Fishing Report - Sheepshead 8-19-12

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Tide: Tail end of incoming nearly full
Time Fished: 9:00 am - 11:00 am
M.F.-1:05 PM
Partly Cloudy
Wind: SSW at 10-12 mph

Other Observations: The water is very brown right now. I assume it it tanic acid runoff from all the rain we have been having? tide was so high I had trouble catching some crabs but did not seem to be very many? used up all my bait and quit.

Catch:
-(1) unknown mystery fish?
-(4) sheepshead on, lost two largest.
-(2) small mangrove snapper

I started out on the hunt for some bait schools at the beach this morning but after driving all the way North to Marineland without seeing a single pogy or any birds diving, I decided to hit one of my sheepshead spots where I could at least find something that would pull on my line.

Tide was real high when I arrived at marineland but I was able to catch a dozen or so fiddler crabs.
I almost did not put in due to the wind blowing right down the river but launched anyway.

The Sheepshead were biting when I arrived and I lost a real good one right off the bat that cut me off on a pile.

I lost a few baits and then hooked a fish that I don't think I have ever caught before. If anyone knows what this thing is, please post me a comment.

I also caught a couple small mangrove snappers that were under size.

Then I hooked up with a really good Sheepshead that was the strongest fish I had on all day. That one cut me off on a pile also. I was not as prepared for this trip as I should have been.

The smallest of the sheepshead was just a 1/2" short of the minimum so I tossed him and ended up with the one good keeper. That one should make a meal for me and my bride.

I feel like the fish are there! I just needed more bait and a better tide. It was close to topping out.

I will probably hit them again in a few days.

unknown fish, If anyone knows what this thing is, please post me a comment.

Look at that rod, That's what I like to see!!

Larry S.


P.S.,  I discovered the species of the mystery fish....it is a "Rock Sea Bass"! That's a first for me, maybe even a record, that's about as large as they get.

Sheepshead trip - Ponce Inlet 11-24-11

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I have not been able to add to much to the blog lately as it's huntin' season and I'm afraid that takes precedent over fishing for me. However, dad talked me into going sheepshead fishing after he had some pretty good action a few days ago. I think he had caught over 15 off some docks he likes to fish near the inlet at Ponce. He also had one big drum about 8lb.

The only problem on our trip was the tide was extremely high and strong. It was so high it was over the dock at the lighthouse launch. The tide was so strong even a 2oz. lead would not come close to being able to keep your bait alongside the dock pilings. The other issue and probably the real problem was the passing front. It had apparently knocked the bite off to a dribble.

The weather was partly cloudy and pretty windy. forcast was for NNE @ 15-20 mph but it was not quite that strong. The high was about 73 and the pressure was 30.2. Apparently the small front had passed thru late in the afternoon the day before.

We had some crabs and shrimp for bait. Dad had even caught a few on barnacles he scraped off the piles on the last trip.

We caught a total of (4) sheepshead (2) black drum a big pigfish and a pile of bait stealing pinfish. I even caught a spot tail pinfish which Dad nor I had ever seen before.

Spot tail Pinfish!

The sheepshead were all just undersize and we were not able to put a keeper in the boat. Given the poor bite I guess we did o.k..

The drum was the big catch for the day. He was about 7lb. and I caught him under  a dock on a piece of fresh dead shrimp. The other drum I caught was just undersize so he got a reprieve and made it back over board.

7lb. Black Drum!

The only problem with fishing with shrimp is the bait stealing pinfish. If the big fish are feeding the pin fish are not as much of an issue but when the bite is slow, look out. Of course, If you have fished for sheepshead much you know they don't really like shrimp that well. You will catch a few on them but you'll catch 10 to 1 with crabs.  One more tip, keep a tight line and when you feel the first bite you better set the hook hard. Don't give him any slack either.

As soon as this weather settles out a little the bite should pick back up.

Good luck,
Larry S.

Sand Flea Sift Bucket Project

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If your already in to surf fishing then you should know all about fishing with Sand Fleas. However, what a lot of people fail to realize is they work great in the intracoastal as well! There are a variety of commonly sought fish that will readily eat a sand flea. Any fish in the intracoastal that will eat a small crab will eat a sand flea, including, redfish, sheepshead and black drum. Make sure you bring more than you think you need as even pin fish love them and you'll can go through them pretty quickly at times.

The sand fleas are pretty easy to catch and free for the taking. A small package of them can cost you $4-5 at a bait shop.

Sand Flea Rake!

There are two basic ways to catch sand fleas and that is a sand flea rake or a sifting device. Actually, both work on the sifting principal. The rake is a wire basket on a handle and the other can be made from almost anything. A simple way to go is to use a 5 gal. bucket, etc. and drill 3/8" holes in the bottom. You just shovel the sand in and rinse it out, leaving sand fleas and some shells.

You don't need to be a genius to figure this one out but it's a little bit of useful information if your going to catch your own fleas. I trust you can figure this project out from just the picture so no complicated directions are needed.

Homemade bucket sifter!

Good luck sand flea hunting!
Larry S.
                                                                                                                 

Fishing Report, Pellicer, 5/27/11

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Pellicer Fishing Report
Fri.  May 27, 2011
Moon - 3 days past Last Quarter
M.F.=  7:35 am
Temp.:  71 L-88 H.
wind: SSE @ 4/7AM-15/2PM  mph, (light winds early)
pressure: 29.95

Humidity: 79 avg.(61-94)  

Rain: Rain started just after 2:00pm

Sunny

I went back to Pellicer this morning. When I arrived the tide was still coming in and never got very high. I don't know just what time it changed as I was on the flat but I believe it was around 7:30-8:00 AM. I pretty much fished the worst tide conditions, very tail end of the outgoing and the slack tide. On top of that there were no less than 5 boats all trying to fish the small flat. By 8:30 the action was so slow I decided to paddle out.

I knew the tide would not be exactly right but I wanted to fish so fish I did. Pretty much all I did was fish, there was little catching involved! I  did pick up a short red in the cut on the way in to the flats. I noticed a small bait leap out of the water in the middle of the shallow cut. It was not a bait you normally see jump so I new something had chased it to the top! I grabbed my jig rod and made a cast to the spot. About 3 seconds later I had the red on the other end of a tight line. It's important when your fishing shallow water to always be paying attention to what is going on around you, ready to capitalize on any opportunities that may present themselves.

That would have been the end of a rather poor trip but for one thing. I had noticed some fiddler crabs on an exposed mud bank on the way in and I stopped and caught a half dozen or so, without any real plan for them.

There are a few pilings that I typically pass on the way to the flats and one day last year with the sun high in the sky I came paddling by real close to the piles and I could see some sheepshead hanging around them. Well, I had a rod rigged for bait so I put a couple crabs on and dropped them in tight to one of the piles. It instantly drew a bite but I missed him. I re-baited and slipped it back in and caught a big pin fish. I put my last two crabs on and they were stolen immediately....never even felt him.

I thought that was pretty interesting and I might be on to something. I paddled over to a sand beach that was exposed from the falling tide and had an oyster bar beside it. There was an army of fiddler crabs there and I chased down about 3 dozen or so in the oysters. I paid for them in blood however.... I cut the heck out of my fingers flipping oysters.

I paddled back over to the pilings and it was on. It was difficult to keep the yak in position and fish so close to the pile. Who knows how many I ran off when the wind or boat wake pushed me in to close to the piles. However, before it was over I put 8 or 10 stripped bandits and one real nice 24" redfish in the boat. I lost at least 3 real nice ones also.  A couple pulled so hard on my medium action Ugly stick it felt like they were going to break it.

The fiddler crab idea turned a sows ear into a silk purse and I came home with some nice fish. Had I started off fishing like this I feel like I would have had a limit.

My gear today was an Okuma Epixor 30 spinning reel, 6'6" medium action UglyStick rod, 30lb power pro with a 17lb mono leader and 2/0 eagle claw bait hook. I was using a small cork as well due to the kayak and difficulty trying to hold a position. Had I been in a regular boat or maybe if I had brought my anchor I would probably have just free lined straight down, no cork. I think I would like to use a bronze hook but I have to look into what is available. Sheepshead can be shy to bite. A bronze hook would blend in to the crab legs though the shinny silver Eagle Claws did not seem to bother them this day.

The Okuma is a great little reel for the money. Here's a link with more info. : Okuma Epixor, I also like the low stretch of the power pro for this kind of fishing.: Power Pro, The ugle stick stick rod is also one of my favorite rods for the money and has a great warranty: Ugly Stick rod.

Here's some pictures of em'. Even got a couple action shots for ya!

That's a nice sheepshead there! Look at the stickers on his back!

This 24" red fell to a little fiddler crab!

This one was a little short but he sure was pretty!

Another real nice bait steeler!

I found this stone crab flipping oysters while catching fibbler crabs,

Don't let this guy catch your finger!

Mangrove roots, you don't see many grow this way up here.

Another short one.

Man, that one was stretching my line!

 I had fish everywhere... forgot to bring a stringer!

That's a low tide! I made it out just before the rain.

Fishing Report 1/15/11 - Sheepshead

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Jan. 15, 11 - Port Orange, Fl., mid-day

M.F.= 1:15 pm +/-

Temp.: 37-63 deg. (mid 50 while fishing)
wind: N @ 5  to 14mph, gust to  - mph 

pressure: 30.22

hunidity: avg-74%    (48-100%)

rain: 0

sunny

This trip did not actually include my kayak as its a little to cold for that so my dad and I took his rig out Saturday to a spot where he has been catching a limit of sheepshead off some docks at ponce Inlet.

After we caught some bait we headed for Dad's hot spot at the Inlet. The water was really clear and you could see the bottom in 5ft of water.  With my polarized glasses I could see a few sheepshead feeding on the piles. I actually sight fished one nice fish off an inner pile with a small, med.wt. jig rod  & 30 wt. spinning reel tipped with

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