How To Catch Sheepshead During The Summer Months
- By: Austin Moon
- on July 24, 2021
It’s sheepshead time!
(Or is it?)
It’s true, sheepshead are a popular species to target in our colder months and a lot of anglers don’t fish for them in the summertime.
But you can target these fish year-round.
So in this video, you’ll learn the spots to look for sheepshead during the summer months and if the tactics change.
Check it out below!
Sheepshead In Summertime [VIDEO]
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You don’t really have to change much about how you fish for sheepshead during the summer.
The same rigs, baits, and types of structure (like bridges, rocks, and docks) work even during the warmer months.
Sheepshead tend to be really active in the colder months but in the hotter months, it seems they hold really close to the bottom where the water is cooler.
When targeting sheepshead during the summer, fish pylons that are closer to a channel where the water is deeper and cooler.
Bridges also provide shade on the water to keep it cool.
On this trip, we were keeping our fiddler crabs to the side of the pylons but were not necessarily sticking to a particular side.
There wasn’t very fast current that day which allowed the sheepshead to swim easily around all sides of the pylons.
But if you are fishing in an area where there’s a lot of fast current, fish the side of the pylon opposite of the current so there’s a break.
Sheepshead will sit on the non-current side of the pylon and wait for baits to come past them in the current flow.
Conclusion
Even though a lot of the sheepshead have gone offshore to spawn during summer, you can still catch some really nice sheepshead!
You’ll just have to target areas that may be holding cooler water.
But your rigs, baits, and types of structure will all stay the same.
Have any questions about catching sheepshead in the summer?
Let me know in the comments below!
And if you know someone who wants to target sheepshead year-round, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Nice video Austin. I can sometimes find Sheepshead around those same pilings using my Sidescan radar (when conditions are right). Similar fishing around Nassau bridge.
Sheepshead spawn typically in the months of February and March. Check it out. http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/charlotteco/2016/01/22/sheepshead-where-are-they-all-coming-from/
What is the “best” rod for inshore fishing?
Thanks
Great video Austin! What was the water temp you were fishing?
Thank you Micheal!! I cannot remember exactly but want to say it was right around 82-84!!
Do we need to find deeper water for Sheepshead in the summer? I’m usually looking for 7-12 feet.
Thanks for the comment Philip! The depths you look for them will be relevant to the area your fishing. For example, the area we looked for our Sheepshead in that video is pretty much a large mud flat where the majority of it is only 1-3ft deep roughly. But there is a channel that runs through the mud flat that gets as deep as 14ft give or take, so we fished near the channel on the bridge where it is 7-10ft since we knew the Sheepshead would be holding deeper with the hot water. A good starting point for finding the deeper areas where your wanting to look for them would be to check the sonar map on smartfishingtides.com before your trip and start fishing the deeper areas first!!
Way to get after em Austin! You and Richard killed it!
Great video, buddy!
Thank you Matthew!! I appreciate it man!!
Super nice catches, Austin! Y’all were in between several pilings and that low current sure seemed to help with the positioning. I’m looking in my area for lower current bridge areas for Sheepshead fishing from the kayaks, but I’m ignorant on the best methods for anchoring from a kayak vs. a boat. I’m sure I’ll get the answer somewhere here in the Sal Strong community; I’m sure.
Thank you, J!!! What I normally do is go a few pylons up current from the ones I want to fish then throw my anchor between the pylons, it helps the anchor set without having to put out much rope!! Also check out these videos for some tips! https://www.saltstrong.com/search/?wp_searchable_posts%5Bquery%5D=anchor+kayak
Nice video Austin!
Thank you Gary!!!
Have you tried fishbites for sheepshead?
Thanks for the comment Tony!! I have not, but definitely on my list of things to try!!
Enjoyed the fun video and solid tips, Austin!
Thanks so much Brian!!