As you go further north in Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, they average 1 1/2 pound and larger. You can identify a spiny by it's brown & gray striped body with yellow spots on it's tail. The spiny can can grow as large as 23 inches in length and weigh 12 pounds - bugs this big are usually found from central to north Florida. The legal size with a 3" carapace is about 1 pound or 10" in length. ![]() The Caribbean spiny lobster is the most common lobster found in Florida. The female carries fertilized eggs on their abdomen for 3 weeks until they hatch. Lobsters in the warm southern waters mate from March to July (closed season for harvesting) where they move inshore from deep reefs to mate. As far as taste, many argue the Maine lobster is sweeter but eating a fresh grilled spiny lobster is arguably just as good. Like most species of lobster, the spiny lobster is nocturnal, hiding under cover during the day and coming out to feed at night on on crabs, shellfish, mussels, worms, sea urchins and sand dollars. Lobsters walk on their many legs forward and swim backwards using their tail to propel them. The spiny lobster may lack claws for defense but it makes up for it in speed - in a blink of the eye a spiny lobster can travel at great speeds backwards to avoid predators making them difficult to catch once they are in motion. The most abundant is the Caribbean spiny lobster, named this because they lack the front claws of a Maine lobster. In Florida, they are commonly called "Bugs" and when you go lobstering, you are "Bug Hunting".Ĭaribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus Argus) Lobsters are fun to catch and equally fun to eat! There are many species of lobsters that reside in the tropical and subtropical waters of the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Image Courtesy of Florida Fish & Wildlife ![]() But the best way to have the ultimate experience, is to book my Sheepshead Special.Lobsters of the South Atlantic & Gulf of Mexico These tips will surely help you to catch sheepshead on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Sheepshead also taste great fried! Book a Charter to Catch Sheepshead on Alabama’s Gulf Coast My favorite way to cook sheepshead filets is to season the meat with your favorite seasonings (I like mine blackened) and toss onto a fry pan with hot melted butter and some olive oil. Just season the flesh and lay the scale side right on the hot grill. My favorite way to cook sheepshead is on the half shell. Go all the way down the backbone to the tail of the fish and cut off at the tail. To cut sheepshead on the half shell, my favorite, follow these steps:ħ. When filet is completely free, cut through the tab attaching it to the tail and set the filet aside. Beginning at front of filet, cut any remaining points where the filet is attached to the frame of the fish.ĩ. Cut the meat loose from the backbone but do not cut through the skin tab in front of the tail.Ĩ. After the knife passes the ribcage, insert it through the fish.ħ. Cut the meat loose from the backbone down the ribcage.Ħ. Insert the knife near the backbone beginning at the top of the vertical cut.ĥ. Cut vertically behind the head of the fish to the backbone.Ĥ. Hold the knife at an angle to get the cutting edge under the scales.Ģ. Don’t try to set the hook or you’ll miss more than you’ll catch.ġ. You can always move to a slip cork at this point and set your depth. Work different depth levels to find the fish. Toss a line at least 10 feet from a structure and work your way in until you get a bite. If you want to use artificial bait, try cranker crabs or Berkeley Saltwater Gulps, crab or sand flea, or shrimp. They also will take fresh or frozen dead shrimp. Sheepshead in Alabama love live fiddler crabs and live shrimp. I like to use about 18 inches with about a ¾ to ¼ ounce weight, depending on the current, to keep the line tight. Rig with 20-pound braided line with fluorocarbon leader. ![]() When targeting sheepshead, use a medium-to-heavy rod. How to Catch a Sheepshead on Alabama’s Gulf Coast The tides play no role in catching sheepshead, which also makes them a fun species to target year-round and any time of day. I’ve caught them in the early mornings and late afternoons. It also means that hundreds to thousands of fish can be found around a single structure.Īny time of day is fine for catching sheepshead. Sheepshead spawn in large groups, making the competition for food high. Sheepshead spawning occurs from February through April on Alabama’s Gulf Coast making the prime time to catch them February through early May. The great news is that sheepshead can be caught any time of the year. When to Catch Sheepshead on Alabama’s Gulf Coast
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