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Posted on 12/31/21 at 9:20 am to labguy
I fish GM/Catfish Lake a lot and I don't have success blindly fishing piles/structure/barnacles. They move around the marsh in schools. I've had most success actually sight fishing for them, either seeing their stripes or them moving marsh grass as they pick stuff off them. During high tide, I visually scan edge of marsh grass looking for grass movement not typical with wind. They have a weak bite, spook easily and don't chase bait so it is a different approach than most fish.
BTW - If you are inexperienced with them, their dorsal spines are some of the sharpest and strongest of any inshore fish. They will tear you up, a net, soft cooler, fish bag, etc easily even if dispatched. I've lost two soft coolers and probably 3 nets to Sheepshead.
BTW - If you are inexperienced with them, their dorsal spines are some of the sharpest and strongest of any inshore fish. They will tear you up, a net, soft cooler, fish bag, etc easily even if dispatched. I've lost two soft coolers and probably 3 nets to Sheepshead.
Posted on 12/31/21 at 9:36 am to AutoYes_Clown
quote:
their dorsal spines are some of the sharpest and strongest of any inshore fish. They will tear you up
Dropped one on my leg, sitting in a kayak, and that spine found it's way. Taught everyone within a mile some new words that day
Posted on 12/31/21 at 9:55 am to speckledawg
Last time I loaded up it was with frozen shrimp. Pinched off the tails and put the heads on to reduce misses. Like already said, they school up. We were catching them every single cast in one spot until we ran out of shrimp heads.
Posted on 12/31/21 at 10:04 am to hashtag
Do they not move to structure towards the gulf this time of year in Louisiana?
They spawn in March in Florida and starting about now they start to school up on structure like bridges, deeper docks, etc. towards the passes.
During the warmer months they are on the flats, along docks, etc.
They spawn in March in Florida and starting about now they start to school up on structure like bridges, deeper docks, etc. towards the passes.
During the warmer months they are on the flats, along docks, etc.
Posted on 12/31/21 at 10:27 am to baldona
2 or 3 years ago on Fowl river we couldn't catch anything but sheepshead. It was insane. Every cast.
Posted on 12/31/21 at 10:34 am to labguy
Coming in late but I haven't seen this posted.
If you just find pilings p much anywhere in the marsh you'll find them. If you find them thick, you can actually start catching them on anything.
What I like to do is get 20-30 live shrimp just to search with and then once I find them switch to salt strips on a Carolina rig. No need to rebait, can just keep tossing the line out.
Once that bite is over you still have your live shrimp to go to the next piles.
If you just find pilings p much anywhere in the marsh you'll find them. If you find them thick, you can actually start catching them on anything.
What I like to do is get 20-30 live shrimp just to search with and then once I find them switch to salt strips on a Carolina rig. No need to rebait, can just keep tossing the line out.
Once that bite is over you still have your live shrimp to go to the next piles.
Posted on 12/31/21 at 10:21 pm to gumbo2176
quote:
Sheepshead and black drum are vastly underated.
I'm with you on sheepshead, but I've always heard black drum are wormy and no good. Is that just the bigger ones, or bad advice?
Last time I was fishing out of Shell Beach, I caught a 40-pounder, but let him go.
This post was edited on 12/31/21 at 10:23 pm
Posted on 12/31/21 at 10:31 pm to SpotCheckBilly
quote:
but I've always heard black drum are wormy and no good.
Many fish can get worms in the meat. White trout are some of the worst in my experience.
I've had black drum with worms in the meat but they are easy to see and remove, just like in white trout.
They look just like white tadpoles------a bulbous end with a long thin tail. I just take a sharp knife and remove them from the meat.
Posted on 12/31/21 at 10:44 pm to gumbo2176
quote:
I've had black drum with worms in the meat but they are easy to see and remove, just like in white trout.
Thanks for the info. We were catching a good many specs that day and maybe the mate just didn't want to fool with him.
Posted on 12/31/21 at 10:51 pm to PetroAg
quote:
Favorite team: Texas A&M
I bet your boyfriend would love them if you two would quit playing with each other’s poles and fish.
Posted on 12/31/21 at 11:13 pm to SpotCheckBilly
quote:
've always heard black drum are wormy and no good. Is that just the bigger ones
Smaller black drum are great. Big ones are so wormy that it's not worth it. Yes, other fish get worms plenty often, but those big drum are a bit much.
Posted on 12/31/21 at 11:26 pm to speckledawg
A small treble hook 8-10 inches above a 1oz drop sinker, fished tightline, is my ticket for sheepshead. Any slack in the line between you and the bait and it's hard to feel the bite. Set the hook for any nibble. They are the very best bait thieves that swim. They often stack up on structure right offshore in the early spring/late winter months.
My rule of thumb on black drum is go by the stripes. If they've lost the stripes completely I release them. If they still have the stripes I keep them (assuming legal size of course).
My rule of thumb on black drum is go by the stripes. If they've lost the stripes completely I release them. If they still have the stripes I keep them (assuming legal size of course).
Posted on 1/1/22 at 7:18 pm to Tangineck
I can tell you where to catch them anywhere but Louisiana. Ask at local tackle shop where you buy live shrimp. They love old wooden barnacle covered poles. The guy with the search and destroy plan has it down to an art. Once you find them you will load up.
i caught two of the damn biggest black drums of my life last year, both over 40 pounds accidentally, one could have been 50.
If they are over 10 pounds throw them back
i caught two of the damn biggest black drums of my life last year, both over 40 pounds accidentally, one could have been 50.
If they are over 10 pounds throw them back
Posted on 1/1/22 at 8:44 pm to SpotCheckBilly
quote:
I'm with you on sheepshead, but I've always heard black drum are wormy and no good. Is that just the bigger ones, or bad advice?
There’s not much I won’t eat. But black drum with worms is hard for me to get over. Cooked, the worms are supposed to be harmless. But I’ve cleaned some 20-30 lb black drums that by the time you remove all the worms 1/3-1/2 the dang filet is gone.
Unless it’s a slow day, I wouldn’t keep a black drum over 6-8 lbs personally.
Posted on 1/1/22 at 10:35 pm to baldona
The close rigs off of fourchon are loaded with sheeps this time of year. A jig head with a piece of shrimp thrown right against the rig will get you one every cast. Bonus is the occasional pompano.
I try and do at least one trip a year. It is a blast.
I try and do at least one trip a year. It is a blast.
Posted on 1/1/22 at 10:38 pm to baldona
In Delaware and South Jersey they keep those huge drum and make drum fish Parmesan.
They fillet them, cut out the worms, pound them into thin cutlets, bread them, deep fry, and cover them in tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
They fillet them, cut out the worms, pound them into thin cutlets, bread them, deep fry, and cover them in tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
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