Some of you may know me from posting in the surf forum side. My buddy recently got a boat and we are trying to get on some sheep’s mainly and maybe some trout. We went out this past Friday and there was nearly no wind and it was pretty calm. We were fishing the north jetty inside 2 how after low tide with the tide coming in. We were pitching fiddlers on Carolina rigs. We had a few bites but the culprits were lizard fish. We moved up several spots along the jetties anchored maybe 20-30ft away from the rocks. We were throwing within a few feet if the rocks. If anyone could give us pointers on how to fish the jetties for sheep and trout that would be great. Like how far to anchor away Wich side to fish at Wich tide. And how far to cast towards the rocks.
We left the jetties after about 2-3 hours and headed towards those old broken train tracks near the ravenel bridge but there was a sign that said no fishing. Are we not allowed to fish there??. We then headed and fished under the ravenel pylons with no luck. Anyone willing to let us in on a sheeps head spot we would appreciate it!
From what people have told me, I’m just not brave enough to get that close to the rocks to hit the sheepsheads.
______________________________________________________
"I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public."
~my dad
Equipment:
2007 Grady White 222 Fisherman / 250 Yamaha
Simrad NSS evo2 and G4
1- 25 boy that won’t move out)
1 - 21 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)
I fish the jettys basicly like you mentioned a couple hrs befor and after either tide change . I prefer inside on out going tide and outside on incoming tide. Make sure of a solid anchor set and let tide carry boat to about 20 ft from rocks …and your baited rig into the rocks under a good float cork adjusted just off bottom … I leave motor at idle as a safety measure and always ; and i mean always keep eyes out for large vessels coming and going , they can set your ride up on the rocks… It works for me but it is always safety and caution first !!!
George McDonald
US Navy Seabees,Retired,
MAD, Charleston Chapter
[http://www.militaryappreciationday.org
When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s that makes it wave.
author unknown
As far as fishing the jetties, there’s too many ways to type it all… they way y’all were doing it, you would have probably had it easier using corks, poppin’ and\or slip corks. Or get closer and take into account all the warnings plus some.
As far as the signs on the burned pilings, don’t tie to the piling and fish all you want. Hope this helps!
Fishing Nerd
“No bar, no pinball machines, no bowling alleys, just pool… nothing else.”
I like fishing the 2 hours before and after low tide. I typically get as close to the rocks as I can some times my motor is only 6-10 ft off of the rocks and us my spot lock on my trolling motor. Always have bow facing out as you can get some large waves from the container ships and I don’t like those coming over my transom. Also with my trolling motor holding me in place I can just move out some if I see big waves coming.
I fish straight down with my bait bouncing off the bottom. I have tried anchoring away and casting into the rocks but I have a problem feeling the bites that way.
There is no right or wrong way to do it. You just have to make sure that you have a lot of bait because they will steal you blind.
BadBob
Polar 1910 BB 150 Johnson
“Convict Hunter”
If you ain’t the lead dog then the scenery never changes
Look for a spot with water moving over or through the rocks. Popping cork right on the rocks with leader lighter then your main line so if your bait hangs you pop it and get your float back. If you fish where the rocks stop on the bottom there is flounder down there, trout black and red drum cruise all over the rocks, jigging these areas with gulp or other lures with pro cure can be effective. Most forms of shell fish work for black drum, sheephead and red drum. Typically when fishing structure you want to be as close as you can comfortably. Some people put a brick with a break away line and then chunk the brick in the rocks for a stern anchor and anchor the bow out toward the channel. I’d rig my bow anchor how you rig a reef anchor with a break away to pull out backwards if it gets hung. The break away anchor with the brick is so all you leave is the brick if it gets hung to good and you have to move quickly. You can pull your self either direction with the anchor lines if you want to move closer or further away from the rocks. I’d also have my bow anchor line attached to a float so I can throw the line in if it gets hung and I have to move in a hurry. If you fish for like thirty minutes with little action move, I know some people who move after like five minutes with no bites but I usually give it about fifteen. Mid tide or higher when the tide is moving either direction is good for black drum and sheephead. I’ve always had better luck with sheephead on the outgoing tide on the upper tide stages. Expect to get hung up a lot if your fishing in the right areas.
Something I’ve been doing but not too many others do is move along the rocks with your trolling motor and cast swimbaits to the rocks, both on top of the rocks and also hopping down them. Had pretty good numbers of redfish and trout doing that and its a lot of fun.
I talked to a guy once who said he trolls the jetty rocks for trout. He said he runs one right off the rocks up high, a mid depth a little further off the rocks and one deep off the other side of the boat. He said he’s got some real big trout like that and also finds schools off fish that way.
Sman
Dang you old. You didn’t have to make hooks out of chicken bones did you?? Hopefully you didn’t have to walk to school. Up hill. In the snow. Both ways. Like I did.
I do like opticker. I drift the rocks using my trolling motor. you can catch a lot of different fish like that. I catch a fish. I’ll hit spot lock. And fish that spot for a couple more casts. In the winter you can catch a lot of trout like that. And you don’t seem to have to slow down as much as you do back in the creeks. I am impatient & have a short attention span sometimes. So that style of fishing definitely suits me. And I usually drag some type of live bait bouncing off the bottom. Summertime mullet. winter time mud minnows. If you’re not getting snagged up. Losing gear. You’re not catching fish.
All very good information. We always fish as close as we can get to the rocks with a split shot or 2 depending on tide. Have caught them one after another incoming and outgoing tide as long as water is clear.You need sensitive rods with good reels.Bow out and throw away anchor to the rocks and be prepared to start motor, cut the anchor and move quickly!! That’s all I can give for information the rest of it I was sworn to take to the grave with me from the man that showed me haha. Helps to have a friend that knows his stuff!You can catch boat limits when you get it figured out.
it changes fast out there. one minute you’re catchin every cast. the next you’re sitting dry and petrified because the container ship sucked all the water out - not me mind you, but so I’m told
S and P, i think y’all may know some of my wife’s kin. they rowed out there and walked it when motors and fuel were for the military.
i’d say we all got used to the 14’ metal boats and 25 hosses pretty good though. remember the wake the nukes threw when they had to navigate the rocks from the conning tower? that’s why you carry at least 2 knives on-body to cut the back rope. Pea saw someone dry on the rocks one time before the wave came in, wasn’t me.
lots of good tips here to get Stevo and others started… you can get in the water on a slack neap tide and shoot 'em too, no wrong way to do it as somebody said. while it’s better to drift with little to no weight at the big rocks, there might have been a picture of me (still missing baby teeth) in the News and Courier from the '80’s with a nice one that had a big old egg sinker on a carolina rig hanging out of its mouth.
i’ll never forget:
“dad, i caught a rock”, pass the rod off, he yanks on it.
If you really want to dumb down sheepshead fishing, try one of our new Jail Bait rigs under a slip cork at the rocks. Set the depth to just above bottom or a few feet below and pitch to where they drop off. Its just like bream fishing, they will pull that sucker straight down. Set hook fish on.
I agree with Highvoltagesc. Ditch the carolina rig. I run about 2ft of leader and a small reinforced mosquito hook with a split shot about half way up the leader. The goal is to get the fiddler as close to the rocks as I can, and present the fish with the crab as if it fell off the rocks for a yummy treat.
I’ve also tried running a fiddler under a popper, but for whatever reason, it doesn’t work as well.
Listen. We are crazy about fishing the rocks. (One can of nerve tonic.) This is not for the faint of heart- you have to be at least 10+15 feet on the rocks. The fish are bigger and on light tackle a great day if a few things are lined up. (Georgetown) a few things:
A) I have to have a North wind. North jetties on the south side will cause a “flush” of water through the rocks. I put a GoPro down to see the flow of debris. (Crazy odd but kinda cool)
B) Tide must be low to high.
C) After 5 years. Used fiddler’s, (husband bribed me with dinner if I jumped off the boat to get scrape) Used shrimp Everything! My best bait ever is sand fleas. I can only get them between May and August. They work down the coast in Garden City. I freeze them, slightly dry. The largest sheep for me was 23". The female sand fleas are crazy large. Flip the tail out to show the red eggs. It’s also let like super bait for large black drum. (Get a good rake)
D) Octopus #2 circle hooks are stronge unough to handle these fish with a large shot.
Creek Girl
www.Heather-Jordan.com
Vibrant Coastal Artist
Creek Girl
www.Heather-Jordan.com
Vibrant Coastal Artist
One of my light-line methods is to put a tiny split shot right above the knot at the hook, i feel like the downward drift looks more natural when the line isn’t being pulled from a direction even a foot further up the leader. there are also certain species of crabs that look much more natural than a chinaback drifting down a pile of rocks in open water, but i’ll leave it at that while splitting hairs, it’s worth noting that fluoro is more negatively buoyant than mono leader material as well.
I think when dialed in, all of these things can make a difference- that’s why Flywatt’s light wire hook (as light as possible) is also important for the finesse sort of sheeping. when fishing right on the bottom (pilings inshore, reefs offshore), i use plenty of lead and really heavy hooks if i need them. my personal best 11lb was on a regular #2 owner ssw that didn’t bend at all, but that comes down to drag settings, hook placement, and luck when it’s a heavyweight match.
i’ve never gotten the feel of the float rig out there, but know folks who slay them that way. they may catch more fish than i do, but i catch bigger.
Exactly ^^^^ we just use a small split shot or 2 like you use for redbreast. Owner mosquito hooks like stated above and I use 2 different kinds one is green pack and the other is red pack that is the ssw.We normally break or straighten a few hooks every time on fish. My rod is spooled with 16 pound fluorocarbon and really tight on drag partly the reason for breaking hooks. I would rather break a hook or 2 every time than have too light of line with drag loose. The sheep’s will try to go to the bottom as soon as you hook and you break off anyway. As soon as I set the hook I try to horse them out of their structure with the rod about to break in half haha. They are very powerful fish!! How do you post a picture on here?
while splitting hairs, it’s worth noting that fluoro is more negatively buoyant than mono leader material as well.