Winter Sheephead
 

I have heard winter is the best time to catch sheep heads. Are the jetties the best place when fishing the Calcasieu area. I know they are not a highly targeted fish and they are a pain to clean for such a small fillet but the flavor is worth it! Any recommendations?

The jetties / old jetties. You can catch a few by the rocks around the weirs. Small sturdy jig head and piece of shrimp but just enough to cover the hook good but don't use a big shrimp cuz they will rob you.


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Plus it would be a blast! I think they are pretty cool. I have no recommendations for you though lol

We pick up the odd sheepie at the jetties. We like to use a shrimp under a cork cast as close to the rocks as we can put it.

It's a one or two kinda thing while we mainly target bull reds.

You can fill a box with them at the jetties. Get a bunch of cheap jig heads. (You will break off a lot )Tip with a piece of shrimp and throw close to the rocks. Follow it all the way down and when you feel it hit a rock lift up and bring it back to you let fall again and repeat until you are out away from rocks. If you pay attention and don't let it settle in the rocks you won't get hung up as much. I love eating sheepshead but never really target them anymore.


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I blackened some and served the fillet covered in shrimp cream sauce and everyone said it was the best red snapper they had ever eaten. I usually cook snapper so when dinner was over and I told them it was speephead nobody believed me. And fried, they are lights out! It's too bad it almost requires a chainsaw to get to the meat.

I caught 4 in one day on a spinnerbait while fishing for reds along the rocks lining the ship channel. But, That was in May and I couldn't find many all summer.

I always caught them on accident. I thought they were trash fish untill I cleaned one. Nice white meat very mild tasting.

Clean them backwards and go around the rib cage and it ain't too bad. Still no fun but not as bad as conventional style.


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So start from the tail and fillet toward the head? Then end at the rib cage instead of cutting through it?

Yeah. Then you can just kind of go over the top of the rib cage instead of cutting through it.


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Redfish can be cleaned like this too. Your knife is running under the scales instead of slicing thru them.

I use a straight knife for everything. I fillet them conventional direction, but fillet around the ribs. Really not too bad, you just need a long knife for big ones once you get past the ribs. They are good eating.

This is how I do my reds. never cleaned a goat, but i would guess it works.

To each his own, I like to get everything possible from anything I kill. I'm not in a rush.

http://youtu.be/DlwfKBsgImg





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That is awesome! I gotta catch some fish to practice! Haha


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I would never waste that much time on a redfish lol

X2....I love to eat redfish but I "waste" alot of meat to make sure I cut all the red meat out. Same reason I usually don't keep any over 23"

Then what would you waste that much time on?

Trout elitest say the same thing, then blaze through them leaving all that tender belly meet for the hardheads.

What fish would deserve your time?

Do you belly filet bass?


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Haha I usually never keep keep fish to start with. I only keep them when I go with someone who wants them. Reason is I hate cleaning then, and honestly I'm over the taste of most fish. I guess that's what happens when you ate fish nearly every night for years and years

Sheep heads are my favorite fish to catch and eat... Don't fish cal but Cocodrie we have been doing real well...


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