I would like to start with thanking everyone for reading the fishing reports at CapMel.com. I would like to thank the people responsible for maintaining and updating this site for giving me a platform to write about something I enjoy.  I also want to make sure that everyone that reads my fishing reports realizes that fishing reports are forecasts about the upcoming fishing (see my new title).  Fishing conditions change not only day by day, but also hour by hour.  So if you read a positive fishing report, get all pumped up, go out fishing and it turns out to be a bust.  Blame me!!  Only kidding.  Most likely the conditions have changed.  It had happened to me a short time ago.  I had a charter where our group caught redfish for approx 2 hours without any lulls in the bite.  I just could not wait to take my friend from out of town the next day to repeat the redfish bonanza.  Well not only did we not catch redfish. Catfish replaced the redfish.  So I had to opt out to plan B.  Fish for something else like sheepshead.

February and March are months that the sheepshead fishing really picks up in St Joseph sound and Anclote anchorage.  It’s also a very simple and an enjoyable way to fish.  You just need some live bait like shrimp or small crabs.  You can start later in the day if you like, tides are not as important when sheepshead fishing.

You can start your morning working docks, bridges and oyster bars.  

I had a charter today 02-17-10.  The water temp was 51 degrees.  I decided very quickly that sheepshead would be my best bet for 2 reasons 1) The water temperature 2) The wind was from the NW about 20 mph.  Fishing for sheepshead in some of the canals would keep me out of the wind.  I lucked out and it was the right decision.

We put over 25 sheepshead in the boat on ¼  oz jig head tipped with a piece of shrimp.  The sheepshead as we all know is a bait stealer and either small hooks like a #1 or #2 work well with a # 4 split shot attached to the leader.  Or a jig head with a not so wide gap hook. Make sure your hooks are razor sharp.  Braided line with a fluorocarbon leader is a must.  I like to go with 20lb leader for sheepshead.  I find jigs are easier to cast for my clients and also keeping contact with the bottom.  They can also feel the bite better with a jig.  Sometimes I will use a whole shrimp, but if the sheepies start stripping the baits off the hook its time to use smaller pieces. Sometimes I even remove the shell of the shrimp.  The reason is the sheepshead will take the jig with the shrimp and only get the shell.  So this takes care of that problem.  Take a veteran fishing; it’s the right thing to do.

A sheep of day below!