ISLAND FISHING REPORT: Sheepshead Time

by Capt. Matt Mitchell

Just in time for the New Year, cold water and chilly conditions gave us the first big wave of our annual sheepshead. This bite will only continue to improve over the next few months as these, aka “striped porgies,” move inshore to spawn. Cold water and the full moon in early January will make for the perfect setup to go out and catch one of our better-eating fish.

Land-based anglers will get in on this sheepshead action as bridges and docks are all great places to catch them. Dropping bait right down the pilings is a great way to catch these toothy fish. Also, anywhere on the bay side of Sanibel, look for these fish moving in from the Gulf and staging on docks and structure. Small pieces of bait on a sharp hook are required to penetrate their crazy-tough mouths. Day in and day out, a chunk of fresh shrimp is my bait of choice.

Once you do locate these fish, the action can be non-stop as they are generally in large schools.

Sheepshead feed on crustaceans, including crabs, sand fleas, barnacles and other small live shells, making for a sweet-tasting fillet. I often hear how these fish are hard to fillet, but with a few little tricks, you will find it’s not harder than any other species that goes under the knife.

Having a sharp, thin and flexible knife will make quick work of these fish. Where the big dorsal spines fold into the body, you will find a little groove with no scales. This is where I push the tip of the knife in to start the process. Cut from the head to the tail, letting the tip slide against the bones until you reach the spine. I then make a cut from behind the head to the anal fin. Basically, these fish have no meat over the rib bones, so you’re cutting around the rib cage. With the tip of the knife, then cut on the other side of the spine towards the tail, letting the tip of the knife glide along the bones. I leave the fillet attached at the tail, then flip it flat, skin-side down, on the fillet table and skin it while the skin is still attached at the tail. Then cut the tips of the rib bones out, which are on the bloodline, and you are left with a pretty piece of meat.

Regulations on sheepshead are a 12-inch minimum size limit and an 8-fish daily bag limit. Although 12 inches is the minimum size, these fish don’t yield much meat, so on my boat, I’m looking for 14 inches or better to harvest them. Though these fish are very plentiful, only take as many as you plan on eating and conserve the resource as much as possible. Grilled, fried, sautéed or baked, it’s hard to go wrong cooking them.

Capt. Matt Mitchell moved to Sanibel in 1980 and has lived in St. James City since 2000, when he started his fishing charter business. He spends over 300 days a year “living the dream” fishing. For questions and info: bookings@captmattmitchell.com