Six Sheepshead on 1/2 of 1 Oyster
And What Every Sheepshead Angler Can Learn From It
By Gil Price – Mossy Head Bait Company
Every Sheepshead Angler Has Experienced This...
You're fishing beside a bridge piling.
You lower a fresh oyster to the bottom.
The rod tip twitches ever so slightly.
You lift the rod...
Nothing.
When you reel in, the hook is bare.
The oyster is gone.
The fish wins again.
If this has happened to you, don't worry—you aren't alone.
Every experienced sheepshead angler has had the exact same thing happen.
The question is...
Why?
Know Your Fish
Why Sheepshead Are Master Bait Thieves
The human-like teeth of a sheepshead explain why they're famous for stealing bait. Unlike many gamefish, they don't chase shellfish. They simply swim up, crush the shell, and eat the meat—often before the angler realizes a fish has bitten.
Most fish attack their food.
A sheepshead doesn't.
Instead, it slowly approaches an oyster, clam, mussel, barnacle, or crab and begins crushing it with rows of powerful molar-like teeth.
Because they feed this way, the bite is incredibly light.
Sometimes the rod tip barely moves.
Sometimes it doesn't move at all.
Many anglers never even realize a sheepshead has picked up their bait.
By the time they decide to set the hook...
The oyster is already gone.
That is why experienced anglers often call sheepshead master bait thieves.
Why Oysters Are One of the Best Sheepshead Baits
This may surprise anglers who have never tried them.
Oysters are among the finest natural baits available for sheepshead.
Why?
Because oysters are exactly what these fish evolved to eat.
Their teeth were designed to crush shellfish.
Their entire feeding behavior revolves around shellfish.
If a sheepshead could choose between many artificial offerings and a fresh oyster...
the oyster would almost always be a natural meal.
Unfortunately...
One of the best baits is also one of the hardest baits to fish.
Why Most Anglers will not use Oysters
All to often we come up empty, not even knowing the fish got the bait
The problem isn't catching fish.
The problem is keeping the bait on the hook
Fresh oysters...
• Tear while putting them on the hook.
• Rip apart during a hard cast.
• Wash off in current.
• Fall off before reaching the bottom.
• Are stolen by pinfish.
• Are crushed apart by sheepshead.
• Frequently leave anglers with nothing but an empty hook.
After enough frustration...
Many anglers stop using oysters altogether.
Not because they don't catch fish.
Because they don't stay on the hook.
The Real Problem Isn't the Bait
For years anglers have searched for a better bait.
In reality...
Oysters are already one of the best.
Every time bait falls off...
You lose another opportunity.
Every time a pinfish steals it...
Another opportunity disappears.
Every time you reel up an empty hook...
Another opportunity is gone.
Fishing success often comes down to one simple question.
How long does your bait remain in the strike zone?
Fishing Challenge
Yep, just another free lunch for the master bait thief
The Problem
Delicate bait disappears before the target fish ever has the opportunity to eat it.
The Result
• Constant rebaiting.
• Expensive bait wasted.
• Less fishing.
• More frustration.
Our Goal
Fill the bait injector with any soft bait and inject in the bait bag
The bait bag is the simple answer. Fill the bag with the oysters, clams, mussles. This bag is made of nylone. The mesh is perfect to protect the bait but not interfer with bait presentation.
Keep the bait fishing longer.
The Experiment
"How many fish can one oyster catch if it actually stays on the hook?"
Watch the Video: Click here to see video
What Happened
¼ of one oyster was placed inside a Mossy Head Sheepshead Bait Bag.
After the first fish...
Some bait was gone.
Exactly what you would expect.
But plenty remained.
Then another fish.
inject 2ns ¼ of oyster in bait bag
Another fish
Then another.
Eventually...
That same half oyster caught...
SIX SHEEPSHEAD.
This time it was 6 Sheephead but catching more than one fish per bait is very common
The important point wasn't the number of fish.
The important point was this...
The bait continued fishing.
Why This Saves Money
And it goes up every year!
Natural bait isn't cheap.
Oysters.
Clams.
Shrimp.
Squid.
Mussels.
Fresh cut bait.
Every piece that falls off the hook costs money.
When one piece of bait catches several fish instead of one...
Everything changes.
Less bait purchased.
Less bait wasted.
Less rebaiting.
More fishing.
It's Not Just a Sheepshead Problem
There are host of bait thieves out there, some are gamefish most are not
Although sheepshead may be the most famous bait thieves...
Every saltwater angler deals with bait loss.
Pinfish strip bait.
Pigfish steal bait.
Puffers clip bait.
Crabs tear bait apart.
Current washes bait away.
Long casts sling bait off.
Rough surf pounds bait loose.
Offshore anglers often reel hundreds of feet only to discover the bait disappeared long before it reached the bottom.
The problem is universal.
Protect the bait.
Our Bait Bag Wraps protect the bait without hiding the bait
Protect your opportunity to catch fish.
What This Demonstration Really Proves
This wasn't really a story about catching six sheepshead.
It demonstrated something much bigger.
When bait stays on the hook...
It continues releasing scent.
It continues attracting fish.
It survives multiple bites.
It gives additional fish the opportunity to eat.
Sometimes catching more fish isn't about changing bait.
Sometimes it's simply about keeping your favorite bait fishing longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are sheepshead so good at stealing bait?
Their human-like molar teeth are designed to crush shellfish. They often nibble and crush bait so gently that anglers never detect the bite before the bait is gone.
What is the best natural bait for sheepshead?
Many experienced anglers consider fresh oysters, clams, mussels, and fiddler crabs among the best natural baits because they closely match the sheepshead's natural diet.
Why is an oyster so difficult to keep on a hook?
Oyster meat is extremely soft. It tears easily during rigging, can sling off during a cast, wash off in current, or be stripped away by small fish before a sheepshead arrives.
Can one piece of bait catch multiple sheepshead?
Yes. If enough bait remains on the hook after each bite to continue releasing natural scent, a single piece of bait may catch multiple fish, as demonstrated in this article.
About the Author
Myself (left) My wife Mai 9center) and Winston Chester of the Florida Panhandle Show
Gil Price is the founder of Mossy Head Bait Company and the inventor of the Wrap Fishing System. Through years of testing natural bait retention systems, he has focused on solving one of saltwater fishing's biggest challenges—keeping delicate bait in the strike zone longer so anglers spend more time fishing and less time rebaiting.
Final Thought
The best bait in the world can't catch fish after it's gone. Protect your bait...and you protect your opportunity to catch fish. Rememder: It about the bait. Its about the bait all the time and everywhere