# Sheepshead fly for texas



## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

guys - hit a bunch of pretty decent size sheepsheads yesterday and couldn’t get them to bite on my redfish flies. It was clear water and could see them get to the fly and turn around. Tried kwans, crab patterns, all in tan and chartreuse. Any suggestions?


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

What's up Eric! 

What's the water depth and structure (if any) where they are hanging out. How far is it from the shore? Is it on a flat? Are they grouping up (balling up) to spawn or just spread out and just hanging out. What's the water temps? What kind of natural crabs are on the shore in that area?

PM me your address and I'll send you a couple of my Sheepish crabs to try.

Ted


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## MMessana (Sep 28, 2015)

efi2712micro said:


> guys - hit a bunch of pretty decent size sheepsheads yesterday and couldn’t get them to bite on my redfish flies. It was clear water and could see them get to the fly and turn around. Tried kwans, crab patterns, all in tan and chartreuse. Any suggestions?


From my experiences you just need the right fish and a lot of luck! LOL 
But I've caught my few (and hooked numerous) on really small size 6, simple tan or black and purple crabby/shrimpy flies. Small and simple is key.


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## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

Thanks M ... maybe too big was my issue! I have seen sheepsheads and reds schooling together so trying to figure if there is a best all around fly . Where do you take your HB in the area?


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## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

Backwater said:


> What's up Eric!
> 
> What's the water depth and structure (if any) where they are hanging out. How far is it from the shore? Is it on a flat? Are they grouping up (balling up) to spawn or just spread out and just hanging out. What's the water temps? What kind of natural crabs are on the shore in that area?
> 
> ...


Flat sands 8 inches to a foot deep but there were all the way down to deeper water. Not balling although I have seen a few schools with about 10 fishes. Spread out and hanging. I think they were hitting shrimp more than crabs.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

efi2712micro said:


> Flat sands 8 inches to a foot deep but there were all the way down to deeper water. Not balling although I have seen a few schools with about 10 fishes. Spread out and hanging. I think they were hitting shrimp more than crabs.


But crabs will be the candy they'll pounce on, visually. You probably caught more on shrimp for the scent factor. But here with fly fishing, no scent will be involved. Will they hit a shrimp fly? Sure, I've even caught them on clousers and spoon flies. But on sand, you can take a small crab fly pattern, throw it out, barely bump the fly and just let it sit there till one comes near it, bump it once or twice, let it sit and they will go over to at least check it out and hopefully eat it.

You just need to see what's the most available food source crabs in that particular area and that will be the crab they will be looking for and keying in on. The water depth, bottom color and water clarity will determine how much weight to put on the crab flies and what color variations to lean towards.

Those spread out fish are the ones that are really hard to get to eat a fly, especially in super skinny water less than a foot. Your chances are better throwing at the fish in deeper water. I would use a lighter fly rod and very long leader. If the water is deeper, then a clear sink tip or a full clear intermediate line works best. It'll be something that you throw out to them, let it fully sink, and barely nudge the fly to give it some movement without moving it out of the area and allow them to discover it, rather than stripping it thru them, which will spook them. Going smaller on the fly is better than going larger and heavier. So a little lighter on the fly and be patient to allow the fly to sink to the bottom before bumping it. A weed guard will be a must.


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## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

Both blue and sand crabs ....


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## MMessana (Sep 28, 2015)

efi2712micro said:


> Thanks M ... maybe too big was my issue! I have seen sheepsheads and reds schooling together so trying to figure if there is a best all around fly . Where do you take your HB in the area?


Can't go wrong with a little tan crab over sand. I fish Galveston all the way down to Port A and everything in between.


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## jsnipes (May 1, 2011)

We caught a couple on size 6 redfish crack (2.5-3" total) the other week in Galveston. Also thinking about trying some small ******* crabs.


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

Glad someone found them shallow. Went with a buddy after work to the south shoreline and hit one red in 2 foot of water while making about a 500 yard wade. Finally found some reds in a channel about 4 foot deep.

I didn't have my long rod though. His boat his way of doing things.


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## blackmagic1 (Jul 3, 2014)

give em the worm.


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## Luke_B (May 28, 2014)

I've had good luck with this one. Good all around fly


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## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

Good looking fly Luke_B... care to share the details?


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## sabaird1221 (May 4, 2013)

Down size fly and leader. have had decent success with 16lb flouro but when I drop down to 12lb flouro they seem to get much less picky. And as mentioned before needs to be the right fish and lots of luck. I like throwing at active feeders rather than cruisers. I like small black or dark green and very simple crab patterns.


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## Luke_B (May 28, 2014)

efi2712micro said:


> Good looking fly Luke_B... care to share the details?


Craft fur tail, bead chain eye, rootbeer body and palmered feather... I'm not good with recipes... basically a seaducer with bead chain eyes and some flash on the body.


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## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

I will give it a shot next week when the weather clears and report back ....thanks ya’ll for the tips!


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## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

Than


Luke_B said:


> Craft fur tail, bead chain eye, rootbeer body and palmered feather... I'm not good with recipes... basically a seaducer with bead chain eyes and some flash on the body.


Thanks Luke ... I can do that


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## Matts (Sep 2, 2015)

Dynamite


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## Luke_B (May 28, 2014)

I've had sheepshead eat weird stuff... From topwater shedogs, spoon flies, crabflies. If they are feeding they will eat what they see kinda like a red but they rarely get that way. I tried and tried to use those micro crab flies with no luck. the only small fly i can get them to eat is mini spoon that horsey ties. 

you need a fly they can see... I've had the best luck using permit flies believe it or not. they need to be able to see the fly really good and it needs to be able get their attention and keep it. 

if you use a permit fly type pattern you will get more turns and follows... the trick getting them to eat when they aren't feeding. this takes patience patience patience. Once you get them to turn on the fly it has their attention... STOP. Let it sit there and let them check it out. I've literally watched them look at my fly for a full minute before they started pinning it down and nippling at it. 

OR... you can just hammer some dead shrimp into the flies fibers and not tell your friends and post the cool pics on the internet.


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## bananabob (Jun 3, 2015)

I've caught one on fly. Under a dock on a shrimpy seaducer in about 3 feet. Never felt the hit. Thought I hung the piling then it took off.
More like the middle right fly in bottom photo.
Second photo is the fly and I use them a lot wading the flats for trout and reds and was on my line at the time.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

I like that shrimpy seeducer!

Bob, I've fished docks and thrown "small" (dime size shells) weighted crab flies in gray, black and rust color and have had sheeps pounce on them, especially docks you know they hang around. The trick is to let it fully sink near the pilings and just budge or bump it here and there instead of stripping it.


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## bananabob (Jun 3, 2015)

Thanks for the complement on the fly.

Due to where I was wading between broken up dock pilings I had to do the slingshot thing to get the fly under the dock where about three were visible. Waited till I thought it should have sank all the way down before moving it. Only it didn't move. Then I yanked thinking it was stuck. It was, but not on a piling.


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## Bonecracker (Mar 29, 2007)

You guys don't know anything, throw a big Borski Slider at one and it eats, go figure!! This fish was suspended in 2 to 3 ft of water just under the surface and we were both laughing when Trevor made the cast as nobody expected it to eat the big redfish fly!


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## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

bananabob said:


> I've caught one on fly. Under a dock on a shrimpy seaducer in about 3 feet. Never felt the hit. Thought I hung the piling then it took off.
> More like the middle right fly in bottom photo.
> Second photo is the fly and I use them a lot wading the flats for trout and reds and was on my line at the time.


Bananabob - nice fly. I will try to tie one similar. I noticed a black ring that seems to connect the fly and leaders what are these? Thanks


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## efi2712micro (Sep 17, 2015)

Bonecracker said:


> You guys don't know anything, throw a big Borski Slider at one and it eats, go figure!! This fish was suspended in 2 to 3 ft of water just under the surface and we were both laughing when Trevor made the cast as nobody expected it to eat the big redfish fly!
> View attachment 20552


Nice fish .... I didn,t realize they got that big. Must be fun on a fly rod.


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## Bonecracker (Mar 29, 2007)

The fish was a little over 9lbs on the Boga and we saw schools of Sheephead with some real pigs in Delacroix!


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