The “Other” Fish

This one is for the Sheephead fans.

Hey, Dino,

I got that same fish. Didn’t take a pic, though. I’m going for bigger ones.

Hey Dino, It looks like your kinda scrunched up in the pix.
Here’s a freeware program I use to save photo’s to smaller file size. http://www.irfanview.com it’s pretty powerfull for free!
It has a batch file renamer, slideshow, pic enhancement, zoom, “save as” options for lower res, and lots more. Get the latest plug-ins also. You won’t be sorry.

That’s a trophy sheepskin I saw a mounted ~25 lber at a bait shop on hwy 8 in WI. Beanies has a huge one mounted also! I only manage about 1 big one (5lb) a year. Now they’re all about 12″ on the Croix.

Ferny.

Actually-if you havent met Dean yet-he is only 3’4″-so the pic is normal. That is why his fish look so big in all of the pictures. I cant explain the stubby sheepie-maybe the fish ran into a dam.

I might add…he is a very powerful 3’4″!

Pool 7 has put out some huge Sheepies. My personal best is 27lbs. I caught it when I was about 15 yrs old. It made great bear bait for my dad. I had the ‘stones’ taken out of its head, they were huge. Last year, my uncle caught one on a wingdam that weighed 17+ lbs. He was able to get a pic of it. If I can find it I’ll post it.

I caught my biggest sheepie from shore on the MN this year. That thing had to be 20+ pounds. I was just going to throw it back… but a member of the Hispanic community offered to take it. Said it’d feed him for a week.

I measured Dino’s sheepie at 25″ and it weighed 7 lbs 13 oz on the digital. My biggest is just under 12 lbs. I’d love to hook into a 25 lber someday. Based on how the 5 – 10 lbers fight, a 25 lber must pull the boat around.

Sheepies have to be the most underrated fish on the river. The fight really good and the smaller ones don’t taste bad either.

Nice fish Dino!

Boone

Do any of you guys eat them. My son does when he is camping and says they are just fine; likes them a lot better then Silver Bass.

I caught one once that had to go at least 10 pounds.(didn’t have a scale then)It had a kind of pinkish hue to it and I’ve noticed the same thing in other large sheepies.Anyone else notice this?Mike

Ferny. Thanks for the link. I will spend the time it takes to get this software. What I have now definitely distorts things when I resize to drop the file size. I might be overlooking a setting on what I use. It was something that came with our old scanner and is made by Ulead. Maybe I need to crop before resizing?
Dino
Oh BTW , I am really 4’0″. LOL Dave , you are always there to give us some humor.

Uhhh………..yeah……………some of us actually eat freshwater pork. Flavor’s not the same, but the texture can be. Much firmer filet than other game fish and I agree in the whities comparison……………..I actually like them about the same to a bit in favor of the sheepy. There’s more meat in a whitie though.

LOL DaveB! Funny stuff!

Stillakid, I was wondering how long it would take you to extoll the culinary virtues of sheepies!! You are a braver man than me. I have tried some questionable things in the past,like rattlesnake, rocky mountain oysters and the like, but sheepies fall into the category of things i won’t touch, along with head cheese, menudo and pickled pigs feet. They just don’t seem natural, kinda like this 3 eyed smiley face.

Todd, you wouldn’t eat a sheepie but you’ll eat reptiles and Rocky Mountain Oysters?!?!?!?!

Worst thing I ever ate was squid fermented in it’s own ink in a sushi bar. . . That would make any of the above go down like prime rib!

Quote:

---

Worst thing I ever ate was squid fermented in it’s own ink in a sushi bar. . . That would make any of the above go down like prime rib!

---

Oh man…………I’ve always had the attitude for food that says, until I’ve tried it, I don’t know anything about it. But I can’t even fathom firmented squid……….with the ink! Todd, I believe SteveW here wins the bravery honors!!!

But Todd, how can you agree to putting a poisonous reptile’s flesh into your gullet and discriminate against the one of the most widely used fish species in the world? Reptiles ANYWHERE are a delicacy……………fish are common table fare……………and you’re calling me brave? No way dude! If you can eat a SNAKE, you can sample some of my sheepie vittles! In fact, if you eat white bass………….guys………….you’re already on the level of sheephead tablefare. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!!!

You know what they say, the only good snake is a bar-b-cued snake. At least that is what my buddy who served it to me said. It was actually quite good. Didn’t exactly taste like chicken – but was a nice white meat.

As far as the sheepies, call it social conditioning. I grew up fishing the woolen mills in Faribault. Back in the 70’s, it was common practice for people to leave the sheepies on the bank, instead of releasing them or at least using them for plant food. It did not take them long to develop an aroma that would make you think twice about even going near water.

I commend their fight, and would love to catch one like Dino’s. I can imagine it would have been a blast. But eating them, I’d have to have quite a few cold frostie’s in me. Not that that’s ever been a problem!

Quote:

---

But eating them, I’d have to have quite a few cold frostie’s in me.

---

Gimme a number buddy……………GIMME A NUMBER!!!!

Sheepies are as good as any walleye, Bass, crappie or sunny. Keep only the loin and trim all the fat off. Soak in water with a bit of vinegar. Like 1/2 gal of water and T of vinegar. That will take the strong flavor of fish from any fish you get. Hear so many say they don’t like fish because of the strong taste. Try it you will like it. Use that instead of salt.

Soaking fish in milk will also remove any of the strong fish taste if it bothers you or anyone who will be joining you.

Milk will remove the blood from fillets, a big help when eating catfish or others known to bleed excessively.

Buttermilk, however, is acidic, as is vinegar. Both have the same effect of removing the fishy taste.

Rocky Mountain oysters? That sounds like Fear Factor food to me. I’ll eat a sheepshead way before I try that. But I know what you mean about seeing those sheeps all over the bank. Kind of hard to work up an appetite for sheeps when you’ve seen them rotting on the banks for years. Vern

Hey, I just thought you ate them whole.

Now……………. How do we top that???