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Outdoors

Winter fishing rocks

Sheepshead and plenty of other species spend the cold months amid the outcropping in the Gulf of Mexico

By DAVID A. BROWN
Published January 28, 2006

Time-share properties work well for some folks. Owners take their turn then give way to the next group.

I've noticed a similar arrangement in the shallows off Bayport. The property: coastal rock piles in 6-12 feet. The property manager: water temperature.

This metaphor arose during a recent outing with Luke and Mark Magnuson of Weeki Wachee. The twin brothers, who operate Double Trouble Charters out of Dixie Lee Bait and Tackle, took me on a sheepshead roundup.

We launched from Rogers Park on the Weeki Wachee River, a short ride from the bait shop. The brothers normally launch from the Bayport ramp at the west end of Highway 50, but renovations have that facility closed until spring. The river took us past the Bayport ramp canal and into the Gulf of Mexico.

A dense fog blanketed the coast and made it tough to spot channel markers until they were about 20 yards off the bow. Experience and a handheld GPS kept us safely in the channel, but after we cleared the last markers I was scratching my head.

A quick glance at the range and heading on Mark's GPS revealed our location, evoking memories of a previous trip. In mid November my hosts had taken me into the gulf in search of gag grouper, which inhabit the same nearshore rocks during the spring and fall.

When winter pushes temperatures into the low 60s, grouper move to deeper water until the water warms again in April. But the vast ranges of limestone outcroppings common in Nature Coast waters don't stay vacant.

The area starts hopping in late December when scads of sheepshead invade the rocky areas. Aggregations of these striped fish, which are members of the porgy family, signal the start of their annual spawning rituals.

Anglers who recognize this opportunity can enjoy plenty of action with one of the tastiest fish in the sea.

With normal weather patterns, the fish start to form tight spawning groups in February. Expect a sporty scene with rapid strikes and spirited tussles.

Armed with medium-action, 7-foot spinning outfits and 20-pound braided line, anglers can bait their 1/0 or 2/0 short-shank hooks with shrimp. Live or dead shrimp work - the ripening scent of a deceased crustacean helps in guiding distant fish to a hook.

Hook a shrimp by inserting the point into the bait's tail, just under the fins. Thread the shrimp onto the hook to minimize the sheepshead's tactic of pecking chunks from a loosely hooked bait while avoiding the hook. Threading a shrimp keeps the point closer to a sheepshead's mouth.

Bare hooks weighted with small split-shots and tied to fluorocarbon leaders have long been the standard for presenting sheepshead baits. However, you might try varying your presentations by fishing a bait on a small jig head. Keeping the bait and weight in line improves stealth and lengthens casts. You'll also appreciate the compact presentation when a swift current threatens to wash lighter rigs into rocky snags.

With any bait arrangement, stay alert and ready to respond to a sheepshead's notorious quickness. Engineered for nibbling, these fish feed with rapid pecking rather than a committed gulp.

With practice you'll learn to discern a bump from a bite. When the latter draws your line tight, set the hook with a swift upward sweep of the rod tip and reel quickly to raise your catch from his rocky hideout.

When you approach a new rock pile, or if the action declines at your current spot, you can often jump start the bite by tossing out a handful of cut shrimp. Spread your chum over a broad range, and avoid overdoing it with freebies lest you fill the fishes' bellies.

Chumming for sheepshead usually interest other fish such as juvenile grouper, pink porgies, black sea bass and pufferfish.

Especially annoying are pufferfish, as their broad, stout teeth can clip leaders and steal a hook. A year-round nuisance, puffers will be waiting for you in the spring when sheepshead give way to grouper.

[Last modified January 28, 2006, 01:38:21]