Sheepshead get their name from their dental work, which resembles that of a sheep. They are sometimes confused with black drum because they have a similar shape; both have dark, vertical bars on their sides, and they often inhabit the same areas. The black bars on their body resemble a prisoner’s garb, and along with their expertise at stealing baits, have many people calling them “convicts” or “convict fish.”
These fish are usually found inshore, but they move to nearshore and offshore reefs in the coldest months. They often spawn along artificial and natural reefs and navigation markers. Sheepshead eat invertebrates, small vertebrates and a little plant material. Adults prefer to eat crab meat, oysters, clams, crustaceans and even small fish, and they are experts at extracting meat from barnacle-encrusted bridge pilings and other structures.
Sheepshead begin spawning around their second year, averaging slightly less than 15 inches in length. Eggs typically hatch offshore, and the larval stage of these fish spend about a month offshore, then develop in nearshore and inshore waters.
Adult sheepshead in South Carolina waters are usually between 1 and 8 pounds, but plenty of double-digit fish are weighed in from South Carolina reefs every year. The state-record fish weighed 16 pounds, 6 ounces.
While sheepshead typically travel to the reefs during winter, they can also often be found hiding out much farther upriver than most saltwater fish ever venture, even above the saltwater-freshwater line of coastal rivers like those of the ACE Basin.
The minimum-size limit on sheepshead in South Carolina waters is 14 inches. Anglers are allowed to keep 10 fish per day, not to exceed 30 per boat per day.
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