Sheepshead

[randallt]

I am new to the area and want to know what a freshwater sheepshead looks like. Is it like the saltwater version?

[CrappieJohn]

They are freshwater drum and I guess they do kind of resemble the cousin from the deeps. If yoiu do a searck on the internet for freshwater fish pics you'll be able to see what they look like.

[Dan Thiem]

If you put a crawler on a jig and fish in Lake Pepin you would never forget what one looked like.

[carlcmc]

lol

[Ralph Wiggum]

I caught about a dozen this weekend, but no pictures.

I found this one on the internet. It gives you the gist of one.

[mudman]

where NINETOE when you need him??

[woodman]

Here is a couple from Blackduck lake from two weeks ago!

What a fight they were!

[musky hunter]

Woodman:

Nice fish, but they do not look like the sheepshead either in the other picture in the post, nor do they look like the sheepshead I have caught in the Mississippi,St. Louis River, or Fox Rivers. Are there several subspecie of Sheepshead? Those I've caught look much more like a crappie with a smaller turned down mouth. Caught them up to about 10 lbs.

[randallt]

Thanks for the quick replies. I caught one of these in Waconia and didn't know what it was. I did not know that a sheepshead was a drum. They just don't look like the drum from down south.

Woodman-those are great pictures, looks just like the one I caught, but mine was maybe 3.5 lbs. That is just what I was hoing to see with this post. Thanks! I learn something new everytime out up in the North.

[Ralph Wiggum]

The ones I have caught look more like the photo I posted. Very silvery, but I suppose it depends on the water you catch them from.

[woodman]

Those are the only ones I have caught. They venture down from Upper Red Lake into Blackduck lake. When I was growing up we always caught them on Upper Red Lake. I guess that is what ours look like in our neck of the woods. I don't know if there are other species of the same family. Hopefully someone with a fish background can answer that!

[randallt]

So what do you all do with these sheepshead?

[Ralph Wiggum]

The pelicans like them

[hanson]

Quote:

---

So what do you all do with these sheepshead?

---

I let them go. I do really enjoy catching them, they put up a good fight.

Here is one from the Zumbro this spring.

The sheepshead that I catch are really silver with a sort of purple/blue sheen across them. Sort of pretty in a roughfish kind of way.

[PERCHJR]

We also call them Skip-Jacks, they skip nicely of things!!! We catch them alot in the Missouri river system, the ones we catch look like the picture that Ralph posted, my guess would be that they all are related in some way!!!

GOOD LUCK AND GOOD FISHING!!!

[Jeremy airjer W]

I'm confused. I thought sheep head were like the picture that Ralph posted. I've never reeled in anything like Woodman or Hanson posted but they look like they could put up quite a fight.

So if sheephead are what Hanson and Woodman posted what kind of fish has Ralph posted?

[woodman]

All we do with them is CPR!

[Pig_sticka]

I thought sheephead were named for a combination of junk fish. They are different breeds though. The URL one I always heard called Whitefish, and the ones out of the St. Croix or one of those rivers are called sheephead.

Maybe I am wrong but thats just what I have heard. They do seem about the same fish though but the URL ones I have seen run larger than the ones out of the rivers.

Definitely dont quote me though but that is just my imput. Either way they all go right back into the drink.

[Muddog]

Wow!

I have never seen Freshwater drum that look like those two. In fact the fin on the far back is not the same on either of those two fish. The color looks more like a S,M,B.

Wow, again.

Is it a hybrid?

Time to google.

I found alot of pic but none had a back fin like the top one of the two.

[Riverfishin]

I have caught thousands of sheepshead on the st. Croix and mississippi, they are all the same specie, but when they get bigger they lose the purplish tint and change shape.

[Dan Thiem]

OK I'm not proud, here's one. Anybody else care to brave up and post one?

Come on people, I know you got a picture of a sheepie, lets see 'em.

[hanson]

Quote:

---

The URL one I always heard called Whitefish

---

Pig_Sticka,

There are Whitefish in Upper Red Lake also. They are very similar to a Tullibee. A 2 pounder would be a nice Whitefish from URL. I honestly haven't caught them in awhile.

I wouldn't doubt that a Sheepie takes on different coloration, etc. from being in a river vs. lake.

[Random guy]

Ok folks first off I love sheephead or croaker as we would call them in my native waters of Upper Red Lake.They can grow to some hefty sizes and put up a respectable fight, and thats coming from a Musky guy. They are normaly a silver color with a shine or reflective propertey to them in RED. We use to call them croakers from the "croaking" they make in the bottom of the boat or when they are placed on a stringer, yes some would keep them for chow. They were always a silver color and more of a "flat" fish with a whitefish style mouth. Another interesting fact is that the sheephead holds two bone plates or "rocks" in their head, one on each side of the brain. These rocks are somewhat flat with what looks like a backwards J on them.Poeple have even made jewelry from these pearly white stones. I am heading to Red this weekend so I will see if I can catch one or see if I can catch only one of them. I will take some photos and post them as soon as I can.

Hanson-Yes there are whitefish in Red we used to fish them through the ice and they can be a blast, all cpr for me...yuck

Also I don't know if sheephead from different bodies of water have different colors (musky do) but the ones we used to catch looked like Wiggums pic.

[Dan Thiem]

You bet Jon, the "croaking noise" is very common. I laugh every time I hear it. I think I hear a noise that sounds like "Crappie Tom....Crappie Tom..." J/K (and the smiley is just for you big guy, I know you love 'em.

[Random guy]

You know now that you mention it...crrrrappie tommmmmmm. Ya thats it. Like a chant to there leader or idol.