Sheepshead
Archosargus probatocephalus, more commonly known as a “Sheepshead”.
Daniel Keller Sheepshead Fish
Archosargus probatocephalus, the sheepshead, (one of the heftier members of the porgy family) is a marine fish that grows to 76 cm (30 in), but commonly reaches 30 to 50 cm (10 to 20 in). It is deep and compressed in body shape, with five or six dark bars on the side of the body over a gray background. It has sharp dorsal spines. Its diet consists of oysters, clams, and other bivalves, and barnacles, fiddler crabs, and other crustaceans. It has a hard mouth, with several rows of stubby teeth – the frontal ones closely resembling human teeth – which help crush the shells of prey.
It is a great tasting free that requires some work in filleting but it’s delicious. It’s also a robust fish that is doing quite well so not endangered in most, if any, areas. It is one of the species, depending on where caught, size and time of year, that I might bring it home to filet. It has thick hard-to-remove scales, but the fish is very versatile. A little Old Bay and it’s perfect – fried, broiled, baked. In Louisaina, they’ll trick you with a name like “rondeau seabream” or maybe “bay snapper” because it’s just a lot easier pricing with those names than “sheepshead”. Anyway – great eating fish and don’t feel guilty.
Background of the catch:
I was just about to start some yardwork and to waste some time I figured I’d see what was by the dock/seawall.
There were a couple of nice, but smaller sheepshead. I’ve caught a lot on live bait but hadn’t caught one yet on a fly so figured I’d give it a go. Same issue with casting on tight dock that I had with my Snook. Presentation, retrieval, hooking in a tight space. When it works, it’s a great feeling like you can see from my expression on a little fish.
I first tried classic bonefish fly and nothing. Then switched to crab with slightly longer legs and it got no attention. Finally, I switched to the same bonefish design but with less green and darker orange and that did the trick. Tight strip after the bite. It’s got a hard mouth, but it seems like a soft bite, so you need a tight line and feel. Their teeth can bit off your line fairly quick if you don’t get a good set.
It’s widespread and abundant in the Naples area. It was also one of the fish which seemed to do the best during our red tide season.
The sheepshead is found in coastal waters along the western Atlantic, from Nova Scotia to Brazil, but the greatest concentration is around southwest Florida. Although the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn, in New York City, was named after the fish, it is now rarely found that far north. However, they just recently started to return to the area in small numbers, with a few being caught in the Jamaica Bay and on the Rockaway Reef.
There are a couple of great historical stories about the Sheepshead, including how Sheepshead Bay is named in NY. At one time they were quite prevalent, along with the oyster bars until they were over-fished. The destruction of the oyster bars was a biproduct of the industrialization of the NY area and resulting sewage heading into its waters. Now they are primarily found in the warmer waters. There seems to be sightings near Brooklyn and hopes are that it will make a comeback in NYC. The re-growth and better understanding of the oyster bars will be a hopeful, big driver to this and other species.
As sheepshead feed on bivalves and crustaceans, successful baits for live bait fisherman include shrimp, sand fleas (mole crabs), clams, fiddler crabs, and mussels. Sheepshead have a knack for stealing bait, so a small hook is necessary. Locating sheepshead with a boat is not difficult: fishermen look for rocky bottoms or places with obstructions, jetties, and the pilings of bridges and piers. The average weight of a sheepshead is 1.4 to 1.8 kg (3 to 4 lb), but some individuals reach the range of 4.5 to 6.8 kg (10 to 15 lb)/
For a fly fisherman, I’d go with a small shrimp pattern. Make sure to have a small hook on it.0
The mouth is a sight to see:
One of the funnest parts about catching this fish is I was going through some older gear the day before. Lying against the wall was an old trusty lightweight Orvis rod that had been used many times. It was fun to grab her and use her again. It’s a well used and loved reel/rod.
My Beat Up Old Orvis Dependable Set Up
Still works like it just came out of the box
Hopefully, I’ll still be throwing her when I am 80