Down here around san diego way we have a few tricks that seem to produce sheepies. The most productive would be to pump up some ghost shrimp and try those on a reverse dropper loop. the goats absolutely love this bait. I do this when I have a feeling that the boats will be headin for an area with sheephead. I have actually had guys try to buy baits off of me after seeing them produce some nice fish. Another sneaky trick I know of is using crayfish tails, or whole crayfish, I wouldn't suggest this on party boats due to the weird looks you are sure to get :). I guess the long and short of it is that sheeps main food is crustaceans, so they are usually going to pass up chovies and the like. I was on a trip out to the coronados about a month ago and I caught 6 sheeps (the two largest fish were about 9lbs) all of these fish came on whole live squid, but the sheeps will eat the dead stuff (I would suggest getting your squid not at a tackle store but at a seafood market, this stuff seems to get more response IMO). On the same trip there was a guy using Tiger prawns (basically huge shrimp) but at $9.99 a pound I would personally try something else :). One last trick I have is using the lightest line you can get away with, some guys might say that this does not matter, or that sheeps live in rocky habitat, so you're bound to get sawed off. I usually fish the 12lb (Pline), I know it sounds crazy but it works, the key to using the light line on any bottom feeder is not to give any slack, and don't admire your hook setting ability, just start winding as soon as you set the hook. If the fish feels like its headin for home try holding your rod at a 45 degree angle (as opposed to a 90 degree with respect to the ocean floor) and winding at the same time (this angle trick works on yellows too). I've caught tons of sheeps and lings on 12lb, while watching guys get busted off on 30, its all in the technique.


Well anyhow there's my .02



Tight lines......................