Sheepshead get a bad rap

Natureboy claims that sheepshead get a bad rap and are not bad for the river system. Just wanted to test the water and see what people’s reactions are to this nincumpoop.

Welcome to the site guys!

Good first post….

My close personal friend Chappy is having a 10 lbs walleye mounted. Our own online taxidermist Jack opened er up the other day and found an 8 inch sheepie in her tummy.

Although flatheads don’t care for sheepies…they do like walleyes…and we always can use walleye food….

So in that respect…no, nincumpoop might not work in this case.

Can I vote Yes he is a nincumpoop, but that I don’t think Sheephead are bad for the river

Sorry couldn’t resist. Don’t even know the guy.

I think any native fish cannot be bad for a system as they were here before we ever were, and are just filling a niche in the ecosystem. I say if anything Bass are bad for the ecosystem, that is why I eat every one I catch

Wish I could find my Niche

the biggest reason people do not like sheephead is because they think they eat bass and bluegill eggs. How is this possible of sheephead inhabit deep water, and prefer current. The opposite of spawning grounds

The only reason I don’t like sheephead is due to the false sense of security they give me everytime I set the hook on one and for those couple seconds where you think it’s the mother of alll smallies only to find out it’s a sheepy. I doubt they harm much besides my emotions though.

Sheepshead or freshwater drum are an intergal part of the river eco system. They’ve been in there much longer than any of us. My father and his friends still keep the “drummers” once and a while for a meal. I ate plenty of these in my youth and if memory serves me right they weren’t half bad. Besides going after the BIG drummers with crawdads is a blast. When you hook into a 20 pounder it can take you 10 minutes to net it. Almost as fun as the very large flathead I hooked into last night. I’ve caught 30Lb plus flat heads before but this guy was much, much larger. I followed him with the boat for over 20 minutes and never got him more than a foot off of the bottom. He ended up wearing through my 30 Lb Spiderwire just above the jig head.

Eyehunter

In the spring I will keep a pile of sheepies to make pickled fish. I filet out just the backs and don’t keep any of the larger ones. The meat is white as snow a stays firm in the brine. I also deep fry the back filets, good stuff. I like the looks I get at the landing when I have a wire basket full of sheepies

They are also very fun to catch. A 10+ pound sheepie will slam a trolled crank bait with authority

I read somewhere that sheepies eat zebra muscles

Sheepshead are fine for rivers in the Midwest, where they are a native species that serves both as food fish for other more popular species, and as a control on exotic Zebra mussels. The presence of sheepshead does no harm to a lake or river, and removing them for the sake of removing them makes no sense.

One thing especially annoys me: when I lived in Winona I did not have a boat, so my fishing took place from shore. Few things could ruin a summer fishing trip like a pile of sheepshead rotting in the sun. Not only are sheepshead not harmful to the river, which makes wasting them pointless, it is illegal to leave them on the bank to rot. (If someone wants to kill carp, a harmful exotic species, I say great, although I don’t bother doing so myself. Just don’t leave them on the bank to stink, either.)

As for the eating qualities of the sheepshead, I ate quite a few when I was a kid. They are not terrible, but they aren’t the equal of walleye, either, whatever the Lacrosse paper said a few years ago. I haven’t eaten sheepshead in many years, and don’t see myself doing so any time soon.

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Welcome to the site guys!

Good first post….

My close personal friend Chappy

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Boy..Are you ever stepping out on a limb!

Sorry NatureBoy I voted yes! Couldn’t help it. Even though no members of this site are nincumpoops. Love2Fish.

My lord, Ive never heard as many people admit to eating that junk. I must say ive never tried them, but ive also never eaten from the toilet. Guess im a “fish snob”

You hit the nail on the head — you are a fish snob.

Every person I’ve ever talked to said sheepshead were “pretty good.”

One of two things is going on.

1) – They’re actually “pretty good.”

2) – They’re so incredibly bad they’re trying to get someone, anyone, to try them so they can laugh at them like they got laughed at after they tried sheepshead.

My guess is for #1.

ditto, hope to meet you sometime. Reports from Pools 5A to 7 will be coming next week. You are the guy that told me to quit complaining about all the Pool 4 posts and report whatever I want.

Thanks

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You are the guy that told me to quit complaining about all the Pool 4 posts and report whatever I want.

Thanks

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Yup… guilt as charged. I enjoy reading your reports, as many do as well I’m sure, so keep ’em coming.

This year’s summer GTG out of Everts is on the 15th. If you can be there the food and drinks are on me.

James, a bit of a loner but wish I could make it. My son, daughter, his wife, etc, along with my German Shepherd and the kid’s Lab will be fishing Rainy Lake.

Appreciate the invite,
Chuck

Sheephead recepie,,,Cut up potatoes with skins left on, some celery, greenbeans and whatever and place on aluminum foil. Add spices and butter with a little olive oil or shortening and place fillets on top of other ingredients then put on the mayo or chive and onion chip dip over fillets. Fold foil and crimp edges and put over low coals at campfire. Make or buy some tarter sauce with long green onions and cottage cheese as a side and enjoy. I haven’t voted yet but that little devil on my shoulder wants me to say yes but im going to say no.

I’ve had several people tell me they are good to eat, but it’s just like Carp in my eyes. I’d rather eat walleye, gills, or even pike, before any rough fish. But i guess sometime i should probably try it.

Just like all game, it is how it is taken care of and prepared

What do you think is in Mrs Pauls fish sticks? The commerical guys tell me they get good money for sheepies.

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My lord, Ive never heard as many people admit to eating that junk. I must say ive never tried them, but ive also never eaten from the toilet. Guess im a “fish snob”

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I like this guy’s style. I’m originally from the appleton area, and I have never heard of anyone eating sheepshead until this. You all say sheepshead are good eating, but I’d be curious to see how often you actually eat them.

Like I stated earlier, in the spring I use them for pickling and deep fry them at least 3 times a year.

As far as people thinking they are just garbage fish, Thank you

I went to the river last night and the previous 3 and got a couple 1 1/2lb sheepies each night while jigging. I took them home and filleted them out. I”ve eaten the bigger ones and thier ok too. If you want an honest taste comparison to me its close to bass, not as good as crappies, bluegills and walleyes but its still good as many here say the same. It really isn’t a bad tasting fish that you have to learn to eat or develop the taste buds for. Its as good as catfish or bullheads, better than the rougher spiecies such as carp. I go to Moen’s fish market just north of harpers ferry a couple times a year and buy fillets at $1 a pound, especially just befor winter to carry me through for awhile, they got an undeserved reputataion and thier about as close to being a game fish as it comes without being one. Sheepies are ok.

The next time you run to the grocery store, take a look at their fresh fish department and look for Freshwater Drum. I think they are similar in price to the walleye fillets, but I know they are there.

And anything goes down a little better with a couple

Sheepie ya say? Here’s my biggest so far. Only 7.6 pounds. I know there is bigger ones in the Mississippi down by Lacupolis.

Dan,
You are totally holding a trophy there!! I don’t by what roll of the dice or by what twist of fate some fish were labled as top drawer and others as “trash”. I’m not here to argue with anyone ( I am glad to see some opinion based on facts and actual experience expressed here though). I am just here to voice my opinion that the fish Dan is holding has just about every attribute that is valued in any “game” fish and probably a few more to boot. And as far as having a negative impact on the fishery for other species, I guess I have never understood that one either… How many more walleyes per acre could you possibly squeeze into the Miss.? In spite of some extemely substantial year ’round fishing pressure, I don’t know of a fishery that compares- except maybe now Upper Red Lake-and guess what, there’s Sheepies in there too. I don’t wan’t to digress into a tirade. My hat’s off to anyone who pulls in a fish of that size of any species, particularly one that pulls like a sheep. I hope you enjoyed the experience.

I don’t take the time to clean them myself (too lazy) but my uncle Ray has hosted many a fish fry with sheepie as one of the main dishes. Cleaned and prepared properly, deep-fried, they are quite good.

There’s a restraunt in Omaha, Nebraska (not sure if it’s other places) called Joe Tess’ Fish. They mainly serve Carp, scored and deep-fried. It’s got some herbs and spices to it as well. It’s also quite good and the place is generally packed.

The fish that’s on my short list is the Rock Bass. Those little pest will not leave me alone while fishing eyes on MN lakes. I am pleading with ya’all to start keeping more Rock Bass. We’ve got to thin the herd.

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Dan,
You are totally holding a trophy there!! I don’t by what roll of the dice or by what twist of fate some fish were labled as top drawer and others as “trash”. I’m not here to argue with anyone ( I am glad to see some opinion based on facts and actual experience expressed here though). I am just here to voice my opinion that the fish Dan is holding has just about every attribute that is valued in any “game” fish and probably a few more to boot. And as far as having a negative impact on the fishery for other species, I guess I have never understood that one either… How many more walleyes per acre could you possibly squeeze into the Miss.? In spite of some extemely substantial year ’round fishing pressure, I don’t know of a fishery that compares- except maybe now Upper Red Lake-and guess what, there’s Sheepies in there too. I don’t wan’t to digress into a tirade. My hat’s off to anyone who pulls in a fish of that size of any species, particularly one that pulls like a sheep. I hope you enjoyed the experience.

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Hmm, do you happen to have a length-to-weight conversion table for sheepshead? A few years ago I caught a 29″ sheepshead on Pool 6 while walleye fishing. I let it go, and didn’t have a scale with me, but I estimated it’s weight to be around eleven lbs.

Sheephead are every bit as good as a walleye. It’s a matter of how they are taken care of. In the summer you have to keep them on plenty of ice. They turn soft very fast. Also I only keep the loin part down the back and trim off all fat. Can’t tell it from walleye once it is fried and on the platter to eat. It’s a bit courser meat is all.
And nothing wrong with carp either if fixed right. I’ve ate and served a lot of carp in my day. Beats the heck out of salmon any day when it’s canned.