Brian Summerlin, of Princess Anne, caught the 16. Had 4 dozen fiddlers on Sunday and went through every. Jig head weight varies based on depth and current, but a 1/8- to 1/4-ounce generally fits the sheepshead zone, while you may need to go as big as 1/2 for a stronger current. How to Fish for Sheepshead. bullet weight and a 1/0 octopus inline hook. For the new angler, fishing for Sheepshead can be a good place to start. As the. We love the simplicity of this recipe with salt, pepper and a compound garlic butter to finish it off. Moreover, the hook would have to be smaller to fit perfectly in the fish's small mouth. Normally, circle hooks are great for most species, but they don’t work as well for sheepshead, as you need to be able to set the hook in a mouth teeming with teeth. Elvira Bowen. Hook Strength: 1X strong. 6 kg) (35 cm). No hook set is required. Flip the baited hook into this area and allow it to be carried about by the current. jig and Eagle Claw bait holder are recommended. SMALL. Sheepshead have strong jaws, so setting the hook firmly is essential. For jigs, use a short shank style hook with just enough weight to keep your bait down in the current. When in doubt, go smaller on the hooks. The general consensus seems to be a 1/0 or 2/0 semi-circle or sheepshead hook. Bait for sheepshead is shrimp, but fiddler crabs, cracked blue crab, and gold spoons also work. You will get some perfect hook ups in the corner of the mouth and also some catches in the roof that can hold till you get the net under them. If one hook gets broken off, you still have another left. A size 3/0 or 4/0 Owner all-purpose cutting edge hook works great with this rig. The jig head should have a wide gap with a sharp and stout hook. Hook the shrimp through the head when casting or trolling. To tie this rig, first tie your leader to your hook using your favorite snug knot (I use a fisherman’s knot). Oysters and clams. How to fish bridges for sheepshead. Finely shred cabbage, carrot and cucumber. No matter which bait you choose you will need to fish right next to the pilings or structure. That first day was all the proof I needed to realize the size of some of the Sheepshead that roam the Offshore Reefs in Coastal Georgia. Fish Finder Rig: 5/0 Circle Hook, 18″ Steel Leader #40 Lb. Sheepshead are marked by 4 or 6 vertical dark bars (stripes) on their sides. Sheepshead are one of the most recognized fish in the ocean. Move your rod accordingly to guide the fish away from the structure or debris in the vicinity. Some anglers chum the area with crushed oysters or crabs before fishing. 99 $ 9 . Their good vision is also a reason for using fluorocarbon leaders in the 10-15lb class, to further reduce the gear's profile in the water. There are two styles of hook commonly used for hooking sand fleas: Pompano fishermen favor the Kahle hook, which features a wide, round bend that aims the hook point back toward the middle of the hook shaft. A standard rod and reel loaded with 12 to 20 pound test line will do when sheepshead fishing. The movement of the hook presents the bait naturally to the sheepshead and usually ends up in more frequent hookups. 850-487-0554. Carefully cast it. I’m just going to tell you what you really need to know. Believe it or not, sheepshead can actually bite through the light wire hooks sometimes used for inshore. Using small, strong hooks and smaller shrimp or shrimp pieces greatly increases the hook up ratio. Bait for sheepshead is shrimp, but fiddler crabs, cracked blue crab, and gold spoons also work. The two hooks I prefer are both Owner’s the Gorilla Light or. mono or fluro leader is good. He managed to land a 26. 25 pounds. EP 182: How To Catch Sheepshead On Fake Crabs!!! 30. A light wire, ultra sharp circle hook should be placed at the bottom of a 12-16″ 20lb fluorocarbon leader. * Sheepshead have small mouth so select a small, sharp hook. The first is a Carolina rig with an egg sinker, a barrel swivel, a 12 to 18-inch leader of fluorocarbon, and a 3/0 hook with a live fiddler crab. "A well-tied sheepshead rig can be the difference between a great day of fishing and going home empty-handed. Fishing Information for Panama City, Destin, Navarre and Northwest Florida. Uncommon - this species is more common south of Delaware. The best way to catch sheepshead recreationally is to use hook and line tackle, and this species is also becoming more popular to spear fishermen. The best hooks for sheepshead fishing should be strong, sharp, and durable. Circle hooks ranging in size from #2-2/0 work well with #1-1/0 being the best choices. Sheepshead are powerful and love to fight on their side and use currents to their advantage with their wide bodies grabbing a lot of water, making a six-pound fish feel like they are 12 pounds. How to Fish for Sheepshead with a Light Wire Circle Hook. A size 3/0 to 5/0 should do the trick. Fiddlers are a great size to be used whole. Small hooks, such as a #1 to #2 hook size, are ideal, preventing the fish from stealing bait off the hook. Because of the structure of a sheepshead mouth and all the molars you will need a very small J hook. Sheepshead will often inhale short-shank hooks, and then those rugged teeth. Believe it or not, sheepshead can actually bite through the light wire hooks sometimes used for inshore trout fishing. #10 - #12. A simple seasoning and ten minutes on the grill is all you need Your fish will be ready so quickly you will feel spoiled. January. 2. 37. As a general guideline, #6 to #10 hooks work well for smaller steelhead, while #2 to #4 hooks are suitable for larger ones. Or keep your boots clean by purchasing fiddler crabs at a local tackle shop. Hooks . All fishing hooks are given a number based on their size. (A) As used in this article, a day means sunrise on one day to sunrise on the following day. Using a 12-16” 20lb leader place a 1/0 circle hook at the bottom. Fiddler Crabs – Best Bait For Sheepshead. How to Fish for Sheepshead using Circle Hooks. When rigging fiddler crabs on hooks, I always use the bottom sweeper style. By using cut bait instead of shrimp. T hrough the past seven years, Sheepshead has become a popular game fish being targeted in the Lowcountry, and the fever for catching these fish has spread to other locations. Terry Frankford. What size hook is bigger 4 or 6? The tricky part here is that unlike the ought sizes where the larger the number, the. My rig of choice is a dropper loop about 10” to 16” above a 2-6 ounce sinker. Normally, circle hooks are great for most species, but they don’t work as well for sheepshead, as you need to be able to set the hook in a mouth teeming with teeth. Make the leader about 30 inches long and tie the hook directly to the leader but use a single swivel between the leader and reel line. The barb of the hook will bury itself into the fish’s mouth. Sinker. . 99I prefer Eagle Claw Bronzed baitholder Hooks, available at Wal-Mart in size 1, or 1/0 for larger fish. You would have to start making a curving second cut starting at the initial cut, just over the lateral line at the back. 5 inches (76 cm) and 22 pounds (9. Size, Age, and Growth of a Sheepshead. Cudnik snells the hook to 25 inches of 50-pound fluorocarbon tied to a small, 230-pound-test swivel. Best Bait For Sheepshead. Sheepshead are also known to stay suspended and even just under the surface near the pilings. The hook point should be pointing the same direction as the barb on the shrimps head. These tiny rocky structures, just millimetres in size, are called otoliths, or ear stones. The assembly of this rig is simple and you need only a few pieces of gear. I like to use about 18 inches with about a ¾ to ¼ ounce weight, depending on the current, to keep the line tight. 50Pcs Fishing Hooks 90 Degree Aberdeen Jig Fishing Accessories Fishing Fly Hooks Shank Bent Saltwater Carbon Steel Fish Hook Jig Head Hook(Size 1) 5. Lastly, the hookup sheepshead jig mold can be fished with virtually any soft plastic or using natural baits, live dead or cut. Bass: size 5 through 4/0 Catfish: size 2 through 6/0 Bullheads: size 7 through 1 Carp: size 3 through 1 Fishing hooks range in size from #32 (smallest) to 20/0 (largest). Sheepshead can also live as long as 20 years which makes more sense for the giant maximum size of this fish. Gear Requirements: Legal Gear: hook and line, cast net, seine, spear or gig; Illegal Gear: Harvest prohibited by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead natural bait; Snatching prohibited. The sheepshead knows this, so they tend to hunt in these areas. The average size for adults is between 10 and 20 inches in length, and around 3 to 4 pounds in weight. The hook size chart below encompasses. You’ll also need your choice of. To bleed them, all you need to do is cut the artery that runs along the bottom of the area between their gills. Best Hook Size For Sheepshead . A size 3/0 to 5/0 should do the trick. a 12 to 18-inch leader of fluorocarbon, and a 3/0 hook with a live fiddler crab. Size 1/0 to 3/0 short-shank, 2X-strong hooks are preferred. braided line. Convict fish and black drums will be attracted to sections of huge blue crabs or full fiddler crabs on a hook under a popping cork. When it comes to hooks, you can use anything from No. They have small mouths with teeth that look almost human and small hooks are. Hooks . To catch fiddler crabs, you can rummage around a local tidal marsh with a bucket and a quick hand. Sheepshead fishing in Florida has become almost a way of life. 38:19 – How to cook sheepshead. There is no bait too big for flatheads. What size hooks are best for snapper? The best hook size for mangrove snapper and sheepshead is a #1 J hook or a 1/0 circle hook. The hook size chart below encompasses everything I’ve. Take the hook, a size 1 long shank version being ideal, and simply hook it lightly through the back of its body and out through the shell. Size 6 to 8 hooks will work. The j hook will slide off the hard palate most of the time. Pyramid Sinker. Size limit is 12 inches, and bag limit is 8 fish per angler. 1 to No. Sheepshead fishermen prefer to use a long-shafted hook, typically about. Sheepshead must be larger than 12" - measured from the tip. saltyfishin95 Discussion starter. The knocker rig is similar to the Carolina rig. The weight of the split shots depends on the depth and current you’re fishing. Circle Hooks: Do circle hooks work on sheepsheadMany kinds of hooks would work perfect for catching Sheepshead. By Bao Nuo October 31, 2023 October 31, 2023 Reading Time: 17 minutes “A well-tied sheepshead rig can be. A two to four ounce sinker should be enough and hook size will often be determined by the mouth of the fish you chase. Gear Requirements: Legal Gear: hook and line, cast net, seine, spear or gig What type of hook is best for sheepshead? Sheepshead: The best sheepshead hook is an octopus hook The smaller, the better when it goes to get a hook up in the sheepshead’s mouth; we recommend a 1/0 or 2/0 octopus sheepshead hook. Many anglers only target sheepshead when fishing. Now you'll want to deep fry each piece of sheepshead filet. Male Fiddler Crab. I’ll use anything from 8″ up to 18″ sheepshead on 8/0 circle hooks. 5873 Views 10 Replies 7 Participants Last post by servo765, Feb 12, 2014 Jump to Latest prelude13 Discussion starter. Species Weight Length (inches) Date Caught Place Caught. Cons: It takes a long time to tie. The overall size of the mouth for this species of fish is rather small. What is the best hook for sheepshead? The best sheepshead hook is an octopus hook The smaller, the better when it goes to get a hook up in the sheepshead’s mouth; we recommend a 1/0 or 2/0 octopus sheepshead hook. What size hooks for sheepshead? Sheepshead: Because of the structure of a sheepshead mouth and all the molars you will need a very small J hook. How to Catch Sheepshead At Night: Do Sheepshead Bite At Night? Sheepshead Fishing Rig: Best Fishing Rig For Sheepshead [4 Best]What Size Hook For Trout: Best Hooks (Sizes) For Trout Fishing 2022; Best Backpacking Fishing Rod 2022: Best Collapsible Fishing Rod For Backpacking;. These Sheepshead Jigs are offered in a wide variety of weight options. Fishing Tips; Contact Us; Fishing Tips. The sheepshead has a maximum known lifespan of at least 20 years, with maturity normally occurring at 2 years of age. This rig is made up of two loop knots, one for the weight and one for the hook. Hooks should be small because sheepshead have relatively small mouths. Rebel makes some of the best trout lures out on the market and have been making responsible barbless lures for years. 6-7 wt – These two sizes are perfect for streamer fishing. You also do not want a light wire hook, as sheepshead can literally. Daily Bag Limit: 8 per person. My favorite rig to throw live or cut bait on is a Cobia Fish Finder Rig/Carolina rig. Knocker Rig. Some anglers prefer circle hooks as well; a #3/0 circle hook is a good all round size. This lightweight hook lets the shrimp swim freely. This will ensure you get the cleanest fillets and kill the fish quickly and humanely. The two hooks I prefer are both Owner’s the Gorilla Light or the Flyliner Live Bait hooks in size 1, 2 and 4 If you are looking for actual size i would say no bigger than a dime and a little smaller. Hook. Open Year Round. Purchasing a best hooks for sheepshead fishing is not always simple. Constant pressure is the ticket. “To me they are the saltwater equivalent of a smallmouth bass,” he shared. This is one of the most effective ways of rounding up large colonies of fiddler crabs. Summerlin was targeting sheepshead using soft crab rigged on a sliding sinker “fishfinder rig” with an 8/0 circle hook, and a spinning rod with 60-pound braid and a 60-pound fluorocarbon leader. The most important of all attributes is the hook’s sharpness. JSHANMEI 7384 Octopus Circle Fishing Hooks. Drop straight down, reel up three cranks. Clams and oysters are both great for catching Sheepshead. What Size Hook For Trout: Best Hooks (Sizes) For Trout Fishing 2022; Best Backpacking Fishing Rod 2022: Best Collapsible Fishing Rod For Backpacking;. Other fish look similar and can be confused with Sheepshead. I like the 2/0 Owner Mosquito hooks when targeting sheepshead. Another item is to cover the hook with the bait so the sheepshead can not see it. They are good eating and are not regulated. For instance, a bridge near a pass or inlet may be in 20 feet of water and have a lot of current, whereas a dock in a residential canal may be in six feet of water and have very little current. Regulations. The same principle applies with other characteristics so you can have 1X fine, 1x heavy, 1x short and so on. Male Fiddler Crab. They have a long, cylindrical body shape and even can have stripes, but the stripes are. Have caught 5 sheepshead in two trips, but have lost NUMEROUS amounts of them. “The new, single hook is both sharp and strong and will hold much bigger fish than. Hook Size for Sheepshead. . They'll eventually grow three rows of stubby, flat teeth in their upper jaw and two rows lining their lower jaw. Soft baits for Sheepshead. One of the best times to use this method is to have sighted sheep in and around pylons or on oyster shells . This type of hook is fine for catching an average fish, but when it comes to a sheepshead fish – it’s not strong enough. How to Catch Sheepshead At Night: Do Sheepshead Bite At Night? Sheepshead Fishing Rig: Best Fishing Rig For Sheepshead [4 Best]Here is a list of the Florida saltwater fish size limits for over 50 of the popular game fish and a rundown of saltwater fishing regulations. The smaller the better when it comes to octopus hooks and sheepshead, so try one in a size of 1/0 or 2/0 for best results. Use 1/0 or 2/0 Stand-out drop shot hooks (I use 2 about 12” apart) and a 1/2 to 3 oz. Put the hook in through one of the legs and out through the body. Young black drum eat many of the same foods as the sheeps-head, but are a much less successful thief (suc-cess being the ability to encounter a hook baited with a fiddler crab or shrimp, stealing the bait, and escaping capture). Above the leader place a swivel and just enough weight to hold its place in the current that is being fished. Small crankbaits are also inviting to Sheepshead as they make movement and sounds. The hook type and size will change with your style of fishing and individual needs, but for all-purpose inshore fishing you will find that a 1/0 kahle hook will serve your needs well. Sheepshead fish bite during cold Gulf of Mexico waters, attracting nearshore and offshore rocks. 4-12 hour fishing trips for family and friends. The two hooks I prefer are both Owner’s the Gorilla Light or the Flyliner Live Bait. 12" minimum size limit; no closed season; 15 per person per day limit General Information. The fish usually grows 10-20 inches long. Although sheepshead are found all along the eastern US and South American Atlantic coastline, they particularly like the Gulf waters around Florida. Begin with a two-foot piece of 80-pound test monofilament line and tie a Mustad # 3467 hook, size 4 or 6, to one end. Sheepshead are marked by 4 or 6 vertical dark bars (stripes) on their sides. Step 2: Tie a #1 octopus hook to the end of your leader. Capt. A good size of hook for bass will usually be around 1/0 or 2/0 However, you can use smaller and larger hooks depending on the type of lure you want to use and your presentation. Using a 12-16” 20lb leader place a 1/0 circle hook at the bottom. The hook has to be strong or you’ll end up being disappointed after setting the hook. 1 size for most of my fish. A chunk the size of an adult males thumb tip is perfect size and will lead to many strikes. I would rather have my line break than have my hooks bend out. Crankbaits. But you’ll also need to set the hook in the most effective manner possible. 1 or No. However, the tip of the hook is at the same angle as the eye, so that even if you tie a knot directly to the eye, it will still effectively hook into a fish. Sheephead have a bunch of teeth, crushers, and a leathery mouth and lips, so sinking a hook requires considerable force, especially when fishing deeper than 100 feet. Generally, though, anglers will deal with lots of smaller sheepshead before they tie into a keeper fish, which must be a minimum of 12 inches. Remember how sheepshead and black drum feed: they use their teeth to crunch on barnacles and oysters. Daily Bag Limit: 8. Here is a hook and bead size chart for hooks sizes, bead sizes, and cone sizes. A size 1 to 2/O hook short shank should do the job. They have prominent teeth with incisors, molars and rounded grinders that enable them to crush shellfish and sea urchins. If you target sheepshead, then you need to have this rig in your arsenal. fish reaches a larger adult size. As far as size goes, the dime to nickel-sized fiddler crabs are best. LinkBack. #3. A larger hook size can be used for larger worms, while a smaller one can be used for finesse fishing techniques. Season: Open year-round. If you take a huge clump of Clam out of its shell and put it on a hook, this does not mean you are guaranteed a big Sheepshead. Illegal Gear: Harvest prohibited by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead natural. Minimum Size Limit: 12" total length. ”. DO you rig the hooks like tog fishing, and what size hook do you use? Is. The key is to stay small, as the mouth of a sheepshead is very small for its size. Many times this will allow for the sheepshead to hook itself before the angler has to set the hook. What kind of hook should I use for sheepshead? I was told "the small the better" by the tackle shop; I read "small circle hook" on line; I read "Mutu light 1/0" on one of Florida fishing magazine two days ago. CitationsThe best hook size for steelhead and my go-to size for steelhead hooks is size 8 or size 10 in most water clarity. Two hooks also allow you to test two different baits to see what the fish are eating. Hook Size Chart. Use the Owner’s Mutu Light Circle hook (2/0 size) for the best results. Size, Age, and Growth of a Sheepshead. Note: Don’t forget to subscribe to the Salt Strong podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify and leave us a review! Click here to join the Salt Strong Insider Club. Gigging Sheepshead at Night. These are a great choice when targeting sheepshead as it gets the bait to the bottom and the way it’s weighted is designed to keep the hook upright – which will increase your. Gamakatsu octopus hooks size #2 or #1 work well but keep in mind that the #1 hook is a thinner wire hook and on larger sheepshead and drum, you could risk bending the hook. What is a Sheepshead FishThe best hook size for mangrove snapper and sheepshead is a #1 J hook or a 1/0 circle hook Smaller hook sizes are a must for catching excellent bait stealers with small mouths like mangrove snappers and sheepshead. HOW TO COOK SHEEPSHEAD (THE SIMPLE. As for croaker fishing rigs, Jeff likes to use a two-hook rig with size 6 or 8 hooks. For “smaller” treble hooks, this range will be from 20 to 1, with the size 20 hook being the smallest and the size 1 hook being the largest. Furthermore, we try to keep these flies streamline, simple, and. 5-inch sheepshead that weighed an outstanding 15. Medium shank length, offset, easily inhaled by even a small sheepie. This method works great fooling the sheepshead,the hook is buried in the head of the shrimp, just make sure the shrimp is small. Here’s a list of materials you’ll need for this rig: A hook. I’ve been using 30 lb mono (get it from Amazon here). He’s picky about the size he uses for bait, so he catches his own. How to Build a Sheepshead Rig: A Comprehensive Guide. The two hooks I prefer are both Owner’s the Gorilla Light or the Flyliner Live Bait hooks in size 1, 2 and 4 If you are looking for actual size i would say no bigger than a dime and a little smaller. , 8 MM Dia. “I prefer small blue crabs 3 to 5 inches across the shell and rig them on 3/0 to 7/0 circle hooks with 3 to 4 feet of 30- to 40. 7. 6 kg) (35 cm). Using hooks that are too large can be too big actually to fit in their mouths. 80. The last step is to tie the hook on with a sturdy knot. They can get up past 10 lbs. As the shad here grow through the year we continually upsize our hooks. They are essentially jigs where the lead is fla. 5 inches (76 cm) and 22 pounds (9. When considering hooks for sheepshead, think smaller, not larger. Photograph by Nick SimoniteAt times, Oregon Inlet can provide some of the best Sheepshead fishing and then there are times the bite absolutely sucks. A hook. Drum (Sheepshead) 35 lbs. So, if you can obtain them, that’s what you should usually try first. Uncommon - this. Sheepshead do not have any barbels on their lower jaw like their cousins the black drum. Contact for Commercial Fisheries. The Star Plasma II Inshore Rods and Star Seagis Inshore rods are two of. Using small hooks is essential to stop Sheepshead from stealing your bait right off the hook. Hook size can be confusing because there is no industry standard for, say, a size 4 Mustad and a size 4 Eagle Claw. Anything coming over to eat the crab has to bite down over the entire jig. Attach the elbows to your poles, cut out holes in the bin, and start catching. Hooks . BottomFishing 101 tells us that using the lightest weight possible to hold a bait on or near bottom while keeping that weight away from the hook is paramount in. Small hooks, small fresh dead shrimp for croakers and whiting; Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 Last. Convict fish and black drums will be attracted to sections of huge blue crabs or full fiddler crabs on a hook under a popping cork. A 1/8th oz. A second fish that somewhat looks like a sheepshead is the Atlantic spadefish. How To Hook The Shrimp. Fresh from Florida. Another thing to keep in mind with these baits is that fresh is best. 16 inches. of 28 degrees N. Add to quote; Share Only show this user. Go 20 to 25 inches away from the weight up. However, using a #1 size hook is sage if you use larger bait, such as a large minnow. Thought it appropriate to make a video Saturday of how i prepare my Sheepshead cut bait for flathead catfish. Package Sizes: 10, 25, 50 and 100 Hooks. Cons: It takes a long time. Put them on ice immediately, keep just the smaller and medium-size ones and fry them up fresh. You also do not want a light wire hook, as sheepshead can literally. Sheephead fish have a limited range primarily in the southern half of California and Northern Baja. As juveniles, they eat any soft-bodied animals they can find and a variety of small, shelled. sizes 2 – 2/0 hook; OBX Sheepshead Basic Rigs. Look for any soft bait that imitates a Sheepsheads natural diet, such as crabs and small. Many fishermen like to hook their shrimp through the head. But the rewards are fine table fare, mainly because of their diet of. The best hook size for Sheepshead is a #1 to #2, which is about ½ inch in diameter. Get our octopus hook today and start catching more sheepshead with the. Above the leader place a egg sinker just large enough to hold bottom against the current. The 3 most important attributes of the hook is strength, size and sharpness. Larger sheepshead ate mollusks, crustaceans (crabs, etc), bottom worms and quite a bit of fish, mostly anchovies. The sheepshead fish is a deep-bodied, marine fish with sharp dorsal spines. It also helps weed out the small ones. Carolina rig: one-ounce egg sinker on running line tied to swivel; 12- to 18-inch, 40-pound leader running from swivel to hook;. The Sheepshead are notoriously skittish, so stealth is required to get close enough to make a good cast. Of course, if you are using crab an exposed hook is not much of a concern because it looks like another leg sticking out. Tautog. 1 or 2 hook is used because a sheepshead can bite through light wire hooks. How To Target BIG Sheepshead. slip egg sinker 3' above the hook. These hooks are as sharp as they come and feature the opti-angled needlepoint tip. A live bait hook, aberdeen hook or octopus hook have long shanks that are a great fit for live worms. Gamakatsu B10S, Size 2-8 saltwater hook Black size "A" rod wrapping thread (280 denier) Lead dumbbell eyes, sized to match hook, black Died olive barred hackle Black Mohair yarnHow to Catch a Sheepshead Fishing Florida (The Complete Guide) The best way to catch sheepshead is to target them around any underwater structure that has barnacles on it with a #2 sized J hook and a small piece of shrimp and a light 8 to 10 pound fluorocarbon leader. Sheepshead ( Archosargus probatocephalus), of the family Sparidae, is an excellent food fish that ranges from Nova Scotia, Canada, to Brazil in mainland coastal waters, rivers and freshwater springs. The proper sinker size for Sheepshead ranges from ¼ ounce to 3 ounces depending on the depth being. Other circular style hooks can work equally well. Finding Sheepshead. Light wire does less damage to the fiddlers. Dubiel’s VMC weighted hooks range from 1⁄16- to ¼-ounce. It’s also one of the places some of larger ones are landed, with fish 14 to 17 inches not unusual. When using Cut bait, I find size matters. 5oz, Pearl White) Our standup style jig head is the standard in sheepshead fishing!It’s difficult to feel the bites and set a hook in the small mouth of a sheepshead. Bank sinker. These smaller circle hooks allow for the smaller mouthed, sometimes undetectable hitting fish to frequently hook themselves. Smaller hook sizes are a must for catching excellent bait stealers with small mouths like mangrove snappers and sheepshead. 5/32””. Sheepshead utilize nearshore coastal waters, bays, and estuaries. Smaller hook sizes are a must for catching excellent bait stealers with small mouths like mangrove snappers and sheepshead.