Saltwater: Cold front should keep sheepshead biting

Michael Wilson
·4 min read
Capt. William Toney, of Homosassa Inshore Fishing Charters, shows off a nice sheepshead he caught on a live shrimp while fishing in the Homosassa River.
Capt. William Toney, of Homosassa Inshore Fishing Charters, shows off a nice sheepshead he caught on a live shrimp while fishing in the Homosassa River.

Fish of the Week

Sheepshead: With the cooler water and this weekend’s expected extreme cold front, sheepshead will offer the best fishing for Tampa Bay area anglers.

Strike Zone, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Elsewhere

1: At Big Pier 60 in Clearwater, cooler water has slowed the fishing this week. Speckled trout, whiting and croakers were the best catches. Sheepshead and a few bonnethead sharks were also caught, reports Big Pier 60 Bait & Tackle (727-462-6466).

2: At Madeira Beach, nearshore, the hogfish and gag grouper bite is good starting at a depth of 30 feet. A few mangrove snapper are also in the mix. Anglers should note: Gag grouper season closes on Dec. 31., reports Capt. Dylan Hubbard of Hubbard’s Marina (727-393-1947).

3: At John's Pass, sheepshead are biting all over the pass. The docks, the bridge and the jetty are all producing good numbers. Jack crevalle are also biting in the pass this week. Speckled trout are biting around the bridge and dock lights. Redfish are following the schools of mullet and biting around the back bay islands, reports Hubbard.

4: At Fort De Soto Park, it’s mostly been sheepshead this week around the marina and around the bridge. That’s not likely to change with the cool weather expected this weekend. A few speckled trout and redfish have been caught on the flats around the park. Out at the pier, good numbers of sheepshead are biting around the pilings and a few whiting have been caught, reports the Bait Bucket (727-864-2108).

Billy Campbell, of Ocala, caught this 24-inch no spot redfish in Crystal River while fishing with Capt. Marrio Castello, of Tall Tales Charters, this past week.
Billy Campbell, of Ocala, caught this 24-inch no spot redfish in Crystal River while fishing with Capt. Marrio Castello, of Tall Tales Charters, this past week.

5: Around the Sunshine Skyway and lower Tampa Bay, fishing has either been red hot or completely dead depending on where you are fishing. Sheepshead are the most consistent catch right now. The fish are definitely moving to their wintertime spots and the fish are usually bunched up. “I’ve still been doing very good on snook, redfish and speckled trout. A few Spanish mackerel have also been mixed in with the trout. This weekend’s cold front will definitely impact the fishing. We will just have to wait and see how long this cold front keeps the water temperature down,” reports Capt. Shawn Crawford of Florida Sport Fishing Outfitters (941-705-3160.

6: At Anna Maria, sheepshead are biting on just about any structure in the area. All the bridges, most of the area docks and rocks around Longboat Pass are all producing steady numbers of sheepshead on shrimp or crabs, reports Crawford.

7: At St. Petersburg, the docks and the residential canals are producing good numbers of sheepshead and a few redfish. Speckled trout are biting on some of the deeper flats. Snook have moved into the rivers and creeks, but the cooler weather has them very lethargic. Sheepshead are also biting around the bridges and reefs in the bay. Gag grouper and a few mangrove snapper are biting along the shipping channel and on the reefs in the bay, reports Larry Mastry at Mastry’s Tackle (727-896-8889).

Marc Woodcock, of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, caught this 34-inch snook while fishing in Crystal River while fishing with Capt. Marrio Castello, of Tall Tales Charters this past week.
Marc Woodcock, of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, caught this 34-inch snook while fishing in Crystal River while fishing with Capt. Marrio Castello, of Tall Tales Charters this past week.

8: In the north end of Tampa Bay, sheepshead are biting on structure, the bridges, sea walls, the rocks and oyster bars. Cooler weather is producing cobia around the power plant channels. Tripletail are also holding on the markers in the bay. Deeper flats are producing speckled trout and the fish will move up shallow during the middle of the day if the sun is out. A few redfish are biting on the flats around both Picnic and Weedon islands. Whiting have been caught on the channels and around the Gandy Boat Ramp. Snook have pushed into the rivers and canals, but they are lethargic with the cold weather, reports Gandy Bait & Tackle (813-839-5551).

Elsewhere

Saltwater Map
Saltwater Map

● At Homosassa and Crystal River, with the cooler weather, the hot spots will be the three spring-fed rivers in Citrus County: the Crystal River, Homosassa and Chassahowitzka. These rivers keep consistent 70-degree water flowing from the springs and cold Gulf water will push game fish up into the rivers. The tree-lined banks protect from the north winds and focusing on these areas with wind protection and deep water will be the areas to target for the best fishing, reports Capt. William Toney of Homosassa Inshore Fishing Charters (352-621-9284).

● At Fort Pierce, offshore it’s still rough, but when weather permits, there are mangrove and mutton snapper on the bottom around the 80-foot mark. There’s still the occasional kingfish biting around 50 feet. At the inlet, the sheepshead are thick and a few mangrove snapper are biting. The channel markers and the bridges are also producing sheepshead. Snook are biting in the inlet and around the bridges on live pinfish and pigfish on the outgoing tides. Anglers should remember: Snook season is closed through Jan. 31. Pompano are biting in the river on Doc’s Goofy Jigs. The Melody Lane Pier is producing a few sand perch, reports the Fishing Center of St. Lucie (772-465-7637)

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Saltwater: Cold front should keep sheepshead biting