But this winter I will be trying something new to get us through these slow fishing times. On a regular basis I will be posting a new "how-to" article. They will be a series of articles with tips that should be helpful to surf, pier and small boat anglers. Your feedback on these would be appreciated, and if you would like info about a specific topic, let me know. I will try to do requests as much as possible. Visit my website at www.joemalat.com and shoot me an e-mail.
Fishing has been a bit of a challenge during recent days. Rough, cold and windy weather made it tough for surfcasters and boaters. Boaters out of Oregon Inlet found a brief window of opportunity on Wednesday and steamed way north and their efforts produced stripers to forty pounds. Surf fishing has slowed considerably. A few puppy drum continued to bite along the south beach of Hatteras Island, but conditions were tough. The forecast is for more cold weather, possibly snow, and lots of wind coming this weekend.

Let's try to get away from this winter weather and talk about catching some fish that move into the waters of the Outer Banks when the weather and water temperatures are much, much warmer.

When inshore water temps approach the seventy degree mark, sheepshead begin to take residence in several of their usual haunts. Sheepshead will cooperate throughout the summer, and may provide steady action on those oppressively hot and hazy slick calm "dog days" when practically every other species of fish develops lockjaw.
Boaters have the best chance to catch sheepshead. During all my years of fishing the Outer Banks beaches, I have only caught two from the surf and both came from the south end of Ocracoke Island. To catch sheepshead, you need to fish exactly where they live and eat, and that's not always easy. Their primary diet consists of small mollusks and crustaceans such as barnacles and crabs, which are often clustered around bridge and pier pilings, navigation markers, and hard bottoms, rocks or reefs.

The best inshore concentrations of sheepshead are found around the Outer Banks bridges. The bridge that spans Oregon Inlet probably holds the most and largest fish. Both bridges that connect Roanoke Island with the mainland probably run a close second. The bridge between Nags Head and Roanoke Island holds fish, but is not as productive as the others, possibly because the water is relatively shallow and the currents run stronger at the other two bridges.
Experienced sheepshead anglers will get to their favorite bridge pilings by boat, but if it is possible they may often abandon their craft for the stable fishing platforms provided by the concrete aprons around the pilings. The boats are secured by a line and allowed to drift away from the bridge.

It's important for the bait to match the regular diet of the fish. Sheepshead are equipped with strong incisor teeth for grazing along the structures as they munch and crunch their food. The bait preferred by most regular sheepshead fanatics is the common mole crab, or "sand flea" found along the ocean beach. The best time to find and catch fleas is on a falling tide. Look for these crustaceans as they scurry back into the ocean as each wave recedes, trying to bury into the sand.

The fleas can be dug by hand, caught with a commercially made scoop or a quarter-inch mesh dip net. Both devices are sold at many of the coastal tackle shops. Sand fleas will stay alive for several hours in a bucket of damp, cool sand.
To present the bait next to the pilings, many regulars use a homemade rig, fashioned from 80 pound test monofilament line. A small but very strong hook, such as a Mustad # 3467, size 4 or 6, is tied to one end of the leader. I always take a minute to file a needle sharp point on every hook. Next, a 1 to 3 ounce egg sinker is threaded on the leader, and the leader is run through the hole in the sinker once more, to enable the weight to be moved but cinched up tight at any point along the entire length of the leader. A surgeon's loop is tied to the top of the leader, to accept a snap swivel from the rod. The amount of lead weight may vary with the current, but it's necessary to use enough lead to keep the bait next to the pilings.

Sheepshead fight like mad when hooked, but nibble lightly while feeding. These bait thieves can suck the underside of a sand flea off the hook, and leave only the top part of the shell dangling from your hook. The best advice is to set the hook whenever a bite is suspected. Most of the time you come up empty, but you will know when you hit pay dirt.
I like to use a revolving spool reel, filled with 20 to 30-pound test braided line and match the reel to a stiff, 6 to 7 foot bait casting rod. The revolving spool allows the angler to control the movement of the bait in the water column with utmost precision. The stout rod and strong line can be used to put some pressure on a hard charging fish heading for the safety of the barnacle encrusted pilings.

A long handled net is necessary to capture the fish once it comes to the surface. The standard net found on most boats will come up short for an angler standing on a concrete slab several feet above the water. I modified an aluminum dip net by running a wooden broom handle up into the hollow shaft of the handle, drilling a hole through both the handle and pole and securing both with a stainless steel bolt and lock nut.

But, it's not necessary to have a boat to catch sheepshead. The catwalk that extends from the south side of the Oregon Inlet bridge provides a perfect platform. Baits, tackle and techniques are exactly the same as those employed by the boaters, but an extra long handled net or a circular net that can be lowered down to the water is necessary to land the fish. Catwalk anglers may find it easier to keep their baits next to the pilings when a strong current is not running.
Sheepshead are not only fun to catch, their reputation on the table ranks with the best. Sheepshead can provide the perfect solution to the summer slow down that often comes with the sultry, hot weather of August.

I'm wishing for some of that hot weather right now!To enjoy a comprehensive, detailed and information-packed weekend with an opportunity to learn surf fishing from expert instructors and acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence that might take years to acquire, consider attending one of the the sessions of the Outer Banks Surf Fishing School. The schools are offered during the fall peak of the surf fishing season. For more information visit www.joemalat.com or call 252-202-4189.