Also known as
- Convict Fish US
- Sheephead US
- Convict US
- Bait Thief US
- Sheeps US
Identification
A deep-bodied SE US and Gulf sparid built for crushing oysters and barnacles off pilings — a stubborn close-quarters scrapper. Males and females alike.
- Five to seven vertical dark bars on silvery-grey to greenish-yellow body, fading with age
- Olive-green darker back
- Distinctive human-like teeth — broad flat incisors and powerful molar grinders
- Small blunt head with relatively small mouth
Where it holds
- Inshore
- Estuaries
- Coral Reefs
Behaviour
A structure-obsessed inshore sparid that systematically picks pilings, jetties, oyster bars, dock shadows, and rock walls clean of crustaceans and shellfish. Crushing teeth break through oyster, barnacle, and crab shells. Notoriously light biter — pulls flesh from a hook with surgical precision. Holds in small groups around hard structure. Peak feeding 23-28°C (73-82°F); pulls offshore onto deeper wrecks when inshore water cools. Freely enters brackish around bridges and outflows.
Diet: Fiddler Crabs, Blue Crabs, Shrimp, Sand Fleas, Barnacles, Oysters, Clams, Mussels
How it's caught
Line Fishing
Live Lining
The premier SE US and Gulf method. Hook a live fiddler crab through the base of a leg on a 1/0-2/0 hook with a 1/2oz egg sinker and 8-10 inch fluorocarbon leader, lower vertically tight to barnacle-covered pilings, jetties, and dock structure, and hold steady. The bite is a faint pluck or weight-only sensation — strike on any change. Sensitive braided main line is mandatory; the fish strips bait in seconds without it. Scrape barnacles off pilings as a natural chum.
Bottom Fishing
Standard offshore approach when fish move to deeper wrecks, reefs, and rock piles in cooler months in 10-30m. Carolina rig or knocker rig with 1/0-2/0 hook baited with fiddler crabs, fresh shrimp, or fresh blue crab pieces. Light braid for sensitivity, fluorocarbon leader; vertical presentation tight to structure. Subtle bite still demands constant rod-tip attention.
Float Fishing
Effective from piers and jetties on shallow inshore fish. Suspend a fiddler crab or live shrimp 30-60cm above bottom under a small sensitive float drifting along piling lines and rip lines. Strike on the smallest dip or sideways slide — these fish never fully bury the float. Productive when fish hold tight in 1-3m around oyster racks and bridge pilings.
Spear Fishing
Inshore Spearfishing
A productive SE US and Gulf reef-spearo target on offshore wrecks, artificial reefs, and bridge ruins in 5-25m, especially in cooler months when fish concentrate on deeper structure. Fish hold tight to cover and approach divers cautiously — patient stalking and headshots produce results. Float-line setup; medium speargun adequate for the size class.
