Black Drum Fishing
Fishermen that are restricted to land can have a hard time during the summer months on the North Carolina coast. Extremely high water temperatures most likely have slowed pier and surf fishing to a crawl. For those targeting the jetties, bridges, ICW, and piers, the sheepshead can be a very challenging quarry. Thankfully, the sheepshead is a territorial fish and once they have established themselves on a dock or a pier they don’t move very far. They will remain in the shade of the structure and dine on crabs and barnacles all day long.
Fishermen that are restricted to land can have a hard time during the summer months on the North Carolina coast. Extremely high water temperatures most likely have slowed pier and surf fishing to a crawl. For those targeting the jetties, bridges, ICW, and piers, the sheepshead can be a very challenging quarry. Thankfully, the sheepshead is a territorial fish and once they have established themselves on a dock or a pier they don’t move very far. They will remain in the shade of the structure and dine on crabs and barnacles all day long.
Sheepshead are found all along the east coast but are considered to be a southern fish. Main concentrations are found in the Gulf of Mexico around to the North Carolina coast. The sheepshead fish acquired its name because of its incisors that resemble those of a sheep. These incisors are used to pull crabs, oysters, and other invertebrate off of man made structures or hard bottom structures. The large sheep-like teeth are backed by a row of serious molars for crushing the crabs and shrimp. The sheepshead are solid and well built in the shape of a bream. The coloration is a dull gray with broad black stripes. The typical size to expect from NC waters is between 1 to 8 pounds. To receive a citation you will need to catch one weighing at least 10 pounds. To get the North Carolina state record for sheepshead you will need to beat Chris Robbins’s 19 lb. 4 oz. monster he caught from a bridge on Oregon Inlet.
The golden rule when freshwater fishing or saltwater fishing is “Find the Bait-Find the Fish”. In this case you need to find barnacles, mussels, clams and various crabs. Barnacles and mussels are filter feeders and require a sturdy place to attach themselves in the current. This makes bridges, docks, sea walls, wrecks, and piers the perfect places for invertebrates and the fish that feed on them. The barnacles attach to the pilings and position themselves so that the current delivers the plankton that they feed on. Many types of crabs also remain on and around these same structures. Plants, invertebrates and crabs make up more than 95 percent of the sheepshead diet. The remaining portion consists of smaller fish such as small croaker and pinfish.
Sheepshead tackle is made up of medium to medium/heavy action spinning and baitcasting tackle. Many fishermen prefer the baitcasting gear because the ability to sense the subtle strikes is a little easier. The terminal tackle is a simple Carolina rig style design. Debate is always raised over line size. Some prefer heavy line because once the fish are hooked they need to be hauled out from underneath a barnacle covered pier. Others prefer lighter line arguing that the lighter line can not be seen and offers more strikes and bigger fish. Do not get carried away when tying the Carolina rig and keep the leader short. A longer leader gives the fish more opportunity to push slack in the line and steal the bait without you ever feeling the slightest tug. A tough heavy duty steel hook in 1/0 size is then tied to the end of the leader. Remember to use
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