For most of the winter and early spring, the nearshore reefs out of Murrells Inlet load up with a mixed bag of species, and sheepshead is one of the tenants.
While the S.C. Department of Natural Resources publishes locations of the reefs and details their specific components — old vessels, steel and concrete rubble, scrap metal and subway cars — new materials are regularly being added to them, and the actual locations of each part of the structure may be still a bit of a mystery.
Some of the reefs look like huge scrap yards, with debris scattered over hundreds of feet or yards in every direction. Because sheepshead will often hold tight to specific pieces of structure, a high-definition depth sounder will give fishermen an edge over traditional sonar devices.
High-definition sounders, such as Humminbird’s Down Imaging Series, use proprietary technologies to show every detail under the boat. They can provide fishermen with a clear picture of what is down below so they can know where sheepshead are holding on the structure.
Capt. Ned Campbell of R & R Charters reads his sounder like an instruction manual for a new toy.
“They may not be in one spot. I rely on my bottom sounder to help us find the schools of fish,” he said. “The fish move around a lot. When you have a 200-foot landing craft under the boat, you can follow the structure and locate the fish.”
Be the first to comment