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What ever happened to the Sheepshead in Sheepshead's bay?

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Nature runs in cycles 

 

The planet went through a cooling phase and the range shifted south, along with redfish, croaker, cownose rays, gray triggerfish....

 

Now it's warming up again and the ranges are moving back north, Cownose heve been around for a few years now, I've targeted Sheepshead and gray trigger in the inlets, redfish are starting to show (friend got one off the beach in Springlake NJ last year). We've had some epic runs of croaker all the way up and into Raritan Bay.

 

If you want your mind blown, read The Call of the Surf by Van Campen Heilner. Written in the 1920s, it's about fishing the NJ coast at the turn of the century. He talks about taking his boat down to LBI, camping on the beach (since almost no one lived there) and fishing for sheepshead and Redfish

I just wanta play everyday despite small nagging injuries --

and go home to a woman who appreciates how full of crap I truly am. ~ Crash Davis

 

Social Distancing since 1962

 

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55 mins ago, Wire For Fire said:

I’ve only seen one in all my years at the wantagh 3rd many years ago . Sucker was over 10lbs . Cool looking critter . Rip old Vic 

A couple were taken in Great South Bay, in 2018 if I recall correctly.  They were also big fish.  I think they were caught around the Robt. Moses.

"I have always believed that outdoor writers who come out against fish and wildlife conservation are in the wrong business. To me, it makes as much sense golf writers coming out against grass.."  --  Ted Williams

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30 mins ago, SC said:

I caught several Sheepshead on the North Shore of LI during the mid to late 60's and saw many while diving. Butterfish also were prevalent during the same time and made great Bluefish bait

Yea butterfish is another one I haven’t seen in geeze prob more then 10 years now . They used to pile in thick at the boat basin at west end ..  bass used follow them in there and feast 

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From what I have read the sheepshead disappeared around the late 1800's.  They were very plentiful in the in the early 19th century and some farmers supplemented their income by fishing for them as they were a  popular food fish.  Some biologists say the disappearance coincided with the disappearance of the oyster reefs and from pollution and overfishing.  Some also say that this was the extreme northern range of the fish and that in combination  with a decreasing population shrank its range.

When we look back on our lives, our most precious commodity will have been time. Time shared with the ones we love. Don't wait for time to be convenient, find the time, make the time, for this is what you will cherish most.

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9 mins ago, Wire For Fire said:

Yea butterfish is another one I haven’t seen

Yep... every party boat I have been on,  out of Sheepshead Bay used butterfish as bait back 20 years ago.

 

I suppose, modern day the bunker has become the new "I can't believe its not butterfish"  butter

Edited by baldadonis2002
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I know of 2 caught last year in late September, I believe by one of the SS beach bridges.  It was posted in the fishing magazine, along with pics  Both were over 10 lbs.  I believe one mid-teens.

I know I fish like a girl....try to keep up

 

 

 

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