Sheepshead are mostly found inshore around bridges, docks and piers. The barnacle encrusted pilings hold tons of sheepshead during the high tide. Sheepshead can also be found in the passes, along the mangrove-lined shorelines, along jetties, in the surf and offshore on the reefs and wrecks when they spawn. For freshwater anglers, sheepshead are kind of like a gigantic bluegill. You will use mostly live bait. The fish taste excellent and fight awesome.
Sheepshead Fishing in the Destin, Florida Area
Sheepshead are common throughout the bay. While you may find some sheepshead here in the summer, it is the colder months that provide some awesome inshore fishing for sheepshead. Fish the bridges, docks, rocks and pilings and you should be able to find some sheepshead.
Sheepshead Fishing Tips
Sheepshead are one of the tougher saltwater fish to catch on artificial lures. It can be done, but using live or natural baits can out fish lures by 10 to 1 or more at times. It is easy to understand why most anglers just go with live bait and they don’t even mess with lures when fishing for sheepshead. Shrimp and fiddler crabs are the most popular baits, but don’t rule out a variety of cut baits, oysters and sand fleas. Sheepshead are known for stealing your bait and they also are a tough fish, so make sure you have a strong enough hook and a solid medium-heavy to heavy action fishing rod or you will lose a lot of fish.
Visit our Sheepshead fishing page to learn more.