UTERSheepshead fishing in The First Coast
In The First Coast, sheepshead peak December–April and are around year-round, spawning in February–March, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. January: Fiddlers on the Mayport jetties and every dock.
Fall peak: reds, trout and flounder everywhere; the Flounder Pounder. Reds and trout in every creek on the falling tide as the water cools; the flounder run through the inlets and creek mouths; kings return nearshore.
Sheepshead in The First Coast, month by month
- JanuaryPeakFiddlers on the Mayport jetties and every dock.
- FebruarySpawningThe biggest sheepshead of the year on the jetty rocks and nearshore reefs — the spawn.
- MarchSpawningStill spawning; spawning runs into April this far north.
- AprilPeak
- MayAround
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberAround
- OctoberAroundFall peak: reds, trout and flounder everywhere; the Flounder Pounder. Reds and trout in every creek on the falling tide as the water cools; the flounder run through the inlets and creek mouths; kings return nearshore.
- NovemberArrivingFlounder run peaks; trout in the creeks; sheepshead return to the pilings. Flounder on the outgoing at the inlets and creek mouths; trout stacked in the deeper creek bends; sheepshead back on the docks and jetties.
- DecemberPeakWinter pattern: sheepshead, clear-water reds, deep trout. Jetties and docks for sheepshead; low-water creek reds on sunny days; trout in the deep river and ICW bends.
Where to fish sheepshead near Daytona Beach, St. Augustine, Jacksonville
Spartina marsh, oyster-lined creeks and the Intracoastal from Ponce Inlet to the Georgia line, the St. Johns River and the Mayport jetties, St. Augustine and Matanzas inlets, and the beaches. More like Georgia's lowcountry than the rest of Florida.
Fish Scouter charts 598 marker / buoy, 351 dock / pilings, 191 wreck, 130 artificial reef, 51 bridge spots in the The First Coast map area — the kinds sheepshead hold on.
What to use for sheepshead
- Fiddler crabsA #1 hook through the back corner of the shell, dropped tight to the piling — the sheepshead bait.
- Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.
- Sand fleas (mole crabs)On a small circle hook or a pompano rig, digger-end first — the pompano and whiting bait.
- Grass shrimpTwo or three on a #6 hook under a small cork — the bream, crappie, sheepshead and mangrove snapper bait nobody sells.
- Leader20–30 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#2–1/0
- Jig head1/8–1/4 oz
- Braid10–20 lb
Feeds in 48–74°F water, best at 54–66°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch sheepshead in The First Coast?
Peak season is December–April, with fish spawning in February–March (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Sheepshead are here year-round. January: Fiddlers on the Mayport jetties and every dock.
Where do sheepshead hold in The First Coast?
Look on dock / pilings, bridge, artificial reef, wreck — around Daytona Beach, St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Mayport, Fernandina Beach.
What is the best bait for sheepshead in The First Coast?
Live bait: fiddler crabs, live shrimp, sand fleas (mole crabs), grass shrimp. Fiddler crabs: A #1 hook through the back corner of the shell, dropped tight to the piling — the sheepshead bait. Tackle: leader 20–30 lb fluorocarbon, hook #2–1/0, jig head 1/8–1/4 oz, braid 10–20 lb.
What are the rules for sheepshead in The First Coast?
Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and change — read the current rule at https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/ before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://myfwc.com/license/recreational/.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
Fish Scouter scores sheepshead for this hour on this water, draws every reef, wreck and access point near you, and keeps your spots. $9.99 a month, 14 days free.
Start 14 free daysMore
All about sheepshead · The First Coast, the whole year