This post covers some of the best rigs for year-round sheepshead fishing in North East Florida. Many people do not have problems catching convicts but everyone does it differently and there is always a …
Joey Nania from Sweetwater TV talks with us on Fishing, Traveling, & Fun at Camp Mack
4 Mar 202011:29 AM
Hey Fishing Friends & Angling Addicts! 🎣
Clayton Keene (Tonya Keene) and I had the chance to sit down with Joey Nania from Sweetwater Fishing TV and have a chat after my Kids Fishing Clinic at Camp Mack, a Guy Harvey Lodge, Marina & RV Resort!
Thank you so much Mr Joey for taking the time to help introduce kids to the love of fishing and we hope to have you back really soon!
Pro team Member
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![](mailto:?subject=Capturing Convicts: Sheepshead Rigs & Tips&body=This post covers some of the best rigs for year-round sheepshead fishing in North East Florida. Many people do not have problems catching convicts but everyone does it differently and there is always a new way to learn. They are great tasting, fun to catch, and a good option when the weather is poor and Redfishing is slow or your clients are die-hard bass fishermen that “set the hook” a little too much. If you would like to learn more about catching sheepshead or have a special way that you do it, drop a comment at the bottom.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Live-well.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-5255" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Live-well-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a>
The Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) are chewing right now in St. Augustine. With even some of the most novice anglers racking up double digits in a weekend, there are no secrets on how to catch them. Everyone does it a little differently even though most anglers say they do it the “right way.” Here is a little bit about what has been successful for me sheepshead fishing around St. Augustine for many years.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/SheepsheadBoy.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-5256" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/SheepsheadBoy-300x295.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="295" /></a>Photo courtesy of Florida Memory “Sheepshead boy” Note: Not me…
I mainly use three different techniques for capturing convicts. The most common way is with a slip sinker rig, next is with a jig head, and last is with a speargun or gig. Usually the most successful days come from using the traditional slip sinker rig but I have racked up some serious meat with the speargun.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_9946.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-5257" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_9946-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>Mustad O’Shaughnessy live bait hook Extra Short 1/0 or 2/0
These are great hooks for tucking a fiddler crab or two on. Occasionally, I’ll use a double strength version of these hooks that is even better for fishing the nearshore wrecks and other deep water.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Hook.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-5258" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Hook-300x189.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="189" /></a>
Hooks are some of the most important choices in fishing.. obviously. These hooks have rarely failed me on all kinds of fish including on sheepshead.
Leader: Following is a six to eight-inch section of 20 pound monofilament leader tied using Uni-Knots directly to the hook and swivel. Swivel strength is always a bit heavier than the heaviest line I might use.
Weight selection: I use the lightest weight I can to get to the bottom. A 1/2oz to 3oz weight. Anything heavier than 3oz will make it hard to feel the sheepsheads bite and react before they are gone.
Rod & Reel: A bait caster reel thrives when fishing for sheepshead. I stick to the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur series. Either the S, C3, or C4 models are great choices depending on budget.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/AbuGarcia.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-5259" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/AbuGarcia-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a>
Choosing the right rod for sheepshead should be based on strength, longevity, and length. A shorter rod with more back bone will help you tremendously when wrenching that convict out of the pilings. Save your money on buying super high-end fishing rods while sheepshead fishing because if you go enough, you will break a tip, bust an eye, or scratch it up on the barnacles around pilings.
Shoreline / Shell bottom fishing for Sheepshead
This is a very fun way to get into the convicts. Sometimes they are really chewing on the shell banks and other rock bottoms around this area. The traditional sheepshead rig will not be very effective in this situation because you will miss many bites.
Try using a jighead combo on spin tackle with a fiddler crab or shrimp.
Here is how:
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_9938.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-5260" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_9938-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>
An 1/8th oz head with a 2/0 hook is just the right size for keeping a crab on the bottom long enough to get the bite. Following that is about a 2 foot piece of 20lb or 30lb Monofilament tied line to line to the main line using a double Uni-Knot. If you have the crabs to spare, using two fiddlers on one hook with a jighead will catch more fish.
As a disclaimer, you should always adjust your tackle to your fishing conditions regardless of what you are fishing for. Tides, wind, water clarity, and bait all play a factor in line choices and hook sizes. Sometimes Sheepshead are wide open and others they are very picky and need a little bit of encouragement.
Bring a shovel to crush up chum, like oysters, and to scrape barnacles off of pilings. The investment of time collecting a full bucket of chum will go a long way.
Remember to be respectful when fishing around docks and scraping peoples pilings, they paid a lot of money for their docks and sometimes forget that they do not “own” the water underneath it.
Be safe and Catch fish!!
By Guy Harvey Resort Pro Team
Captain Jakob Hardy
<a href="http://www.Fishardy.com">www.Fishardy.com</a>
https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/capturing-convicts-sheepshead-rigs-tips/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Lady Luck to Take A Dive&body=<img class=" size-medium wp-image-3210 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/new_town_creek.jpg?w=300" alt="New_Town_Creek" width="300" height="163" />By Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost staff writer
scocking@guyharveyoutpost.com
A 324-foot ship that once carried sewage sludge for New York City is likely to become the largest artificial reef deliberately sunk in Broward County waters.
The non-profit Shipwreck Park Foundation-- a group of public officials, tourism boosters and local businesses including the Isle Casino--plans to sink the Newtown Creek next spring in about 125 feet of water about a half-mile east of the Pompano Beach Fishing Pier. Pending final approval by New York City officials, the huge steel, multi-deck vessel covered with metal piping built in 1968 will be transferred to the Pompano Beach non-profit to become a haven for fish and scuba divers.
"We're taking a ship that used to be a polluter and turning it into an artificial reef," said Jeff Torode, operator of South Florida Diving Headquarters, a Guy Harvey Outpost outfitter. "All the piping and intricate stuff on it creates so much more habitat than a flat deck. I think it'll be awesome."
But the Newtown Creek won't be deployed as is. It will be stripped of most of its equipment, cleaned of pollutants, drained of fuel and oil --then turned into a mock underwater gambling casino renamed the Lady Luck.
Prominent Pompano Beach artist Dennis MacDonald, who sculpted the Easter Island statues for the Rapa Nui artificial reef put down last summer off Deerfield Beach, is expected to create poker tables, slot machines and fish costumed like croupiers to decorate the main deck. Torode envisions underwater poker tournaments and other unique events staged aboard the Lady Luck.
The ship will join several others already deployed in the area, creating opportunities for multi-wreck drift dives, Torode said.
The Foundation paid about $100,000 for the retired ship and has raised another $525,000 to tow it from New York to a shipyard in Green Cove Springs, FL. to be prepared for sinking. The organization is trying to raise more money to ensure all costs are covered. Torode said the necessary permits have been secured from Broward County.
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Sue Cocking chronicles the Guy Harvey Outpost travel and adventure experience in regular blog posts on GuyHarveyOutpostNews.com/. For 21 years, Cocking covered the full spectrum of outdoors adventure opportunities in South Florida and beyond for the Miami Herald, including fishing, diving, hunting, paddling camping, sailing and powerboat racing. She is a certified scuba diver and holder of an IGFA women's world fly fishing record for a 29-pound permit.
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Share your photos, videos and experiences with Guy Harvey Outpost by hash tagging #OutpostAttitude to all of your social media posts. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/lady-luck-to-take-a-dive/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Bimini Offshore Fishing Forecast&body=<a href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-95" title="Bimini Big Game Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/final-resort-logo.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="159" /></a>
Courtesy of <a title="Coastal Angler Magazine web site" href="http://www.coastalanglermagazine.com" target="_blank">Coastal Angler Magazine</a>
For South Florida residents and visitors, having the beautiful islands of <a title="Bimini - Islands of the Bahamas" href="http://www.bahamas.com/out-islands/bimini" target="_blank">North and South Bimini</a> a mere 50-60 miles away certainly does open up a host of fishing adventures and opportunities!
August and September are typically similar with respect to the fishing conditions, except for the itinerant tropical storm that may impact the northwest <a title="Islands of the Bahamas" href="http://www.bahamas.com/" target="_blank">Bahamas</a>. Conditions are light winds, calm seas and warm water. August was a great month as September is forecast to be the same. Currents have been light and this will contribute to excellent fishing.
Bottom fishing on the reefs should produce grouper and yellow tail snapper along with the usual staples. For those that deep drop, mutton snapper, amberjack, yellow eyes and queens will be bending your rod. Trolling to the north, be prepared for your share of kingfish and mackerel. As we are now turning the corner on the autumn season, do not be surprised to hook a small wahoo or an occasional sail.
Just a quick note to mention that in late summer, fast developing and moving thunderstorms are a distinct possibility so ensure you are prepared and ready for changing weather conditions.
See you in Bimini soon!
Capt. Robbie Smith, Dockmaster
Bimini Big Game Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort & Marina
<a href="mailto:rsmith@biggameclubbimini.com">rsmith@biggameclubbimini.com</a>
242-347-3391 https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/bimini-offshore-fishing-forecast/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Guy Harvey Outpost Outfitter, Ray Rosher, Teaches Kite Fishing at the IGFA&body=Learn from the master, <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/ray-rosher.html">Capt. Ray Rosher</a>. Kite Fishing Techniques is part of the <a href="http://igfa.org/Educate/School-of-Sportfishing.aspx">IGFA's School of Sportfishing </a>series, Tuesday, December 2nd, 7-10pm. Kite Fishing is particularly effective for targeting Sailfish. Ray runs the Miss Britt charter boats out of Monty's Marina in Coconut Grove, Miami FL. He and the Miss Britt team are winners of over 50 billfish tournaments. We are proud that Ray is also one of <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/adventures/fishing.html">Guy Harvey Outpost's Fishing Outfitters</a>.
While kite fishing is famous for catching sailfish it can be used to catch other billfish, tuna, dolphin, kingfish and sharks. The kite adds to the excitement by keeping the bait near the surface where anglers and crew can often see the bite. Kingfish and Spanish mackerel often skyrocket on the bait from below launching like missiles. Hammerheads can be brought close to the boat for a photograph. With practice the kite can be used to bring sailfish within casting distance with a fly rod.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/key-west-winners-2014.png"><img class="wp-image-2415 size-full" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/key-west-winners-2014.png" alt="Key West Winners 2014" width="600" height="400" /></a>Ray Rosher, Miss Britt Key West Winners 2014
The class takes place at the <a href="http://igfa.org/">International Game Fish Association's </a> Headquaters in Dania Beach, FL. Cost per class is $100 USD for IGFA members and $150 USD for non IGFA members. The fee covers the cost of the class, course materials, and tackle used for activities during each class. For more details call Anthony Vedral at 954-924-4254 or e-mail <a href="mailto:avedral@igfa.org?subject=IGFA%20School%20of%20Sportfishing">avedral@igfa.org</a>
For Fishing with Guy Harvey Outpost: <a href="http://www.ghofish.com/" target="_parent">www.ghofish.com</a>
More Information on Guy Harvey Outpost & their great resorts: <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/" target="_parent">http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/</a>
For the Guy Harvey Outpost Blog <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpostnews.com/" target="_parent">www.guyharveyoutpostnews.com</a>
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For Guy Harvey Outpost on YouTube <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/GuyHarveyOutpost" target="_parent">http://www.youtube.com/user/GuyHarveyOutpost</a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/guy-harvey-outpost-outfitter-ray-rosher-teaches-kite-fishing-at-the-igfa/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Bahamas Wahoo Challenge – Day 1&body=Day 1 of the <a title="BWC web site" href="http://bahamaswahoochallenge.com/" target="_blank">Bahamas Wahoo Challenge</a> has come to a close (though the <a title="Big Game Bar & Grill photo album" href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=10405&id=127094040665962" target="_blank">Big Game Bar & Grill</a> will likely be open late into the night!). Capt. Ned Stone sent this report from the <a title="BBGC web site" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com" target="_blank">Big Game Club</a>:
"Most of the anglers began the morning in pants and long sleeves, but were in t-shirts and shorts by mid-day as Friday eventually turned into a typical Bimini afternoon - beautiful and sunny with a brisk breeze.<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hit20that_2606.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-271" title="Day 1's big catch!" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/hit20that_2606.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>
The fleet got off a bit before 0700 - though a few stragglers (who shall remain unnamed) left a bit later, no doubt a result of having too much fun at the party last night! Most of the group ran south and enjoyed the following sea. The fishing was great - <a title="Photos from the Bahamas Wahoo Challenge" href="http://www.facebook.com/BiminiBigGameClub?v=photos#!/album.php?aid=26901&id=127094040665962" target="_blank">check out some photos here</a>. Airborne is in the lead with 106.9 pounds, Shine On is in 2nd with 59.5 and Hit That is in 3rd with 42.2."
More reports and photos tomorrow, so be sure to check in with us here and on our <a title="BBGC on Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/BiminiBigGameClub" target="_blank">Facebook Page</a> and <a title="Guy Harvey Outpost on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/GHOutpost" target="_blank">Twitter feed</a>. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/bahamas-wahoo-challenge-day-1/){kind=link}
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