Outdoors Column | Cooler waters make Tampa Bay the place to fish for sheepshead

When closed seasons were put in place to protect redfish, snook and trout, captains around the west coast of Florida had to find alternative methods to send anglers home with a cooler full of fish. Species like mackerel, snapper and now sheepshead became popular targets in deeper waters of Tampa Bay.

Capt. John Gunter has become a bay fishing specialist. Over the warmer months he was routinely putting clients on limits of mangrove snapper with gag grouper mixed in. Now that waters have cooled, those same snapper spots have been overrun with sheepshead as they make their yearly spawn.

“In the summer I fish a lot of the edges of the shipping channel in the middle of the bay,” Gunter explained. “Those and all the bridge structures, rock piles and reefs seem to be loaded up right now with sheeps.”

On Tuesday Gunter had a full boat of six anglers. In only 14 feet of water they landed one sheepshead after another, ending up with 26.

“Man it’s been good. I’ve been using all Sheepball Jigs to this point with shrimp. On the larger shrimp we’ll use a half. Medium shrimp will pinch off the tail and thread them on like we’re fishing offshore. Small ones we fish whole. The bigger shrimp seem to be better for bigger fish,” the veteran captain said.

And big fish he’s been getting indeed. On Monday he landed his personal best sheepshead.

“I fish the Sheepballs right on the bottom, just like you’re hogfishing. I put a rod with one right on the bottom in a rod holder and was helping get another bait rigged when the rod holder bait was thumped. I grabbed it and the fish made some big runs like a gag grouper would and I couldn’t get it off the bottom. It eventually came up and I said grab the net! That fish was over 23 inches.”

When big sheepshead aren’t coming up there’s been a few surprises as well. On Saturday a big snook shocked Gunter. Then Tuesday it was a few big flounder that broke up the sheepshead party.

“I’ve caught a few snook in the summer while snapper fishing. I’m not sure if this one was lost but it only ate a small piece of shrimp. There’s been a ton of bait out there right now, so it might have just been passing through.

“Flounder are a always a welcome by catch and these were some big ones.”

Gunter said the sheesphead fishing should remain good into March as they continue spawning.

“Even when the weather is bad there’s places we can get to and fish for sheepshead. It’s a reliable fishery that will be good for at least two or three more weeks. Then the water should be warmer and bait will be all over. Flats fishing should be getting just right then and both inshore and offshore fishing will be great.”

Captain John Gunter can be reached at 863-838-5096 or his website captainjohngunter.com. Sheepballs are available at captainchappy.com