Jailbreak at Jetties / Sheepshead, Carolina Style

My Tiger-Stripe sheepshead,
 caught 7/16/2012 at the Charleston Jetties

Daryl and Blake Hodge in the Lowcountry

Capt. Todd Stamps with a fine black drum

Available at Anglers Mart in Moncks Corner

The dog days weather pattern of July offers some good calm water opportunities to get close to the Charleston jetties for sheepshead. Often called the convict fish for their black and white prison bar markings, Captain Todd Stamps guided our trip to round up a few sheepies. With the current falling, we set our fiddler crabs right next to the rocks, and it wasn't long before I had the first sheepshead coming to the boat, shaking his head all the way. Next, it was Todd who tied into a beast of fish that turned out to be a nice black drum. That drum did not want to come to the dip net and I can report being overwashed with spray that the drum's tail kicked up while I was outstretched. After making a few fish photos for the new Carolina Style brand that our friends at Wrecking Crew are promoting this summer, it was back to the rocks. The next sheepshead I reeled in was bigger than the first, but it also was distinctive for its markings. The big sheepshead had a Tiger-Stripe marking on him where one black bar did not extend all the way to his dorsal fin - making it very unique. Nature had selected this sheepshead to have a change in pigmentation, which makes it a fine trophy. As we reflected on this rare fish I counted myself fortunate to have caught it with long-time friend Capt. Todd Stamps, and wearing the Carolina Style shirt that represents the sportsmen of S.C. very well.

For more photos of sheepshead click here.