Mayport Boaters,

We had 20 people attend our first in a series of fishing seminars hosted here at Morningstar Marinas. Jeremy Alvarez from Regardless Fishing Charters was our guest speaker, and we want to thank him for such an informative presentation. For those of you who weren’t able to attend, I wanted to share some of the insights Jeremy offered for jetty and sheepshead fishing.

What You Need:

• Large Landing Net (These fish may be 4-15 lbs. but they have very sharp dorsal spines and their teeth are quite sharp.)
• Jetty Anchor
  o When using this type of anchor you need to “fish” the anchor to ensure it is secure on a rock.
  o These anchors do not necessarily need a chain rode. You can tie your anchor line directly to the anchor, just be sure to use some form of ridged hose to ensure your line won’t chafe on the rocks and oysters. A simple knot on the line after the hose will prevent the hose from riding up the rode.
  o If you do get your anchor stuck, don’t worry. The barbs on jetty anchors are designed to bend. You can tie off the anchor to your cleat, motor forward, and it should bend the barbs enough for you to free the anchor. When you dock, you can bend them back in place. We stock a variety of Jetty anchors at the marina.
• Tackle
  o Casting or spinning rod, 7’ long. You will want to have a relatively light (8-20 lb.) rod to get a good feel for the bottom.
  o Use a 2/0 or 4/0 wide bend hook, and pay close attention to the sharpness of your hooks.
  o 14-16” Leader
  o 0.5 oz lead weight. Use up to 1.5 oz. depending on the current.
  o Use live fiddler crabs for bait. Run the hook through the side of the eye and have it come out by the legs. You want the crab to move around alive when it’s at the bottom of the water. Once the crab is no longer alive, replace it with another live one. It’s up to you whether you keep the claw on or not.
  o When you are using a jig to catch sheepshead, keep it light and use a light spinning rod.

About the Fish:

• 2-4 lbs are very common, 7-10 lbs. are a great size, and the state record is 15 lbs. 2 oz.

Other Advice While Fishing:

• Let’s say you are fishing on the jetties for sheepshead. You have secured your jetty anchor at the bow, it’s a lovely winter day, and you’re on a great sheepshead hole pulling in fish after fish. Grab your heavier fishing rod (with say a 30 lb. test), add a 4/0 circle hook with a ¼ cut of blue crab, and cast it in the sand off the stern of your boat. Keep an eye on that rod but go back to the rods on the bow. That’s a perfect set up for snagging a big red, drum, or even the next record sheepshead.
• They are subtle biting fish. You really have to feel for the bite.
• Best time of the year to catch these fish is October through April.
• Jeremy’s favorite time is the last of the outgoing and the first of the incoming tides, but he agrees you can catch these fish at any time regardless of tides.
• The prime time for catching these fish is when the water is clear. Sheepshead are sight fishers.
• If you are going to keep your fiddler crabs for another day of fishing, it’s best to keep them away from cold weather. Also, if you have a bunch of these crabs in a bucket it’s best to split them up because the ammonia they excrete can be fatal for them. Another good idea is to rinse them off with some clean salt water to minimize ammonia exposure.
• Where to catch them:
  o The Jetties
  o Mill Cove Pilings
  o All the bridges on Heckshire Drive
  o Blount Island Bridges - especially the backside where there isn’t a lot of current
• The best technique for catching these fish is to get your weight down on the bottom, and then softly feel your way 6”-8” off the bottom and slowly bounce it on the bottom. This way you will get a feel for the weight of your line and get an eye for just how much bend there is in your rod with the weight. Then when you feel the rod get heavy, you will know you have a fish.

That’s it for sheepshead and jetty fishing. Be sure to check your email for the next big fishing seminar hosted by Morningstar Marinas.

Happy Fishing!

Jamie Shreeves
General Manager