SHEEPSHEAD FISHING IN MATLACHA, FL 

Yes I know exactly which one your talking about. I wonder if they’re in the same family 🤙🏻🤔

@@FlatsFeverFishing Acanthopagrus butcheri This is the Black Bream Acanthopagrus Australis This is the yellow fin Bream . I have seen a similar fish in Asian waters as well but not sure of the genus . I don’t know the range of the sheepshead in regards to territory or habitat but our Bream can be caught off the ocean beaches / rocks right up to near fresh water in the estuary and everywhere in between but they do prefer snags , pylons and oyster racks . From memory the Australian record was around 5lb and that fish could have been over 25yrs old as they are very slow growing .

Rob 6800 yes it was about 8lsh AM there. I was check with D&D to see if they still have some fiddlers.

D&D bait and tackle I just started working there yesterday stop by we always have live bait 🦀

Haven’t even tried for them this year yet. I went to Sanibel pier a couple times within the last few weeks, and caught some studs out there on crabs. I absolutely love that thing man! It’s perfect for shiners, greenies, pinkish, and shrimp.

It’s a ready good spot in the winter for sheepshead and black drum. Get you some small crabs and free line the pilings

@@FlatsFeverFishing Thanks man. I'm coming from Fort Lauderdale. Do you know a bait shop that sells crabs?

@browardc2428 try “Big boys bait and tackle” on Pine island, or “D &D tackle”

@@FlatsFeverFishing Thanks man I appreciate it. Im going monday to give it a try. It was hard trying to figuring out if I should fish the east coast of Florida or the west coast

Honestly I usually go to dog beach or blind pass in Bonita, if I have time the day before I head out to find the bigger fiddlers along the mangrove edges. But if I did not have time to catch bait the day prior, I will literally just flip rocks along the bridges and use the small mangrove crabs or Barnacle‘s that are underneath. Believe it or not some of my biggest sheepshead have been on a free lined barnacle with a #4 mustad hook. Sheepshead are usually a winter fish, but some years they will stay through spring as well depending on how their spawning session has gone. But you will usually see them thick around the bridges and pilings from late December through mid March.

@@FlatsFeverFishing Much appreciate the reply! I live in IL am retiring and moving to Cape Coral in 2 yrs. I go to Matlacha about 3 times a year, rent a kayak and fish as much as possible. Any education I can get via RU-vid has been a huge help and lets me try different things I've learned the few times I'm actually able to fish in Florida. I've got some Chasebait fiddler crabs that I had planned on trying next time if there weren't fiddlers along the bridge pilings. I'm embarrassed to say this but I never thought about the barnacles....Thanks for helping.

@@RH-qk5lt no need to be embarrassed my friend. Your not a local YET ;) so how would you know. Let’s do this, when ever you do retire or come down for a visit and it is sheepshead season hit me up and I will show a few tricks 🤙🏻

@@FlatsFeverFishing You got a deal. I've got Kayaks and a Sea Hunt. 👍

Sheepshead are around all year round but they spawn Feb-April so just more of them and bigger inshore then normal.

Anchor-Up Pontoon Lovers I usually hit it heavy there during the later winter months. Typically late January-February.

David Balado a few extra hooks and some leader line is well worth it!

FlatsFever Fishing absolutely!!

SplitShot Scott I had a couple good spots near Sanibel, but it’s been posted no trespassing since. Bonita (Dog beach) you can still find some nice ones if you don’t mind catching your bait a day before a trip. Honestly though I try to find thick mangroves and get them that way.

Sounds like your fishing off the bottom with weight. Use little to no weight, scale down on your leader size (use floro) and use live bait. You will start scoring

Same brother!! Gets me so hot when I see people trashing our little slice of paradise! 🤬👎🏻

Tyler McLendon oh yeah!! Chasing them double digit slobs. Once everything settles back to normal we will plan a trip brother 🤙🏻🔥🔥🔥