Q.Saltwater Species Behavior
What is a sheepshead and how do I catch one?
A.
Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) are striped saltwater fish that look like a black-and-white-banded version of a porgy. They feed on barnacles, fiddler crabs, and small shrimp around dock pilings, oyster bars, jetties, and bridge structures. Use small hooks (#1 or #2) and small bait — fiddler crabs, pieces of shrimp, sand fleas — fished tight to structure.
Sheepshead bites are notoriously light — often described as having a "convict mouth." Tide guide pages cover the moving-water phases that produce best.