Does anyone know where you can catch sheepshead regularly or consistantly in the galveston, freeport area? I haven't been able to hook up witha single one all year and would like to.

I know you can catch them pretty much near any structure or under bridges or piers, but they seem to be thinned out. What's up with that?

I don't know much about catching sheephead but I hear they are a tasty fish and put up a pretty good fight.

And I know snowbirds (people that travel south to escape the winter) from up north like to come down to the Texas coast and fish for sheephead on the jetties. Sand fleas apparently work very well for sheephead. The ones that are usually on the rocks on jetties and when you approach they scatter super fast.

Yeah, I've that same issue. I've caught only 3 this whole year at Quintana & Surfside right off the rocks. I've only had consistant sheepheads over at Sabine.

I was at the Flagship fishing one weekend, the water was extremely clear, waves calm. I could see sheephead swimming all around us. They weren't hitting the gulp, but they were there. Good size too. Heck, I almost caught one in my net - snuck up behind it - lol, son was cracking up.

I didn't think these were good to eat.

Find Shell or a barnacle encrusted something.

Have caught them on teh Fly rod (Lefty's 2K shrimp in rootbeer color), caught one on a Topwater, BUT the real secret weapon was some canned clams....

In Galveston, I would look at the piers on the south shoreline of West bay, all the pylons or posts, and around the reefs. Biggest I've ever seen came off of shell in Moses lakes.. It came up looking like a 17 inch truck tire.

Sheepshead fishing is best when the water is cooler...they seem to move around in schools more..or at least from my experience..

In the summer the sheephead spread out. The congregate at jettys in the winter. Last time to POC we caught a few on the rocks.

thanks for all the great info guys. I'm gonna try out the clams. I've heard that using hermit crabs work well. But have you ever taken one out of it's shell and put it on a hook?....NASTY! I think i'll try the gulp sandfleas and some clams. I know they'll hit shrimp if they're there, but for some reason, I haven't been able to really have any success this year. I remember a few years ago at mustang island in the spring we caught about a dozen of em in one little spot with live shrimp.

If your fishing near a barnacle encrusted object you might scrape an area clear of barnacles to sort of chum the area.

small crabs work really well for Sheepies.

Fiddler crabs.

I tend to catch them around boat ramps.

i have heard fiddler crabs works very well but i have never use them because i dont know where to catch them..i always use live shrimp under a cork with #4 trouble hook around the jetties at surfside fish close to the rocks. we usually catch them around late feb/mar/early april..the sheepies are very good eating fish, you can get a very nice filet from it.

yeah man i caught some like feb last year at the jetties in surfside used a treble hook and live shrimp

Fresh dead shrimp works too...right around pier pilings where you find barnacles.

I would just use fresh dead shrimp or even better a small live shrimp threaded on small j-hook. Sheephead aren't real picky. If they don't hit the shrimp they aren't there. We catch full limits every outing on shrimp at the POC jetties, beginning in december. I suspect Galveston wouldn't be to much diferent. Last weekend I saw a bunch of sheephead still on the flats in 2' of water.

i used to catch them consistently in the kemah clear lake channel havnt really targeted them last few years but i did see some guys catch a few last week

hey everyothernamewastaken, where or when do you fish kema area? i go there about every other day during the week,


he igotsnagged, im thesame i have hooked up with a sheephead in about a year also

Goin down to freeport/SLP to see if I can catch me some sheepies along with flounder. Alot less pressure than seawolf and better places to wade in my opinion.

Not Galvez or Freeport.....But I was at Sabine today fiahing
at Intergy output We caught several Sheephead (LARGE ONES)
along with about 50 to 60 rat reds ..The two of us caught
5 keeper reds 20" to 27" Great day of catching Cool air
Hot fishing

Where at sabine were you catching sheepsheads cityslicker? I am not very familiar with that area. Thanks

We put in at Rainbow bridge (Hwy73) Go left at Neches River
Going up river you will come to power lines Follow lines to right
and stay in line with crab trap floats all the way to power plant. We tied up to barrier in middle of canal. We used dead shrimp. Hope this helps...

Thanks Cityslicker

get a flat head shovel and attach it to a pole...use this to scrape the barnacles off bridge pilings in like 8ft of water...save some of the old oyster rock and use some of the oysters and small crabs and shrimp from the rock as bait...this is the best way from my experience to catch the biggest sheepshead...and sometimes nice drum and spadefish.

Yea, I've tried that before with mild success. However you're right about the spadefish, if they're anywhere near the area you are fishing, then they get to the bait before any other fish. And inshore spadefish are really small. I wish they got as big as the one's you catch offshore! They'd put up a heck of a fight on light tackle.