Sheepshead Season Tips for Bridge Pilings

Sheepshead season is heating up around bridge pilings and jetties. These striped fish offer excellent table fare and a fun fight on light tackle.

Here’s a quick rundown for targeting them this month.

Best Bait

Fiddler crabs top the list. Find them in salt marshes during low tide. Sand fleas work well too, especially around sandy structure.

Fresh shrimp catches fish but draws more bait stealers. Oyster crabs picked from clusters are underrated.

Rigging Up

Use a small J-hook, size 1 or 1/0. Sheepshead have crushing teeth designed for shellfish – they bite carefully.

A short fluorocarbon leader prevents line damage. Drop your bait directly alongside pilings. These fish hold tight to structure.

Setting the Hook

Wait for the tap-tap-pull. Sheepshead peck at bait before committing. A quick hookset on the third tap usually connects.

Don’t swing too hard – you’ll pull the hook right out of their tough mouths.