I’d venture that a rig-caught winter sheepshead actually beats a deep marsh redfish as table fare. The saltier the water, the better tasting the fish.
And, as mentioned, the spawn is on for sheepshead roughly from December to April in our near-offshore waters. This, combined with the cold winter waters, means these sheepshead are plenty fat.
You’ll note the meat is almost marbled. This makes the fillets juicy and absolutely delectable, whether fried, grilled, broiled, ceviched — whatever.
The firm, white fillets also hold up well on the grill — but don’t try the half-shell bit with these fish. Unlike a redfish, a sheepshead’s scales turn and bend when exposed to the grill, making the time-honored redfish recipe too messy.