Spanish Mackerel Sheepshead

Spanish Mackerel
&
Sheepshead
Presented by
Ron Barwick
ron@halfhitch.com
Hosted by
Bob Fowler
bob.fowler@marinemax.com
(850) 708-1317
marinemax.com
treasureislandmarina.net
halfhitch.com
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Spanish Mackerel: Scomberomorous maculatus
Florida Regulations: 12” fork length, Daily Bag Limit per person: 15
Gear Requirements:
Legal Gear: beach or haul seine, cast net, hook and line, spear
Habitat and Fishing Tips:
Spanish mackerel are a pelagic, fast swimming fish that are prevalent throughout Florida’s coastal
waters when water temperatures exceed 70 degrees. To remain in warm water, Spanish mackerel
migrate out of the northern parts of the state in the fall of the year and return in March with the
warming waters. They are frequently found in shallow, clear water over grass beds and along sandy
beaches where they feed on schools of baitfish. Spanish mackerel are aggressive feeders that will
strike a wide variety of natural and artificial baits, so they can be very easy to catch. Many anglers
identify the location of Spanish mackerel by trolling or watching for birds diving on schools of
baitfish, which often indicates that mackerel are forcing the bait to the surface. Angling techniques
include trolling or casting with small shiny spoons, dusters or jigs. Light spinning or bait-casting
tackle with 10 to 15 pound monofilament line is adequate; however, 30 to 60 pound monofilament
leader is required due to the mackerel’s razor sharp teeth.
State Record:
12 lb. caught near Ft. Pierce
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SPANISH MACKEREL
BRONZE OR YELLOW SPOTS BUT NO STRIPES ON THE
SIDES- LACK OF SCALES ON PECTORAL FINS –ANTERIOR
OF FIRST DORSAL FIN IS BLACK AND SECOND DORSAL AND
PECTORAL FINS BLACK TIPPED
KING MACKEREL
SHARP DIP IN THE LATERAL LINE UNDER THE SECOND
DORSAL- SMALL NUMBER OF SPINES IN FIRST DORSAL 14-16YOUNG WILL HAVE SPOTS SIMILAR TO SPANISH-FIRST DORSAL
IS UNIFORMLY BLUE- ANTERIOR THIRD OF FIN IS NEVER
BLACK-PECTRORAL FINS COVERED W/ SMALL SCALES
CERO MACKERELVERY RARE IN THE NORTHERN GULF- DIFFERS BY HAVING
YELLOW SPOTS & YELLOW-ORANGE STREAKS AND A DARK
COLOR LINE RUNNING THE LENGTH OF THE BODY- LATERAL
LINE GRADUALLY CURVES DOWN- PECTORAL FINS
COVERED W/ SMALL SCALES LIKE KING MACKERELANTERIOR THIRD OF FIRST DORAL IS BLACK LIKE SPANISH-
King Mackerel vs. Spanish Mackerel ID
Made Easy
“Lateral line definite drop.
Definite King Mackerel”
Here is a close up
of the dorsal fins.
The two main things to look for are the
lateral lines and the dorsal fins. A
juvenile kingfish's lateral line dips
significantly compared to a Spanish
mackerel. Also the dorsal fin of a juvi
kingfish will be a much lighter color,
more of a gray or white color than the
Spanish, whose fin will be black or very
dark in color.
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Catch From:
• Use a trolling lure from a boat or kayak.
• Use a casting lure from a boat.
• Use casting lures from the jetty or piers.
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Ideal Casting Combo
• 6’ 6” to 7’ 6” Medium Action Rod
• 3000 – 4000 Size Reel
• 10 – 15 lb. clear Monofilament line
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Ideal Trolling Combo
• 6’ 6” – 7’ light Action Conventional Rod
• 20 lb. Conventional Reel
• 20-30 lb. Clear Monofilament Line
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BUBBLE RIG
Clear custom bubble 36”, with 40-60 clear mono, 2” treble hook
and 3” straw over the treble hook
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CASTING SPOONS & PLUGS
• Works great fishing on flats.
• Use gold spoons in tannic
(stained) water & silver in clear
water.
• Rig with 12- 18” 40-60
monofilament leader
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TROLLING LEADERS
• TROLLING WEIGHT W/ 6-20 FT 40LB MONO LEADER.
• PLANER W/ 6-20FT 40LB MONO LEADER
• SHORT WIRE LEADER AT LURE 6-12”
BLACK COATED OR BROWN MULTI STRAND WIRE OR BROWN SINGLE STRAND WIRE.
• USE SHORT 50LB MONO LEADER IF FISHING IS SLOW
• IF USING LEAD USE ONE WITH SWIVELS TO KEEP LINE TWIST
DOWN
• HEAVIEST LINES EQUAL SHORTER DISTANCE OUT – 40 -60
FT.
• LIGHT LINES EQUAL LONGER DISTANCE OUT – 80 – 100 FT.
TROLLING TIPS
• START OUT WITH VARIOUS WEIGHTS
• VARY YOUR SPEED
• CURRENT OR TIDE CHANGES CAUSES CHANGES
IN WHERE AND HOW
• BE CAREFUL WHEN TROLLING IN CHANNELS AS
OTHER BOATS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY
BEST TROLLING LURES
Clark or Squid Spoon
EARLY SEASON USE A 00 SIZE AND AS THE SEASON
PROGRESS, FISH AND THE BAIT FISH THEY ARE FEED
ON WILL GET LARGE SO MOVE TO 0 AND THEN 1 SIZE.
SILVER WITH OR WITHOUT PRISM TAPE, CHART,PINK
BEST UNLESS WATER IS BROWN
Trolling Style Gotcha Plug
A TROLLING VERSION OF THE POPULAR CASTING PLUG
Mackerel Tree
TIP: USE A WEIGHTED SPOON- DIAMOND JIG, SEA
STRIKER JIG FISH OR GATOR TYPE SPOON INSTEAD
OF A LEAD WEIGHT TO KEEP THE RIG DOWN
HOT SPOTS
• ST ANDREWS BAY
– JETTY
– CAMEL BACK SHOALS
– MIDDLE GROUNDS
– DEEP WATER POINT
– NAVY BASE
– ALONG THE BEACH, JUST OUTSIDE THE
GREEN WATER
How to Clean a Spanish
Mackerel
Fillet off the bone and fillet skin off the meat
for best flavor.
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Cooking Recipe
• Dip fillets in egg wash and bread with 50%
Panko bread crumbs and 50% Fish Fry.
• Season with salt and Old Bay seasoning.
• Let sit for 5 minutes before frying.
• Pan fry in a cast iron skillet.
• Place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Also great smoked
or canned!
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Sheepshead: Archosargus probatocephalus
Florida Regulations: Minimum 12” length, Daily Bag Limit per person: 15
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.
Habitat and Fishing Tips:
Sheepshead are commonly found in brackish water river mouths, bays, estuaries and tidal
creeks and especially near oyster bars, buoys, channel markers, piers and bridge piles where
food is plentiful. Sheepshead feed primarily on crustaceans, mollusks, barnacles and small
fish. Anglers typically use light to medium weight spinning tackle with shrimp, sand fleas or
small crabs as bait. Using their specially adapted (human like) incisors and crushing molars,
sheepshead can be difficult to hook and have an uncanny ability to clean a hook without you
knowing anything happened. When targeting sheepshead, it is very important to keep your line
tight and be ready for the bite because you often get one, and only one, chance to set the
hook. The food quality of sheepshead is very good.
State Record:
15 lb. 2 oz. caught near Homosassa
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Oysters and barnacles used as bait or chum for sheepshead:
Oysters and barnacles are very, very different when it comes to regulations. Oysters have closed
seasons, bag limits, size limits and can only be legally harvested in specific shellfish harvesting
areas that are classified as "approved" or "conditionally approved" and in the "open" status.
Barnacles on the other hand do not have size limits or specified bag limits, which means that you
can harvest up to 100 pounds per person per day with a recreational saltwater fishing license and
you can use them to chum sheepshead. You can also simply scrape them off bridge piles and
allow them to sink and attract sheepshead. Do not scrape barnacles from private docks or other
private structures without permission of the property owner.
Sheepshead have some pretty impressive teeth,
So be careful when removing hooks!
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Baits for Sheepshead
Fiddler Crab
Shrimp
Rigs for Sheepshead
Fish Finder (Carolina) Rig
Jig Head
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Fish Storage When Caught
Be sure to put Spanish Mackerel or Sheepshead directly into a
saltwater slush (saltwater & ice) immediately.
This keeps the meat firm and makes it easier to clean which makes for
a tastier meal.
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FUTURE CLASSES
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
March 8 – Fishing for Cobia
April 12 – Bay Fishing for Redfish & Trout
May 10 – Red Snapper & Bottom Fishing
June 14 – Offshore Trolling for Wahoo, Dolphin & Tuna
July 12 – Kayak Fishing, Scalloping & Water Activities
August 9 – Surf Fishing
September 13 – King Mackerel
October 11 – Flounder & Fall Bay Fishing
November 8 – Hands on Rigging
December 13 – Winter Trout
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MEETINGS
Next Two Meetings Schedule
Gulf Of Mexico Fishery
Management Council Meeting
Schedule
2203 N Lois Avenue, Suite 1100
Tampa, Florida 33607 USA
Toll Free: 888-833-1844
Email: info@gulfcouncil.org
gulfcouncil.org
February 3 - 6, 2014
Westin Galleria Houston
5060 W. Alabama Street
Houston, TX 77056
April 7 - 11, 2014
Embassy Suites
4914 Constitution Ave.
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
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MEETINGS
Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
Farris Bryant Building
620 S. Meridian St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600
(850) 488-4676
Next Meeting:
February 12-13, 2014
4500 West Cypress Street,
Tampa, Florida, 33607
Saltwater Regulations
myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/
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FISH REGULATIONS AP
Visit http://www.gulfcouncil.org/
And install the Fishing Regulations App
for either iPhone or Android.
• fishing regulations
• fish identification
• measurement guidelines
• sanctuaries & closures
You can also visit the play store and
search for GFC regulations
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FACEBOOK
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Email Address: ___________________
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HOW TO MEASURE
• Fish regulated by fork length are measured from the tip of the jaw or
tip of the snout with closed mouth to the center of the fork in the tail.
Fork Length Species Include: Amberjacks, Bluefish, Rudderfish, King Mackerel, Hog Fish,
Spanish, Mackerel, Dolphin, Permit, Cobia, Pompano, Mullet, African Pompano
Total Length Species Include: Snapper Family, Grouper Family, Red & Black Drum, Snook,
Spotted Seatrout, Weakfish, Tripletail, Bonefish, Sheepshead and Flounder.
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