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December is hard on anglers. Snook are in transition to their winter lairs and are unpredictable. Big schools of redfish that hung by every mangrove island this summer are almost gone. And speckled trout season is closed until the first of the year in Pinellas County. But sheepshead can provide plenty of action.
Most any bridge, seawall, pier, or rock jetty will have plenty, especially since big breeder females move in from the gulf to shallow estuaries along the coast to spawn.
Trout tackle won't work. They are strong pullers and with the proximity to line-cutting structure where they live, 12- to 20-pound equipment is better.
Sheepshead are not finicky and can go for natural baits such as cut shrimp, fiddler crabs, oysters, barnacles, mussels, and worms. But sheeps aren't easy to catch. They're nibblers and most of the time steal bait off the hook without the angler knowing. But there are a few tricks. Circle hooks are designed so that the fish sets the hook. This hook will increase hook-up ratios greatly. Small, No. 1 hooks are best. Also, braided lines with no-stretch sensitivity makes it easier to feel the fish feeding on the bait. Wrap a piece of thread around the bait and hook to keep the fish from stealing the bait so fast.
- Captain Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at 727 510-4376 or e-mail captrick@luckydawg.com