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Convict fish · Sheepshead seabream

Sheepshead

Sheepshead lying on grass, gray body with five dark vertical bars
Dominic · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Recognition

Gray, nearly oval body with five or six dark vertical bars and one on the nape. Broad incisor-like teeth at the front of both jaws.

SC DNR

Waters

Nearshore waters, bays, sounds and estuaries around reefs, wrecks, piers, pilings, rocks and jetties.

SC DNR

Months

Year-round

Present in South Carolina waters year-round. They gather in shallow water in late spring and again in late fall and early winter, and move to offshore reefs as temperatures drop.

SC DNR

Months present, by species
SpeciesJanJFebFMarMAprAMayMJunJJulJAugASepSOctONovNDecD
SheepsheadJan: presentFeb: presentMar: presentApr: presentMay: presentJun: presentJul: presentAug: presentSep: presentOct: presentNov: presentDec: present
  • Present
  • Peak
  • Not stated

Bait

  • Fiddler crab
  • Live shrimp

SC DNR

Notes

Georgia DNR pairs a small hook with a fiddler crab. Fiddler crabs can be collected by hand from marsh sand flats along island causeways.

SC DNR

Size and bag limits