on the hush hush spot


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## AtlanticAngler (Oct 26, 2005)

*yeah*

LF was there monday asking us where should I fish, what ya using, and being the man that he is he got there at noon and caught more fish than us, that dog!!! He is a hella fisherman!!!


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## ashrafel68 (Jul 12, 2005)

Hey Zack, 

Nice catch... 

By the way, thanks for the tip regarding the peeled live fresh dead shrimp. I went to the pier this weekend and I caught blues, whiting, a looooooot... Thanks again.

By the way, where is that pier the you fished from (that sheephead) , it sound like a good shaded spot for my wife and kid to sit on while I fish...


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## ashrafel68 (Jul 12, 2005)

another question, 

what is the best rig for sheephead, pompano rig ?????


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## KodiakZach (Mar 16, 2005)

That pier is a private fishing pier at some gated condos in Ponce. Send me an email and I will get you directions and the gate codes. In regards to a rig, you need to use a 12 to 18 inch Flourocarbon leader connected to a 1 or 1/O owner cutting point hook. DONT USE CIRCLE HOOKS for SHEEPIES! Weight should be 1oz or smaller egg sinker above the leader and you should use fiddler crabs (live or dead) and put the bait as close to the pilings as possible, if not right on them.


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## Sand Dollar (Nov 26, 2005)

I have tried this method many times and can never detect when they are bitting. How do you know when to set the hook???


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

*Bait stealers*

Thats just it,you dont really "feel" a bite. here's how I do it, First of all,when using "hard" baits like fiddlers and shrimp you have a little more time than with a soft bait like "mussels". When using hard baits the 'heads will chew a little longer and give you more time to detect them,but there is no tapping or bump like with other "pecking" fish due to the way 'heads bite. when a sheepshead takes a bait they carefully swim up to it,turn on their side and lightly "mouth" the bait. This results in a "heavy" feeling in the rod or a slumping action in the tip.Thats when you put the hammer to him,I mean SLAM the hook home to penetrate their hard mouth. There is NO place for cheap dull hooks in sheephead fishing. You either got him or you were late with the hookset,there is NO waiting on the take .As SOON as you feel the slump SET THE HOOK! Dont worry if you miss,they usually crowd in schools with 2 or 3 big sow females and 8-10 smaller males. I use a standard fishfinder rig with as short a leader as possible,4-6 inches of 25lb flourocarbon will suffice. I have been a serious sheephead fisherman for a long time (it's addicting as hell) and just thought I would share a little knowledge on these hard to figure out but extreamly fun to catch fish. Good Luck


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## KodiakZach (Mar 16, 2005)

Barty... that's a fair description. Having braided line will help enormously to feel the fish when he takes your bait into his mouth. It should go without saying that you have to hold your finger on the line at all times or you won't feel when your bait disappears. 

AND speaking of hooks.... which hooks brand/type/size do you use specifically for Sheepies Barty B?


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## ashrafel68 (Jul 12, 2005)

Hey Zach, I need you to check you Email

Thanks a lot,


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

*Zach*

Your right on with the braid, I very recently switched from using a 7' star stellar lite rod and abu 6500C4 with 17# to a 6' hurricane redbone rod 18-20# class but SUPER THIN diameter paired with a pflueger medalist 6035X spinner spooled with 30# power pro, WOW what a difference, the bite detection is AMAZING and that lite rod and reel combo beefed up with the strength of braid is a great balance, My biggest head so far this season is a 7lbr on the new light set up, and I had no worries with the new combo,It also made the fish feel a whole lot bigger,adding to the fun of the fight. Would definatly reccomend trying this light stuff, Lots of fun.
Oh yeah about the hooks,Eagle claw WIDE BEND NOT KHALE, #2 size, style #L042G.


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## Sand Dollar (Nov 26, 2005)

Thanks for the tips, hopefully I can get out soon and see if I can catch a couple of crooks.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*Nice.....*

Looks like a fun day.


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## AtlanticAngler (Oct 26, 2005)

*yep*



barty b said:


> Your right on with the braid, I very recently switched from using a 7' star stellar lite rod and abu 6500C4 with 17# to a 6' hurricane redbone rod 18-20# class but SUPER THIN diameter paired with a pflueger medalist 6035X spinner spooled with 30# power pro, WOW what a difference, the bite detection is AMAZING and that lite rod and reel combo beefed up with the strength of braid is a great balance, My biggest head so far this season is a 7lbr on the new light set up, and I had no worries with the new combo,It also made the fish feel a whole lot bigger,adding to the fun of the fight. Would definatly reccomend trying this light stuff, Lots of fun.
> Oh yeah about the hooks,Eagle claw WIDE BEND NOT KHALE, #2 size, style #L042G.





Bart isnt that rod 7' Redbone. Another hook is the Matzuo O Shagnausy (spelling??) 1/0. Good hook. I dont know that there is a PERFECT hook for the S-heads. Fishing for them is a patient practice and will further your fishing ability with other fish as well. You will miss but be patient you will find a rythym and then its on. Bart its near time to hit them up again. You off for MLK day?? Zach, bart and myself need to get down your way or we all need to head down south a little and chase a few Pompers. Later fellas


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## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

MLK DAY!!??  SOME of us dont work for the govmnt,I was lucky to get off on CHRISTMAS!! I am thinking of heading down to ponce and invading KZ's head hole  probably sunday,I have to work (you know that thing that normal people have to do on a DAILY basis) on sat. so I wont be able to make the trip to Sebastian this weekend but I am thinking of taking a sat & sun off soon maybe near the end of the month.


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