So Cal Angler Catches Possible Record Sheephead from Sand

If you remember, a few months ago, Gary and Kaspar released their book – California Surf Fishing: The Hunt for Big Fish. Only a few montrhs later, Kaspar may have just landed a record Sheephead from shore.

The following is a recounting of the catch written by Kaspar Kazazian

Record California Sheephead from Shore

You never know what you might experience when you put your bait out there. As fishermen, we’re so willing to think the unthinkable and imagine the unimagined. It’s what keeps so many of us coming back to the water.

When I tell my friends and colleagues about my fishing hobby (or obsession), some think it sounds cool, some see it as a great way to relax, and others? They just don’t get it at all. But for me, and many others, it’s a chase for a “transcendent rush” that cannot be replicated away from the water. It’s the willingness to imagine what hasn’t been done before. It entails endless hours of process-optimization culminating in catches that speak for themselves. I’ve been fishing hard for a few years now, but the goal never changes: a PB-smashing fish to spark that dopamine and adrenaline rush.

A few days ago, I experienced the type of rush we dream of as fishermen. I caught the monster California sheephead pictured above. I didn’t know it until I got home and started asking around, but it just might be a state record California sheephead from the sand. Even now, when I take a moment to look back at what was accomplished, I’m filled with deep gratitude for our ocean’s gifts.

My History with Sheephead Fishing

A bit of personal history: I caught my first California sheephead from sand around 4 years ago. I was ecstatic and it wasn’t even legal. I really didn’t know what I was doing (which is typically the case in the early days of learning any skill). Still, that moment sparked a real thirst for sheephead fishing.

Cue the next few years, fishing hundreds of different spots with different rigs, converging on a methodology that gives the highest likelihood of catching these fish. There is very little information on the internet on catching California sheephead from shore. While I did gather inspiration from the few fishermen that do target sheephead in Southern California, with no real mentor, I relied on the scientific method and constant experimentation.

Sharing these catches with my brother and friends was the fun that fueled the fishing. Without these wonderful people, many of my largest sheephead catches would never have happened. A particularly joyful memory was a couple of years ago, when I caught a 25-inch sheephead from sand with my brother and a great fishing buddy. At that point, I thought it might be my all-time PB as it smashed my previous PB of 21 inches. However, since then I have experienced several substantial bites and “what ifs” in sheephead zones that have made me think, “there are bigger ones out there”… and now, I know there are. 

The Story of the Session: Catching California Sheephead from the Shore

On this particular day, I was in a sheephead spot that I had discovered only a year ago. The waves were rough (as they typically are at this location), the winds were strong (around 10+ knots which is also not ideal), and to top it off, the tide was a bit lower than what I prefer at this spot. Frankly, the only reason I chose this spot was because of the several “what if” bites I’d had here over the past year. After missing those, my imagination ran wild. Upon losing those fish, I was distraught, yet even more motivated to come back. Logic said to try another spot with more favorable conditions, but sometimes you have to follow imagination. Sometimes imagination is right. 

I put on a pretty heavy sinker to cope with the conditions to help keep my bait fixed in the water. I cast out far, which is typically the case while sheephead fishing. Within the first two hours, I’d landed a legal sheephead and a legal bass. Neither were crazy catches, so I kept casting.

I missed a fair number of bites in those first two hours, but I wasn’t too disappointed. I was certain I hadn’t had any 20+ inch sheephead bites yet. Sheephead bite very distinctively compared to calico bass and rockfish (the bycatch while sheephead fishing). Calicos / rockfish will take the bait with more conviction right away.

The Prelude: Record Sheephead from Shore

With rod in hand, I noticed my tip move down slowly. I felt the weight of a massive fish. “This might be the one” I thought to myself. It wasn’t an aggressive bite but I set the hook anyway. No cigar! I put my hands up to my mouth in disbelief knowing I had just missed a potential monster. Maybe I set the hook too soon. In my experience, the fish doesn’t usually come back after a missed hook set. Still, imagination won out as I decided to wait a few more seconds and try my luck… … … then it happened.

“Fish on!” 

My memory of the next few minutes is a little blurry. I was operating on instinct. There were violent head shakes right away. I immediately loosened my drag. A tight drag with strong headshakes is a recipe for a spat hook. In that moment, I wasn’t actually convinced it was a sheephead. I’d never had a sheephead fight with such aggressive head shakes. My adrenaline and dopamine were off the charts.

I remember telling myself “don’t mess this up”. I didn’t want another “what if”. I was able to navigate the sheephead around some rocks and felt like I had a good chance of nailing it as it got closer. I kept the pressure on with my rod, reeling in fast when the fish swam towards me. When the fish was within 10 yards of me, I got visual of the classic black and red sheephead coloring. The fish looked alien because of the sheer size of its fins cresting above the water. I was ecstatic, but the job wasn’t done yet.

I back-pedalled with my rod tip lowered to gain better leverage so I could beach the fish. With the next wave, I brought the sheephead onto the sand. I laid down my rod and sprinted to the fish. I could barely lift the thing. Such joy! 

Record Sheephead Weight and Measurements

Of course I measured the beast. Could it really be 30+ inches? Given that it was a solo mission, I don’t have the greatest “tape measure-picture” of it, but the picture I took shows the fish taped at 32 inches. The measuring tape was wrinkled, so I’ll conservatively say the fish was above 30-inches. Looking at other catches of similar sized sheephead from boats / piers / jetties, the fish is estimated to be 25+ pounds. It sure felt that heavy. I haven’t found any confirmed catches of sheephead this big from the sand. What a catch. What a feeling… the indescribable feeling when imagination meets reality.

If you’re interested in targeting big game fish from the shore in Southern California, my brother and I released an ebook a few months ago. We cover in depth tactics for catching sheephead, halibut, white sea bass, calico bass, and rockfish. Please visit https://www.californiasurffishing.net/sfsc for a promotional 15% off price on the ebook for readers of Surf Fishing in SoCal. 

With determination, passion, and knowledge, anything can happen on the water.

Tight lines, 

Kaspar