The Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) has a deep and compressed body shape, with 5 or 6 dark bars on a gray background.
It has prominent teeth, including incisors, molars and rounded grinders that it uses to crush and eat small crustaceans like shrimp, crabs, and barnacles. They are often found around docks, bridges, jetties and mangrove shorelines.
Some people like to use Texas rigged shrimp or a drop shot rig for Sheepshead. It is wise to use a smaller hook since they are known as bait stealers. I found mixed feeling on eating Sheepshead but it seems most like them. One person noted that the Florida Sheepshead are delicious, one of their favorites. Mild and sweet, good on the grill, they also like to put fillets in a casserole dish with butter and herbs and bake until flaky. Great stuff.
The world record Sheepshead was caught in the Outer Banks in 2019, weighing 16lbs, 8oz. The Florida state record is 15lbs, 2oz, Homosassa in 1981 and the Georgia record is 14lbs, 4oz in 2002.
