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00:00I'm Nick Hanushefsky. As a professional saltwater fishing journalist, I've explored the world's wildest fishing destinations.
00:07Now, I'm bringing you there, into the saltwater underground.
00:30In any fishing locale, some fisheries are reliable, abundant, and always productive.
00:51Other fisheries sit in the shadows, slinking around in the underground.
00:55In New Jersey, that shadow fish is the sheep's head.
00:58While abundant in spots along the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Florida, and Gulf states,
01:03sheep's head are an anomaly in New Jersey and the Northeast, up until now.
01:08While average sheep's down south span in the 1-5 pound class, the average Jersey sheep's head grow big at 6-14 pounds.
01:16A resurgence of the old jailbreakers have moved into Jersey waters over the past 10 years or so,
01:22and the fervor for finding them is at an all-time high.
01:25I dialed up the professor of sheep's head in Jersey, Captain Dan Schaefer,
01:30to learn more about this anomaly and to target the trophy convicts.
01:34Then I figured I'd go for a try on my own with another sheep's head freak, Quan Wen,
01:39to see if we could be successful on our own.
01:41All right, we're down here in the stunning south Jersey backwaters of Stone Harbor,
01:47and today we're going to fish with Captain Dan Schaefer, the insomniac.
01:51Now, Dan is the sheep's head guru in Jersey.
01:54He single-handedly defined this fishery, so I like to call him Professor Dan Schaefer.
01:59So we're going to see if we can get some knowledge from him today,
02:03and maybe he can make a sheep's head student out of me.
02:05Captain Dan Schaefer, the insomniac, has pretty much single-handedly put sheep's head fishing on the map in New Jersey,
02:17unearthing a shadow fishery that many never knew about,
02:20but has gained popularity with a yearly growing population of fish colonizing the historical waters once again.
02:28Captain Dan is going to pull out all of his back pocket secrets to see if we can nail a few down.
02:33All right, Dan, so it looks like we got one of your favorite bridges here.
02:38We're going to try and test out for sheep's head,
02:40but why don't you give us just a quick little history of sheep's head fishing in Jersey?
02:44Going back about, I don't know, maybe 25 years ago,
02:49we dropped down my brother's AquaView camera and dropped it down there,
02:53and there's tons of sheep's head down there.
02:55Going from there, we had to come up with strategies and techniques in order to catch the fish.
02:59We ended up coming up with a patented jig in order to catch these fish
03:02called a bottom sweeper jig, so that's what we're using today.
03:05A lot of people don't equate sheep's head with New Jersey,
03:07but historically, you know, that's why they call it sheep's head bay in Long Island.
03:11I mean, there used to be tons and tons of sheep's head around back in the day,
03:15but there was a couple decades where we didn't see many,
03:18but now I would say in the last 15 years or so, they're repopulating the area.
03:22I think they've been here for a while.
03:24That's what it means.
03:25I think they've been here for a long time.
03:27The 1903 catch records for Cape May County, there are sheep's head in those catch records.
03:32We're out here now.
03:33We're drifting away from the bridge, so let's go get back on there and get some sheep's head.
03:36Let's do it, man.
03:37All right, brother.
03:37Let's do it, man.
03:38Phew.
03:39Now, what you're going to do is you're going to drop.
03:41Water's muddy, so about every foot and a half.
03:43Okay.
03:44Okay.
03:44When the water's cleaner, I'm like every three feet or so.
03:47So just drop again.
03:48I'm going to give it maybe three seconds.
03:51I'm going to keep dropping.
03:52Okay.
03:52Every three seconds, drop down another foot and a half.
03:55How deep is this spot where we're fishing here, about 18 feet?
03:58Every place in Cape May County is about 25 to 30 feet.
04:0125 to 30, okay.
04:02Yeah, it's not very deep.
04:04This is an odd fish to where you typically don't feel when you kind of see the strikes.
04:08I discuss a lot of times when I'm doing this posture.
04:11Right.
04:12So watch how I hold the rod.
04:13Sure.
04:14Okay.
04:14And I have a very light grip.
04:16See what I'm doing?
04:16Mm-hmm.
04:18That's all.
04:21This guy, yeah, got him, man.
04:23Got him, boy.
04:24Yeah, buddy.
04:29Want me grabbing that?
04:30If you want to.
04:31Oh, nice fish.
04:31If you want to.
04:32Nice fish.
04:33Yep.
04:34That's perfect, dude.
04:36That's perfect.
04:37Awesome.
04:38Awesome.
04:39Okay.
04:40So that's just the example of how you might go about it.
04:45Yeah.
04:45So you can see right here what we just did.
04:47We went through bones and teeth in order to hook these fish.
04:50Right.
04:50That's why that positive hook set, the position of the rod, everything, design of the jig,
04:58everything is crucial in the hook.
05:00Getting right through those.
05:01And getting right through those teeth and right behind it.
05:03They have three methods of propulsion.
05:05Right.
05:05They have the tail here, this propulsion, and this propulsion here.
05:08They're built like tanks.
05:10They are all bones.
05:12Right.
05:13So now you want to get the, you know, obviously like the oxygen and water going through his
05:16gills again.
05:17Yep.
05:17And.
05:23Starting to thin.
05:24There he goes.
05:24Awesome.
05:25Nice work, brother.
05:26Good job.
05:26Good job.
05:26He's the one that caught it.
05:28Good job.
05:28That's my chance, right?
05:29All right.
05:29All right.
05:32Wow.
05:33Those are all sheep's head.
05:35Oh, my gosh.
05:36Yep.
05:36They're littered down there, man.
05:38Where's my drop cap?
05:40Now we're looking where the bubbles don't move and the crawdads sing.
05:44So over here.
05:45Maybe current rolling through this area.
05:47So check this out.
05:47Where do you think, Nick, a sheep's head would be laying in here?
05:50What do you think?
05:51Right in there maybe?
05:52Yeah, where that calm water is.
05:53Yeah, right in there, right?
05:54Now take that rod tip and put it way in there.
05:56Hop up with me.
05:57Yep.
05:59Oh, yeah.
06:00He's dogging teeth, man.
06:01Oh, yeah.
06:02There you go.
06:03Good.
06:04Now we're just backed off the piling.
06:05Yep.
06:06And now we are out in the open.
06:07Nice.
06:08So you can, no, again, there's no rock.
06:10Yes, boy, dude.
06:11Yeah.
06:11I'll have to fat out of you.
06:13Keep them in the water.
06:14Yep.
06:15Nice one.
06:16Good deal.
06:17Oh, yeah.
06:17Ripping drag, dude.
06:19Good deal.
06:19You're ripping.
06:23Yeah.
06:24Very good.
06:26This one's bigger.
06:27That one's bigger, dude.
06:28Very good.
06:29A little jailbreaker.
06:29Excellent.
06:30That is a fat fish, brother.
06:31Saltwater Underground with Nick Honoshefsky is brought to you by the Florida Keys and Key West,
06:42Nick Honoshefsky on Instagram, and Saltwater Underground on YouTube, Fisherman Supply, Grumpy's Tackle,
06:48and these fine supporting sponsors.
06:51Saltwater Underground with Nick Honoshefsky is brought to you by the Florida Keys and Key West,
06:57Nick Honoshefsky on Instagram, and Saltwater Underground on YouTube, Fisherman Supply, Grumpy's Tackle, and these fine supporting sponsors.
07:06Captain Dan got the party started, and with the slack tide settling in, the situation was about to go bananas.
07:14There you go.
07:15Now, look at that.
07:16Good deal.
07:16That is a pig convict sheepshead right there, man.
07:20That is such a money fish.
07:23It's all muscle, man.
07:24They're built for fast current.
07:25They're built for being in the current.
07:27These fish aren't fish that go into cover.
07:29They're striped, and they're schooled, and they stack up against each other with those stripes, and they just blend in.
07:33And you can see how streamlined they are.
07:35Yeah, I was just going to say, just the streamlined perfection.
07:37All right, Dan, we'll just throw this bad boy right back in again.
07:41Yep, go for it.
07:41And I think he's lively, too.
07:43We're just going to get him.
07:43Yeah, his spines are up.
07:44See the spines?
07:45Yep.
07:45Yeah, so.
07:46There he goes.
07:47Right down into the depths again.
07:49My brother, man.
07:50You know what's funny?
07:51I've never seen them get tired.
07:54Yeah.
07:55Yeah.
07:56They always.
07:56He's slipping all around by the side of the boat.
07:58They're one of those fish to where it's like there's always a little bit left to them.
08:01Yeah, yeah.
08:01Danny's going to make a little move at piling.
08:04I think those sheep's head got dialed in to us pulling two, three, four fish off of.
08:08So we're going to make a tiny little bit of move, a little bit of shift, see if we can find them hanging on this side.
08:13You can see how tight we're fishing right in there, man.
08:16Yeah, in there.
08:16It's a little groove.
08:17Oh, there's some areas where we're way in there, man.
08:21Yeah.
08:21We're going to be right on those piling.
08:22Absolutely.
08:24Muddy water with fish, they gravitate very hard to structure.
08:28You can see that with largemouth, any kind of muddy environment there, and they'll be real tight to structure because they lose our vision.
08:35Look at that.
08:36Yeah, there's no visual.
08:38Get them out of there.
08:39Yeah.
08:40There you go.
08:41Yep, loosen up, loosen up, loosen up, loosen up.
08:43Yep.
08:43Yep, loosen your drag.
08:44Good deal.
08:46Oh, so sweet, dude.
08:48Dude, we found the spot.
08:50No, we're owning it.
08:50We are on the spot.
08:52We've got to leave with the professor, Captain Dan, man.
08:56Oh, just crushing it.
08:57Just crushing it.
08:58Yeah, another great hook set.
08:59Look at the teeth on that.
09:00Look at that.
09:01All right, brother.
09:02Once again, let's release this big guy so he can get grown bigger.
09:10A couple down there.
09:11A couple up top.
09:12Now, which one of the fish does?
09:14A little white?
09:14Any little white dots of fish.
09:16Wow, so little ones up top and some bigger ones down below.
09:18Absolutely.
09:19There he is.
09:20Walk her down.
09:21Walk her down.
09:22Yeah.
09:24With rods and reels.
09:26Yeah.
09:27So a lot of times, dominant fish will inhabit the lead pylons.
09:31The first one's in?
09:33Yep, the first one's in.
09:34Oh, yeah.
09:36Another pig, man.
09:37Look at the size of this guy, man.
09:39This one's the biggest one today.
09:39That's the biggest one yet today, man.
09:42That's the biggest one of the day with Dan and me, man.
09:44This is unreal how these fish are biting, chomping, hitting the bottom sweeper jigs.
09:50Is that a purple candy color that you gave him?
09:52Yep.
09:52It's been lights out.
09:54It's been fantastic this year.
09:55It really has.
09:56Man, this is fantastic.
09:57You cannot beat fishing with Danny, man, for these sheep said.
10:00I mean, you are the professor, brother.
10:02Thank you, bud.
10:03I can't thank you enough for this day, dude.
10:05We are absolutely crushing the sheeps today.
10:07It's great stuff.
10:08This is a classic almost September northwest wind day after all these heat waves we've had.
10:15It's the first day where it's comfortable out, and I think it's really got these fish going.
10:18Right, and these big fish, too, man.
10:20I'll tell you what.
10:21You certainly are the professor of sheep's head.
10:23That's all I know.
10:23Thank you, Nick.
10:24I like the grouping where they're all together, tied with the cable.
10:29It seems like a lot more of those sheets that are hanging around.
10:32What do you got there, dude?
10:34There you go.
10:35Just keep them underwater when you're...
10:37This is so epic.
10:38Yeah.
10:39This is so sick.
10:44Oh!
10:44Oh!
10:48Oh!
10:49Oh, yeah!
10:53Dude, monster!
10:55That's a pig, dude.
10:56That's a pig.
10:57That's the biggest sheep set I've ever got, dude.
11:00Dude, this is what we're looking for.
11:01Dude, this is it.
11:03This is it.
11:04This is it.
11:04Oh, my God, dude.
11:05This is it.
11:06Oh, my God, that's huge.
11:08This is it.
11:08Look at the size of that boy.
11:09What do you think he is?
11:10Oh, he's over 10.
11:11Yeah, he's good.
11:12He's over 10.
11:13This is the fish we're looking for.
11:15This fish is about 15 to 20 years old.
11:17Wow.
11:17Yeah, this is...
11:18This is a real mature fish.
11:21I mean, look at the...
11:22I mean, look what this thing's got going on.
11:24It's such a beautiful fish.
11:25That is just phenomenal.
11:27Oh, my God, dude.
11:28This is the biggest sheep that I've ever got.
11:29This is a trophy.
11:30This is a trophy.
11:31These fish are powerful.
11:32They have one, two, three methods of propulsion.
11:36They're built for speed.
11:39Almost like a triple tail.
11:41Just what a beautiful fish.
11:43Look at the fin, the dorsal spines on him.
11:46And like you said, a broom tail.
11:47It almost looks like a striped bass.
11:48It's so big.
11:49Big old maw with those chomping teeth.
11:51Like you said, 10, 15 years old this fish is, right?
11:53Yeah.
11:54Yeah.
11:54It could be upwards of 20.
11:56Depends on where it came from.
11:57Yeah.
11:57Well, we'll put him back in for the breeding population.
12:00You know, that's the type of Jersey sheep said we want to keep growing here in the garden
12:04state.
12:04You know?
12:05Dude, I'll tell you what.
12:10What a wonderful, wonderful, cute.
12:11Great trip, man.
12:12I love releasing those big fish, brother.
12:14That makes me so happy.
12:15It's really, that's really a real clear picture of what this fishery has to offer.
12:20Fish of that class.
12:21Yeah.
12:22We're in trophy land.
12:23Yeah.
12:23We are.
12:24Unreal.
12:24Absolutely.
12:25Any given moment, man, it could be a state record.
12:28You never know.
12:28And that's what we proved today.
12:29Absolutely.
12:30Saltwater Underground with Nick Honoshefsky is brought to you by the Florida Keys and Key
12:41West, Nick Honoshefsky on Instagram, and Saltwater Underground on YouTube, Fisherman Supply, Grumpy's
12:48Tackle, and these fine supporting sponsors.
12:52After soaking in all the intel Captain Dan bestowed upon me, I called up a mutual student
12:58in the Sheepshead and a good friend of mine, Kwa Nguyen, to see if we could line up some
13:02of the bucktoothed brawlers on our own.
13:05Yeah.
13:06Yo, what's up, buddy?
13:07How you been?
13:08What's going on, Kwa?
13:09Good, man.
13:09Always.
13:10All right, brother.
13:10I'm stoked to be fishing with you, man.
13:12Finally, right?
13:13Finally, after all these seasons talking about it.
13:14We're finally getting them to work.
13:16So what are you going to do?
13:17Dial us into some sheeps today?
13:18We're going to attempt to.
13:19Yeah.
13:19We're definitely going to try.
13:20Let's see if we can, you know, take our knowledge from the master and see what we can do, you
13:24know?
13:25Exactly.
13:25All right, brother.
13:26Let's get moving, all right?
13:27Yeah, let's get going.
13:27Yeah, man.
13:45Oh, I think he's hitting it.
13:47He's tapping it.
13:49Oh, there he is.
13:50There he is.
13:54He's dogging.
13:56All right.
14:02Nice and easy.
14:03Come here behind you.
14:05Just go left.
14:06Be on your left side.
14:07Yep.
14:12That's it.
14:14Look at that convict, right?
14:16Yeah, man.
14:17True little jailbreaker right there, man.
14:19He didn't hit too hard that time.
14:20No, not at all.
14:21He basically kind of like sat on it, but once he started running, man, he knew.
14:24He knew when he bends that rod.
14:26Yeah.
14:26Then he went right back to the pilings like that.
14:28That is great.
14:29He's gnawing on all those barnacles and everything.
14:31And, you know, that little fiddler crab on the half-ounce jig or 3H jig.
14:35The perfect combination.
14:36Oh, that is such a beautiful fish.
14:38I love these Jersey sheep's heads.
14:40And, you know, just to be able to have this fishery here in Jersey now, and they're generally
14:44all bigger fish like this.
14:46I mean, this one isn't too big, but it's a nice size.
14:48Hit that jig perfect.
14:53Yeah, buddy.
14:54Woo!
14:55Yeah, man.
14:57All right.
14:58Let this guy go back in.
15:00Oh, what a beautiful fish.
15:03Let him go swim back.
15:05Get back to the bridge pylons, man.
15:09Yeah, Kwan.
15:10Yeah, buddy.
15:11Getting it done down here, man.
15:14Release the beast.
15:15Let him grow bigger in Jersey.
15:18If we get one fish, there's usually, what, a bunch of fish around the piling?
15:23Depending on what you're fishing.
15:25Like, these skinny pilings, usually if you get one, there's also, it's always a pair.
15:29But if it's, like, bigger piling, you'll find more numbers.
15:32Right.
15:33Usually, like, a small one and a larger one.
15:34A small one and a large one, yep.
15:36So, even though I might be getting hit at one piling, there's not to say that they're not
15:40moving another five foot over, you know, jumping on the next piling, and then the next piling,
15:44and working their way back.
15:45Exactly.
15:45So, usually, if you get one hit off one piling, and he doesn't come back.
15:48Speaking of that, I did get a hit.
15:51Got to connect this time, though.
15:54Oh, drag ripper.
15:55Oh.
15:56All right, take your time, one.
15:58Whew.
15:59Oh, he's pulling the boat around.
16:01Nice convict.
16:03A little jailbreaker.
16:05Yeah, buddy.
16:07Woo-hoo.
16:09Yeah, a little bit.
16:10Yeah.
16:10Yeah.
16:13Woo.
16:13Captain Qua crushing it with us tonight, man.
16:18Nice fish.
16:19Better fish than this one.
16:20Real nice fish.
16:22Look at that.
16:24That's a beauty, brother.
16:25Good one, man.
16:26That is nice.
16:27And he hit, like, the silver head again.
16:29I think it's about a, what, half ounce, three-eighths ounce lead head again, right?
16:32It's a half ounce, yep.
16:33Man, look at the jailbreaking colors on there, man.
16:35That's why they call them the convicts, right?
16:37Yeah, they also got that little line, like a bass, you know?
16:40Yeah, like a pork, you know, from the scup family, that porgy line right there.
16:43Nice lateral line.
16:44It's like a giant pork chop with stripes, right?
16:47Man, these things have such nice colors.
16:50Hell of a fighter, too, man.
16:51Definitely.
16:52That's great.
16:53We'll get him back in, man.
16:54That's how we do it, man.
16:56Qua crushing it, brother.
16:57That's what we do it, brother.
17:00Bloopers.
17:01Look, really.
17:01Bloopers.
17:02He swam right back to the filings.
17:05Yeah, they're hardy fish.
17:05Oh, man.
17:06It's so wonderful, brother.
17:07I can't thank you enough.
17:08Yeah, man.
17:09Appreciate it, man.
17:10Hey, you're putting in all the work today.
17:11You are.
17:12You're putting us on the fish, man.
17:14I'm exercising my thumb today.
17:15Yeah, yeah.
17:16Woo!
17:21Qua and I busted some jailbreakers out from their hallowed structure.
17:24And though I love the taste of sheep's head in the frying pan, in Jersey, with the resurgent
17:29population just gaining some ground again, I practice catch and release with all sheep's
17:34head so they may start proliferating in Jersey waters once again and bring back a breeding
17:40population to ensure catching for generations to come.
17:45It's funny how close we are to the bridge pilings here, too.
17:50But you've got to be right on that, right on where those barnacles are, I guess.
17:54There he is.
17:56He's sat on it.
17:57I'm pulling out.
17:58Yeah.
17:58Oh, yeah.
17:59Oh, keep him there.
18:00Yep.
18:00Hold on.
18:01I'm pulling.
18:01Yeah, there he is.
18:02Hold on.
18:02I'm pulling out.
18:03He's sat on that one.
18:05Yep.
18:05Get away from the piling so he can get the nice net job.
18:09Oh, yeah.
18:10Oh, beauty.
18:12Beauty fish.
18:13Nice knees.
18:13Walk him in.
18:14Yep.
18:15Oh, man.
18:16Oh, that's a good one.
18:17Woo!
18:18What a pig, dude.
18:19It's a good one, man.
18:20This one's definitely bigger than the other ones.
18:21Yeah.
18:22Oh, I'm pulling right out like this.
18:23He's definitely, you got the net?
18:25Yeah, I got the net.
18:25All right.
18:26That's a bigger one right here.
18:27Oh, watch your hands.
18:28You don't want those dorsos in here.
18:30No joke.
18:30Oh, he ain't happy.
18:31Let him chill for a second and get him.
18:35All right.
18:37Oh, can't beat that.
18:38His tail's all wonky, too.
18:40Oh, there it is.
18:42Look at that.
18:42God.
18:43One after another.
18:44We were really hitting it great today on this tide.
18:46They're stacked today.
18:47Yeah.
18:47This was an unbelievable day, man.
18:50Another Jersey sheep's head.
18:51Whew!
18:51You can't beat it.
18:52Nope.
18:53Look at those spins up, man.
18:55There he goes.
18:56Back down to the deep.
18:58Yes.
18:59Yes.
18:59Whew!
19:02Since a so-called convict sheep's head we caught and released got a sweet pardon off the menu,
19:07there's no place I'd rather celebrate a catch than at Charlie's Bar and Grill in Summer's Point with their world-class wings.
19:13Jeff Thomas and his family have run their establishment here with family pride, as they say, at the shore since 44, which is a long time for any restaurant to stay relevant, and that's mainly because of not only Jeff's affable personality, but due to their lip-smacking table fare.
19:30I dropped in to hang with good friends, Jeff and Sean Riley, to grab a brew or two.
19:36Charlie's wings recipe is secret, protected under lock and keep.
19:40Jeff is proud of his legacy, it is built, and carries on the family tradition day after day, making memories for those who come to sample the succulent flavoring.
19:48Hands down, there is no other spot on the southern Jersey shore to get the finest eats and drinks than at legendary Charlie's Bar and Grill.
19:57What's better than hanging with friends and celebrating a successful fishing trip?
20:01And you better make sure to bring a bucket full of wings home for your next fishing trip.
20:05There are always fabled fish laying in the shadows, fish you only hear about over bar talk and tackle shop chatter.
20:16Putting a plan together to target Sheepshead in New Jersey was like hunting the unicorn.
20:21Captain Dan Schaefer and Quan Nguyen proved that fairy tales don't exist, that Sheepshead are here in New Jersey for those dedicated enough to unearth their secrets.
20:30One day on a late summer afternoon, you can try and find those unicorns, just be sure you've got some strong hands to hold that trophy up for a photo.
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