Who thinks big sheepshead are fun?

[Fost]

I just wanted to ask who else thinks big sheepshead are a riot to catch? I caught three of these guys this past weekend and they fight like crazy. The one in this picture made the drag zing on four or five different little runs. This is on the same setup that landed a 34 inch muskie that did not take out any line. From what I have seen pound for pound these (big)guys fight as good as anything on the lake. They may not be good eaters, but they are fun to fight. I'm not holding this fish the right way to get a good picture cause he kept peeing on my arm and the boat :)

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/5493big_sheep.jpg

[snakebit67]

I agree fost, alot of fun to catch.

[stelmon]

I enjoy a nice fight with a sheephead. I was fishing charlevoix last week and my buddy landed a sheephead on 6 lb line. I was hoping to get one on 4 but it never paned out. Little story but a few years back I was fishing st clair for walleye. I had been at it for 2 days. Finally I had a fish and it was a nice one. I fought and fought and got it to the top to relize I had a 12 inch sheephead snagged in the side:mad: I thought I had a salmon on or something.

[stinger63]

Last year I caught one weighing 21lbs out of the St clair river.This monster was 42 inches long with 23 inch girth.I didnt know what I had at first except think it was huge salmon.Well it was,A pratice salmon thats what i call them.

[chamookman]

Fost - BayDog and I have been known to finnish a day of Smallie fishing on the Saginaw River, verticle jigging for Sheepies the last hour or so. Man what a BLAST! Good way to sharpen Your jigging skills for the Walleyes coming in this Fall. Bob WC#253.

[gsepan]

:lol: What you got there is a genuine 100% Detroit Steelhead!!! :lol:

[ESOX]

Sheephead give a good account of themseves. Now if only I could figure out how to get them consistently on a 6wt.

[Ed Michrina]

Yep the lake saint clair steelhead. A blast on light tackle.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/4763P8110010-med.JPG

[MSUICEMAN]

i agree.... easy to catch also. if you can get yourself some crawfish and head on out to the point of harley ensign, cast em out (6" off bottom or they will find a crevise and hide) and wait. Them things will absolutely crush those things. I have caught some monsters out there. usually used my steelhead rod with 6lb test. you can definitely tell when you got a sheep on cuz it pulls like a SOB.

steve

[JoeC]

Stinger,

21lbs, 42". Sounds like quite a fish story to me?? I'm quite sure that would have been a world record?? Your claim is not believable.

Joec

[MSUICEMAN]

JoeC, you should make sure you know what you're talking about before you call someone a liar. the world record I think is 54-8 and here is a pic of a 37lber. Before you call someone a liar, at least know what you're talking about. Hell, even I've caught mid-teens sheeps and its nothing to catch a 10+lb sheep off of south river road during the late spring.

http://www.agfc.com/fishing/pix/drum_big.jpg

steve

[jeremy L]

Stinger,

21lbs, 42". Sounds like quite a fish story to me?? I'm quite sure that would have been a world record?? Your claim is not believable.

Joec

:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I have seen them caught bigger then 21, and the world record is much larger. You should check your source of info again.

[ESOX]

Well, I have never caught one over 17#. All those pics and records must be fabrications.;)

[JoeC]

Stinger,

My apoligies, I looked it up and the world record is 54.8 lbs cought in NY in 1972. I've caught lots of sheephead in the 8-10lb range but have never seen anything the size you are talking about. I stand corrected.

Joec

[Rencoho]

According to the DNR the state record stands at 26 lbs. Caught out of Muskegon Lake, in 1973.

[kroppe]

I caught a big one out of Lake Erie last year, must have been in the 8lb range. He peeled off a lot of line; I was praying it was a steelhead! Lots of rod bending fun. ;)

[andy capp]

I caught a 6 pounder last month and it took me 40 minutes to get in. It was a blast.

[djkimmel]

If they ever start sheephead tournaments, I think I may be able to win a big one. I can whack big sheephead by the boatload wherever I go no matter how hard I try to not catch them sometimes (okay, sometimes I try to catch them). I had 5 on Kentucky Lake that went over 50 pounds total and have done similar from parts of Erie and the Saginaw River. I would team up with my other sheepmaster fishing partner:
http://hometown.aol.com/djkimmel/images/wMGbigDrum.jpg

[FISHLESS OF PH]

Hey JoeC

I seen the monster that Stinger63 caught last year, it was real.

[DrEw8716]

I like sheepshead fishing its a ton of fun. There are tournaments in Spring Lake for sheepshead now..

[sam-ph]

I also like catching sheephead. Except the one i caught while whippin for walleye got it up to the boat and it broke my line took my favorite rapala with it.

[shametamer]

ah sheeps..the disappointment of them....i'll be thinkin..'yes, a good size eye'...then to my dismay i have that puss lookin at me...lol...fun, but ur always hopin its somethin else!..but sure beats a skunk

[ESOX]

They are allegedly edible, anyone care to do a report for us?

[MSUICEMAN]

i don't know about freshies, but the saltwater sheeps are yummy.....

steve

[ESOX]

Ah yes, I particularly like their cousins, Redfish, I'll have mine blackened please.:)

[Whit1]

Paul,
I've eaten smaller (about 15 in.) sheephead. They are firm fleshed and decent eating. This was back in my drinking days and of course my buddy and I had consumed several "pops" after fishing and during frying up batch of fish consisting of one of each, sheephead, bullhead, walleye, smallmouth, and one smallish channel cat.

The sheephead was as good as all, but the walleye.

By the way, if we had met in my drinking days you and I could have REALLY gotten into some highjinks!!!....LOL!

[ESOX]

Highjinks or Hoosegows?;) LOL

[FishinJoe]

I too think they are a blast to catch, a couple years ago I was fooling around with my UL at the marina with 4# on it and cought about a 8# sheep tons of fun.

[Tin Can]

I also agree they are fun to catch, but once I have em landed I always wish they were something else.

I have heard that if prepared properly, they are good eating.

My Brother in-law works for the 3 three, one of his buddies brought in some fish, he said it was awsome, he actually compared the taste to lobster.

After finishing the meal he learned that it was sheephead, to this day he still some times talks about how good it was.

Tin Can