30 replies to this topic

[YAWN]

How do I catch one of these punks?

Last year they were jumping like mad all over the spit but you think I could hook one no chance, Pike yeah but not one Sheep head and I really wanna catch one.

Advice Please:

[disspatcher]

Hey Yawn.
I have never caught one on purpose....but when you do hook into one its alot of fun, lots of power!
Im sure someone here will throw some answers our way....

[McLean]

Hey man, I am no pro by any means, but I have had amazing luck at my cottage fishing with a weight on the bottom, with 3/4 feet of line then your hook with a ball of worms, lol. I have caught them on spinners, but basically a mudcat rig works better, find a nice place were its quite, and theirs alot of rocks and cover. They are skiddish fish, and sppok easyily, but travel in schools so if you catch one the chances more are almost a definate. I will post some pics on my personal images of ones I have caught. Hope this helps, and good luck.
Chris

[slimy]

We used to get them when fishing the Bay of Quinte for walleye on opening weekends a few years ago. Usually just drifting with a jig head and a big night crawler or a worm harness. they do fight like crazy, but it sucks when you finally get it to the boat and realize it wasn't a giant walleye....

[MikeyMikey]

How do I catch one of these punks?

Last year they were jumping like mad all over the spit but you think I could hook one no chance, Pike yeah but not one Sheep head and I really wanna catch one.

Advice Please:

Jump like mad all over , eh ?
Is spring the Dogfish's spawn time too ?
Never caught one myself but seeing how you guys say they fight good makes me wonder.

[McLean]

MikeyMikey, If you havent caught one yet, I recommend it. Im sure everyone can relate to one time or another setting the hook on somthing that felt really solid, and finding out it was a sunfish or somthing that just was swimming sideways. Well these sheephead are no different, they swim sideways and can have some pretty powerful runs, My wife caught her first one down at my cottage and after getting it in the boat it started grunting, like a big catfish would, wierd? She freaked and said she was'nt going to touch it ect,. Luckly every fish after that was walleye so we had a good afternoon. But I suggest to anyone who has yet to catch one its worth it, just dont get your hopes up when you think its a giant walleye or something and find out the 20min fight was for a sheephead.
O and FYI, if your in a boat and pull them in, the SH%$ all over sometimes,lol.
Chris

[ght]

ive caught a few before around georgian bay area on spinner baits and yes they are a pound for pound monster

[longsilver]

Does anyone have any pictures of these beasts?

[McLean]

Ya i'll add some pics of the one's I've caught, most are small. But their are some lunkers I have gotten 7lbs and up that fight lke a 12lb fish easy. Check my Album for pics
Chris

[kennyhman]

hmm.. seems like sheephead are really fun to catch. Where can you catch these monsters anyway?

[McLean]

I think almost anywere, I catch them all the time back home, fishing Bay of Quinte Waters. And I live in Burlington now and have caught a few at Lasalle Marina, just off Old Lakeshore Rd. The are similar to walleye in the fact that most times they swim in packs. I have been told that if your fishing walleye and you catch one to move to another spot, because they usually spook the walleye when feeding. Not sure if this is true, but for the most part if I was trolling and caught one, I never caught a walleye in the same area.
Chris

[ght]

they are one ugly fish thats for sure.

[MikeyMikey]

they are one ugly fish thats for sure.

Looks good to me...

Better looking than Suckers or catfish!

[peebles]

My friend caught one in the South River last year (near North Bay). We had no idea what it was, but it did fight like hell.

Are they good eating? We assumed that the might not be..

[McLean]

I wouldnt eat one if you paid me, I have heard of people eating them, or trying to and I guess their terrible. Anything out of Lake Ontario, or anywere around here I dont eat. I know MNR says that one or two fish wont hirt you but It just grosses me out thinking about whats in the lake. I know that for the most part Sheephead are scavengers feeding on anything, and they have the mouth of a carp which seems to be for bottom feeding. I was once told by an old native man that behind the eye of a sheephead, were its temple would be located is a stone that very closeley resembles a Pearl. He showed me a couple he had and the colours very'd from white to the shiny colours found on a clam/muscle shell you find on the shore thats been opened. They are pretty neat but I woulnt go killing a fish for a rock like stone, instead just research them on the net to see them and catch the fish another day.
As for the eating, lol you let me know how that works out....
Chris

[kennyhman]

I wouldnt eat one if you paid me, I have heard of people eating them, or trying to and I guess their terrible. Anything out of Lake Ontario, or anywere around here I dont eat. I know MNR says that one or two fish wont hirt you but It just grosses me out thinking about whats in the lake. I know that for the most part Sheephead are scavengers feeding on anything, and they have the mouth of a carp which seems to be for bottom feeding. I was once told by an old native man that behind the eye of a sheephead, were its temple would be located is a stone that very closeley resembles a Pearl. He showed me a couple he had and the colours very'd from white to the shiny colours found on a clam/muscle shell you find on the shore thats been opened. They are pretty neat but I woulnt go killing a fish for a rock like stone, instead just research them on the net to see them and catch the fish another day.
As for the eating, lol you let me know how that works out....
Chris

i couldn't agree more lol. anything out of the lakes are just plain nasty to be eaten.

[MikeyMikey]

you mean I shouldn't eat the BIGGEST, DARKEST spawned out salmon from Lake Ontario ???

[Barrakkuda]

..maybe very difficult to distinguish from walleye or pike...however they are like suckers in havinga downward pointing mouth and do feed off the bottom(not garbage -IIRC mollusks,small fish,insects etc)-good fighters and easily caught with worms and bobbers-the canal area between Coote's Paradise and LakeOntario(under the RBG bridge is a magnetic for sheepshead-one time my buddy and I caught well over 20 in less then 30 minutes-using slip-bobbers and a nightcrawler on a single bait-holder style hook-Other people were trying to get them with Mepps or plugs -no luck.Ended up giving them to a boy and his family who wanted then all!! I ,for one would rather eat other fish being so spoiled for choices in Ontario but coming from a clean body of water-sheepshead isn't so bad!!

[McLean]

Hey I've heard tons of storys about Coote's Paridise, I was wondering if anyone has done any pike/trout fishing their? And If I am in burlington, how exactly do i get their? I found a website that shows it as a very large place, and I dont know were the best places to go fishing, or even were this bridge is located that Barrakkuda is talking about. If anyone has any stories or advice please help me out. I hear their is some channel Cats their, and I would love to get into one of those this year, I used to catch 20+ at an old quarry back home outside Belleville ON, it was amazing you get their throw your line in with some day old chicken livers, light a cigarette and by the time you were done you just set the hook. I have yet to catch any down here, but I have caught some big mudcat at RBG, just off plains rd going toward hamilton. Thnx in advance
Chris

[Barrakkuda]

the 403 and the Lakeshore(Its been some years since I lived in Hamilton (so forgive me if I'm a little fuzzy on road names-can show you immediately if i were there) .you can see easily the road that leads to the much larger Coote's Paradise and the road leading directly under the bridge and you can see Pier 4 and Hamilton Harbour.Carp in abundance ,catfish,bass,pike perch and if your lucky-rainbow and brown trout.Much better now angling wise,then before as Pier 4 has good weedbeds,and has been cleaned-up considreably although I do not eat any fish from Hamilton Harbour or Coote's Paradise and local area.Have fun.