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John's Journal... Entry 109, Day 4

GARY DAVIS ON SPECKS AND REDS

The Winter Catch

EDITOR'S NOTE: Captain Gary Davis of Tidewater Fishing Service in Foley, Alabama, has fished the Alabama Gulf Coast all of his life. From March 1 through December 1, he consistently brings in large catches of speckled trout and redfish. During the winter months, Davis catches numbers of sheepshead. A few weeks ago Davis and I started the morning by fishing Dixie Bar at the mouth of Mobile Bay out of Fort Morgan, Alabama. This week we'll learn where Captain Davis fishes and how he catches his fish.

Question: Do you target sheepshead during the cold winter months?
Answer: Yes, I do. During January, February and the first part of March, I have trouble finding the speckled trout and redfish in the bay. But we catch plenty of big sheepshead during that time of year. We see large schools of sheepshead on the rocks at the Sand Island Lighthouse and around the gas and oil rigs.

Question: What do you use for bait when fishing for sheepshead?
Answer: During the winter months, I cut a dead shrimp into about four small pieces. I put a small piece of shrimp on a No. 6 Sea Sea Striker hook. During that time of the year, I fish with 15-pound-test Berkley Trilene XT line on bait-casting tackle, and I tie the hook directly to the line.

Question: What size sheepshead do you usually catch?
Answer: During the winter months, the sheepshead average 8 to 12 pounds. We catch a lot of 12-pound fish.

Question: How do you prepare the sheepshead for the table, and how do you cook them?
Answer: I fillet all the sheepshead we catch. You can fry, broil, bake or boil sheepshead. Many people don't realize how good sheepshead taste.

Question: In a day of fishing for sheepshead, how many fish do you usually catch?
Answer: On an average day I catch about 200 pounds of sheepshead per trip.

To contact Captain Gary Davis and learn more about fishing at Fort Morgan, call (251) 943-6298.

TOMORROW: SELECTING YOUR CATCH

 

 

 

Check back each day this week for more about Redfish ...

Day 1 - Dixie Bar's Redfish
Day 2 - Locating Mobile Bay's Speckled Trout
Day 3 - Reeling In Tough-Fighting Spadefish
Day 4 - The Winter Catch
Day 5 - Selecting Your Catch


John's Journal