Drop it for sheepshead

Sheepshead are plentiful along nearshore and offshore structure in February.

Black sea bass are also plentiful

One of the most dependable saltwater fish in February is the sheepshead, and Adam Goodwin of Tide Chaser Fishing Charters puts his clients on plenty of them this time of year.

These trips call for fairly calm seas, because instead of fishing for them inshore, Goodwin takes his anglers out anywhere from 5 miles to 45 miles off the beach. They’re fishing structure like nearshore ledges.

“Sheepshead are very plentiful on this structure during February. Black sea bass are too, and a lot of them are pretty good sizes this time of year,” said Goodwin.

That far out, the water temperatures are usually fine for holding these fish, and as long as he has light and variable winds in the forecast, he said the fishing day can be quite pleasant.

“The key is finding the structure that the fish are stacked up on. This can change from one day to the next, so you have to spend some time looking,” said Goodwin (843-457-0778).

When sheepshead and black sea bass are on the same structure, it can be a bit of a struggle to target one species over the other. But Goodwin does use different baits depending on which one he is intent on catching.

Bait it up

“If I’m fishing for sheepshead, I’ll use a 1/2-ounce jighead with a fiddler crab for bait,” he said. “These fish eat fiddlers when they’re inshore. And when they head offshore for the cold months, they mainly eat barnacles off the structure. So the fiddlers really stand out to them, and when they see a fiddler, they just go nuts over it. They will bite it almost immediately.”

He will bump all the way up to 1 1 /2 ounces on the jighead if the current is especially strong. But his rule of thumb is to use one that is only as heavy as is necessary.

“I use cut bait on a double-drop rig for black sea bass,” he said.

Sometimes, when the fish are especially thick, whatever bait you drop down will get crushed before it even reaches the bottom. But if it does make it all the way down, Goodwin said you should not let it just sit there.

“Usually when there’s plenty of fish on structure, your bait won’t make it all the way down. It’ll get devoured first,” he said. “But if you do hit bottom, it’s best to reel it up a few cranks and let your bait flutter around a foot or two above the bottom,” he said.

About Brian Cope 3053 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@carolinasportsman.com.

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