Winter sheepshead fishing around local reefs offers some of the best action of the year. While most reefs will hold some sheepshead year-round, winter anglers prefer targeting larger concentrations of fish in their prespawn mode. Some artificial reefs are scattered over a very large area. Sonar images only identify congregations of fish and not the species. Hopefully, sonar will one day tell the angler the specific species and size of the fish, but until then, anglers must strap on dive gear or drop portable cameras into the water to see what’s down there.
In fact, February diving is a normal occurrence in the region. Capt. Robert McCarley tries to anchor directly over the school, and he always grins when one of his diving pals wants to fish for sheepshead in winter.
“It is very important to be directly over the school. Having a good diving buddy or two is most-reliable method for identifying the location of the schools on the reef,” he said.
But not everybody wants to pack on scuba gear and jump in 50-degree water. The winter ocean is usually clearer, and underwater cameras work wonders for fishermen. When approaching a reef, anglers can scan the bottom with an underwater-viewing system, such as the Vexilar FS1000. It was developed for ice fishing in Canada and other northern climes, but the color screen and 90-degree viewing angle is ideal for revealing sheepshead around reefs.
The camera will show anglers where fish are holding on the reef. Additionally, the probe can be dropped down to different depths to determine where fish are holding. While some of these cameras will increase the cost of necessary gear on a sheepshead excursion, the results will give anglers an edge in locating fish suspended along structure at the reefs.
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