CAPTAIN JUDY HELMEY
'Kicking Fish Tail Since 1956'
POB 30771
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA 31410
912 897 4921 912 897 3460 FAX
www.missjudycharters.com
Captain Judy's email fishjudy2@aol.com
Captain Judy's Cell 912 429 7671
January 5, 2009
Saltwater inshore, offshore, blue water fishing report, Freshies Suggestions, and 'Little Miss Judy's story! Thanks for reading! Captain Judy
Part Three
Inshore Sheepshead Bite
The sheepshead bite has been to say the least 'unbelievable inshore!' Some fishermen have been catching them on purple back fiddler crabs while others have been using bugged out shrimp. There are two types of fiddler crab in our area. There are the black backs and the purple backs. The black fiddlers aren't exactly the crab of choice for sheepshead. However, they will take a swat at it. The best bait and the most used is the purple back fiddler, which is 'hands down is called sheepshead candy!' There are others baits that will work, but are hard to put on a hook. They are those meats that come wrapped in a shell such as oysters, mussels, and clams. The fact of the matter is a sheepshead loves anything wrapped in a shell that happens to be attached to a surface that is vertical. Another shell bound meat, which also works is a barnacle. I wouldn't try getting the meat out of the barnacle. I suggest just sticking it on the hook with the area that has the opening sticking outward. The sheepshead will do the rest! After all this is a fish that loves a 'cracking up deal!'
As I have been getting reports the sheepshead are still being caught inshore. However, I am getting more of 'smaller fish now being caught than last week,' which means the migration to the near shore artificial reefs probably has started. As I thinking about this I wish it were possible to put a radio transmitter on a few large sheepshead so that we could track them as they make their migration to the offshore waters. The bottom line is we now have offshore sheepshead at the artificial reefs. So therefore those that want to give this type of fishing a type it's simple 'your boat or mine!'
Bugged Out Shrimp for Sheepshead
Captain Jack McGowan loves to use what he calls a 'bugged out shrimp!' With a name like that, before I asked, I had to wonder 'what the heck?' At any rate, Captain Jack explained it to me in simple form. Get yourself a fresh dead shrimp. Believe me, when you finish doing what Captain Jack suggests, 'the shrimp will be fresh as well as real dead.' Pull the shrimp's head and tail off, which leaves you with the body with legs attached. Now in the 'threading the shrimp directly on to the hook world' you would do just that. However, Captain Jack has come with this great bait for catching sheepshead. With that being said, 'he threads the shrimp so that the legs are sticking out not towards the hook's shaft. This 'bugged out shrimp' now looks somewhat like a fiddle crab with legs and everything. Now you know the rest of the story! This is one of those bait suggestions that you might not want to tell anyone about. The reason being is that it works so well you are going to want to keep it to yourself!