Ours are Bigger than Yours...

I had so much crap to do this weekend, I told myself no fishing. Then that little Chinaman calls just as I'm getting in bed. "We'll limit out on sheephead in a couple of hours..." He was wrong. We limited out in an hour. Here's beautiful dana, before the firey, smokey mess. At the launch, we met "Beerman" (Eric) who's got the coolest FishnDive I've ever seen. Hope you found that Halibut you were looking for. Now, here's my limit of sheephead. Before I limited out, I hear Vey yelling at me, "It's a big one!" I look. He's got his pole high in the air, totally bent, and he can't crank a turn. Finally, the line snaps. Since we were surrounded by lobster buoys, I told him "you can't eat a lobster trap, although you might be able to fit inside." No, he insisted that he had a big fish that pulled out line, then stopped. Yea, right. That little bastard knew there was something down there, so he goes for it again. Minutes later, someone hits the REPLAY button. Only this time, something is coming up. Now the words coming out of his mouth are in Chinese. I better go check this out. "Help me Yani, use my net, yours is too small!" Oh, come on. My net is too small for a Sheephead?? At the same time I see a huge fish coming up, Vey reaches behind him for his net, and gets his jacket stuck on a lure on an upright pole behind him. Now, the Chinese verbage is flying! This was a moment in time. Both of us were shocked at the size of this thing. I managed to grab his net, cause mine sure couldn't handle this fish, net the thing, then 1 minute of silence. Here's Vey Sheephead. 28" aprox. 30lb. Now, he starts laying in on me: "I told you. And his is my second big boy of the year, the first was even bigger." Damn, Vey. Here's another shot, although alittle burry, it gives you another perspective on the size of this things head. Now it's time to cook and eat. I thought I might make a classic egg-lemon Greek Fish soup with Mako and Sheephead. Grandma's lovin it, although she would kill me if she knew she was eating Shark. Yani

[Matt]

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMM N!!


Congrats you guys!!!! Yani that is awesome!! Congrats Vey!

[wavster]

Way to go Yani. I really like your politically correct commentary,
as well. lol Great story. Great catch Dr. Vey!

[lamb]

Doctor rocks.

Ok, you've got a few too.

But yours are so small. lol

Awesome report.

[MKNOTT]

Awsom! Your given me the sheephead bug. MKNOTT

[jscott]

Nice job! What were u using for bait? Shrimp or squid?

JScott,

We used the same stuff that was
in the Beast's belly, mussels.

[h2ofishfo]

nic job big feesh that fish looked liked it blew his butthole out

[Aaron&Julie]

HOLY MOLY, you guys are the sheephead CHAMPS. Who needs La Jolla when you've got a sheephead hole like that?
Enjoy your good eats.

[reel fishy]

Nice goats there Vey and Yanni!

Those are some good eating fish.

[DB]

How deep were you fishing?

Bob

[trob]

DAAAAAAMN.....awesome read and Congrats.

great fish....but 30lbs? we need a better pic. did you actually weigh it?

[wavster]

WTG! That's a nice fish. The record is something like 34 lbs., I think...

Hey Fellas,fficeffice" />>> >> Here's the scoop.>> >> How and where: Mussels used on big>> treble hook placed a foot above >> a sinker. Fished right on the bottom.>> >> It's easy to find Sheephead now. Just>> ask any commerical lobster fisherman.>> They hate the sheepheads since sheephead>> raid their traps and nibble off the lobsters>> legs.>> >> Vey's sheephead was caught close to a boiler>> full of mussels and surrounded by lobster>> bouys. We were in 20 foot of water.>> >> Sheephead's weight: The guy who taught me>> the finer points of fishing, Quietman, speared>> a 31" Sheephead in Laguna. He took it to the>> local Dive shop where he was told it would >> have been State record had it been caught>> with rod and reel. It weighed 36lbs. Vey's >> sheephead measured at 28". Note: When I scooped Vey's fish in his king sized net, I couldn't believe how dense it was. >> >> Here's another shot.>> > > Yani. Eating all the fish, one bite at a time.

Hey Fellas, Here's the scoop. How and where: Mussels used on big treble hook placed a foot above a sinker. Fished right on the bottom. It's easy to find Sheephead now. Just ask any commerical lobster fisherman. They hate the sheepheads since sheephead raid their traps and nibble off the lobsters legs. Vey's sheephead was caught close to a boiler, full of mussels and surrounded by lobster bouys. We were in 20 foot of water. Sheephead's weight: The guy who taught me the finer points of fishing, Quietman, speared a 31" Sheephead in Laguna. He took it to the local Dive shop where he was told it would have been State record had it been caught with rod and reel. It weighed 36lbs. Vey's sheephead measured at 28". Here's another shot. >>

[wavster]

Yani: when you attach the mussels, are you putting the whole thing on, shell and
all? Where do you get mussels? Is it something you pluck off the rocks in the area?

Hey Dave, Good questions. We find mussels at any dock inside the Dana marina. I used big ones for bait and small ones for intermittent chumming. Mussels are hard to put on any hook, but bigger trebles seem to help. Through trail-and-error, I've found that if I crack open the mussel on the jointed end, tear off half of the mussel shell without tearing the mussel into pieces, the whole mussel stays on the hook better. I use the torn away mussel shell to scoop out the whole mussel, then place the big wod on the hook. This seems to work best. But be prepared to get frustrated. And, go through alot of mussels.

Plus, cracking open a mussel with a tool on
your kayak not only stinks up the kakak,
but drenches you as well.

By the way, as tempted as I am to slirp down
raw mussels, I don't think it's advisable.

Yani. Getting poisoned, one slirp at a time.

[nunyabizness1]

Wow! Very nice catch Dr. Hook! :-)

Awesome post and pics Yani! I need to make a trip there one of these days and try my luck! I haven't caught a sheepshead yet, it's on my list...

[wavster]

Thanks for the info Yani. I'd like to score my first Sheepshead soon!

[Piranha]

Here's a link to a new potential state record! Link to thread!
http://fishingnetwork.net/forum3/vie...php?f=4&t=9631



Link to pic only!

This is a really big sheephead!

Enjoy, Piranha,

[ski]

WOW!
Nice pig goat

I picked a bucket of mussels today at the jetty in PB. Perfect conditions for mussel gathering with the tide nice and low. If you decide to harvest them, check the regs. I am pretty sure there is a daily poundage limit you can take!