What's for Dinner ?

[Captain Rich]

These cuties are Sheepshead, we catch them in the inlet during winter months. Very good eating ! Nice dentures too, remind me of tog.

[shrimpman steve]

Nice convicts rich.
Will make plans to see you soon

[teddysclaw]

its like they hybridized a porgy and a blackfish. They taste awesome as well. Taste is also a hybrid of porgy and tog. Wish we still had em up here

[atcojg]

caught some of these off the Oregon Inlet bridge. DELICIOUS

[dakota560]

Those are some serious dentures! I heard they're very good eating as well and put up a good fight. How far North do they range? Are crabs typically the bait of choice?

[dfish28]

We get some up here in south Jersey, I’ve heard of them caught around the red church too, with a pic

[blindalfred]

Another "remember when" story. That's how Sheepshead Bay got its name. Still the odd one caught occasionally. My last was off the breakwater jetty in Atlantic Highlands from the kayak a long time ago.

[Bluefish]

used to get them mixed in with porgy and blowfish off the cedars by the old golfballs way back

[Belmarguy]

Another "remember when" story. That's how Sheepshead Bay got its name. Still the odd one caught occasionally. My last was off the breakwater jetty in Atlantic Highlands from the kayak a long time ago.


#livinginthe50s if that even was true which I doubt it with the colder climates back then which we haven’t seen since then or before then:)

[shrimpman steve]

I have always been told sheepshead bay was named for the fish. According to wiki it is true.

“The bay was named after the edible fish that used to be caught there”

[waynemaxwell]

tbh, that fish has better teeth than most humans too

[Reel Class]

A lot of people in the north confuse juvenile black drum with sheepshead as they also have those convict bars but the head and dentures are very different.

[porgylber]

I will agree, they are good eating! I have caught them while fishing for redfish in the Louisiana bayous. They put up a nice tussle on light tackle.

[bulletbob]

They are around in modest to decent numbers in NJ most years... Barnegat Light , mid to late summer,, close to the rock piles . They are around most inlets and shallow rock pile or wood piling areas from Barnegat Inlet down to cape may... Shallow water snags and rock piles that don't get pounded are the best bet . Fiddler crabs, quartered green crabs, sand bugs...bob

[Captain Rich]

Those are some serious dentures! I heard they're very good eating as well and put up a good fight. How far North do they range? Are crabs typically the bait of choice?


Down here shrimp (sorry Steve) are the bait of choice, either on a jig head or on a small hook on a 4 foot leader to a swivel stopping a small egg sinker. If this doesn't make sense let me know and I'll try to explain better.

[Gumada]

They are caught occasionally in BI along the rock jetties each summer.

[Capt Sal]

Catch them all the time here in Melbourne Florida.Shrimp, sand fleas fiddlers,blue crab, ''BARNACLES". Scrape the pilings and put a barnacle on a small hook.It all works.Kind a like blackfish-some people can crush them and others swing and miss lol