Sheepshead Fishing at Sebastian Inlet

Sheepshead at Sebastian Inlet

Sheepshead are the fish that make winter worth fishing here. Black-and-white striped, with a set of teeth that would not look out of place in a person’s mouth, they scrape barnacles and crabs off hard structure.

They have a reputation for stealing bait, and it is deserved. A sheepshead can take a shrimp off a hook without the rod tip ever moving. Captain Richard Ladrew tells guests the same thing every time: if you think you felt something, you are already late.

They are worth the trouble. Sheepshead are among the best-eating fish in the lagoon, and a winter trip that puts a limit in the box sends everyone home happy.

Where Captain Richard Finds Them

Structure, always. Bridge pilings, the inlet jetty rocks, dock pilings, seawalls, anything with barnacles growing on it. Captain Richard fishes them tight — inches from the piling, not feet.

The heavier the growth on the structure, the better the odds. Clean pilings hold fewer fish than dirty ones.

Best Time of Year

Sheepshead are here year round but stack up in numbers from December through April, when they move to structure to spawn. February and March are the peak. It is the trip Captain Richard points people to when they want to fish in winter and actually keep something.

How Captain Richard Fishes for Sheepshead

• Live or fresh shrimp on a small, strong hook fished directly against the structure. Fiddler crabs and oyster crabs are better still when available.
• Light line, small hook, just enough weight to hold against the current. Sheepshead inspect a bait rather than attacking it.
• The hookset is the whole game. Captain Richard’s advice is to set on anything that feels like weight, pressure or a change in the line — not on a bite, because you will not get one.

Rules and Regulations

Current status: Open year round — 12″ minimum, 8 per person

• The minimum size is 12″ total length.
• The bag limit is 8 per person per day.
• There is a vessel limit of 50 per trip during March and April, when the fish are spawning and concentrated.
• The season is open year round.

Regulations checked September 2026. Size limits, bag limits and seasons change — the current rules are always on the FWC saltwater regulations site. Captain Richard Ladrew fishes to current regulations and will tell you on the day what you can keep. On a Zookeeper Charters trip you are covered under his licence, so there is nothing for you to buy.

Trips That Target Sheepshead

• Half Day Inshore Fishing — Half Day, $600
• Full Day Inshore / Nearshore — Full Day, $975
• Kids Fishing Adventure — 3 Hour, $495