Boating & Fishing Insiders

Sheepshead are a great winter fish all over Florida. Credit: Terry Tomalin

Anchored up off a dock on a warm winter's morning, I knew there were fish hanging around the pilings. The night had been cool, the water even colder, so the sheepshead had to be hovering on the east side of the structure, soaking up the sun. Knowing where the fish are and catching them, however, are two different things.

The winter months are the best time to target this species. January is good. February is even better. But if you're looking for a nonscientific but fool-proof method to pick your fishing days, just think March Madness. When college basketball fans start talking about the Sweet 16, grab your sheepshead stick. The bite is on.

Tampa Bay has its share of great sheepshead spots. You'll find these toothy critters in the residential canals, along rocky channel edges and, of course, under docks.

These bottom dwellers typically feed on barnacles (take one look at their choppers and you'll understand), but they also hit everything from pass crabs to cut shrimp. Sheepshead fishing can be a frustrating experience if you are cursed like me and don't have the touch.

Sheepshead are sometimes called "convict fish" because the pattern of black stripes on their bodies resembles the uniforms once worn by prisoners on a chain gang. Others argue this name comes from their uncanny ability to steal bait. There is an old adage among sheepshead anglers that if you want to catch these fish, you have to set the hook before you feel the bite.

A typical sheepshead is silver, with five or six distinct vertical black bands on its sides, though interestingly enough, they are not always the same on both sides. This fish is sometimes confused with juvenile black drum. Another thing you'll notice about the sheepshead is the mouth. These prolific feeders have a full set of teeth -- incisors, molars and rounded grinders -- which they use to crush barnacles and other crustaceans. 

Coming up: The Popular Porgie