# Tappan Sheephead????



## Fishin365 (Feb 3, 2009)

Went out on Wed. night to do some bass fishing and got 16 bass and several white bass in about 3 hours and a SHEEPHEAD!!! WTF..did somebody dump these in from the rivers? To say the least, it was a dissappointment to see this in a lake around here.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Drum/sheephead are native to Ohio rivers and creeks. What river/creeks feed Tappan? I would assume most lakes have a small population.


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## TClark (Apr 20, 2007)

They probably got stocked with the white bass, especially if they're from Erie.


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## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

They damed Stillwater creek to make tappan so proply just a native fish like m.magis was sayin.


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## Fishin365 (Feb 3, 2009)

If they came from the local rivers, where have they been the last 75+ years of the lakes history? I have never heard/caught/seen sheephead in Tappan. I have caught plenty of them in the Tusc. and Stillwater rivers, but not in the lakes.

If you have ever fished Erie, you would agree they are annoying. I was just wondering if people were transplanting these from other locations


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## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

There is still pike in Attwood, we got one last year, just because u don't catch a type of fish every year don't mean there not in there, they haven't stocked pike in Attwood for a very long time. If there is a low population of a certain type of fish in a lake the size of tappan you should not expect to see them every year. Look at all the guys that go after Flathead, some guys have yet to catch one and there actually fishing for them!


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Fishin365 said:


> If they came from the local rivers, where have they been the last 75+ years of the lakes history? I have never heard/caught/seen sheephead in Tappan.


Like Ducky said, just because you haven't caught one doesn't mean they haven't been there. I've caught them in other lakes as well. Knowing now that Tappan was formed from Stillwater, I think it's a safe bet it's just a native fish. It's highly unlikely anyone transplanted drum. One, there's no reason. Second, they don't transport well at all.


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## fishing_marshall (Jun 12, 2004)

TClark said:


> They probably got stocked with the white bass, especially if they're from Erie.


White bass are not stocked in any lakes. 

I think native to the creek or do they have an odd fish in the cripple creek tournaments? Someone could have caught it and turned it in as odd fish. Tappan is the closest place to put it back.


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## willyb021 (Jun 1, 2009)

Yeah there's odd fish in cripple creeks tourneys. That's def a good possibility. I've been fishing Tappan on a regulat basis since I was little. Never seen or heard of one being caught. 


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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

Someone has definately stocked them, either by accident or on purpose. I know of at least a dozen being caught last summer and this year so far. I never heard of a sheephead being caught in Tappan until now. Have fished bass tourneys there since the early 70's and never heard of one being caught. The next few years will show whether they have spawned or not. The creeks feeding Tappan are very small and have never had sheephead in them either, I've fished them all since I was a kid and I'm 69 now.As far as white bass, the state never stocked them in Piedmont either but they are there now due to people bucket stocking them .


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## crappiecat (Sep 7, 2010)

There used to be a guy that fished Cripple.....went to the Ohio river every tourney and ALWAYS brought back a sheepshead. I know they would take their flats and/or channels to tappan, so I'm sure the sheep went in there too.


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## fontinalis (Mar 29, 2011)

Several anglers i creeled last year reported catching sheephead, as well as suckers. They are in pretty much every lake in the state, might not be in great numbers, but you can find them just about anywhere.


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## Tatonka (Aug 23, 2007)

What do sheephead hit on? I mean is it more than likely to catch one fishing for crappie or catfish as in bottom dwelling?


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## fontinalis (Mar 29, 2011)

they tend to relate to the bottom, so i guess you would run into them catfishing


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## Tatonka (Aug 23, 2007)

fontinalis said:


> they tend to relate to the bottom, so i guess you would run into them catfishing


Thank you Sir and this may sound dumb but I have heard to kill any bowfin if one is caught, does the same stand for sheephead?
I mean I heard they are very bad for the local fish but I figured I would just release them for someone else to catch?


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## fontinalis (Mar 29, 2011)

no, sheephead and bowfin are both harmless in most ecosystems, anyone who says to destroy them needs to be educated on the matter.


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## Rod Hawg (Jan 13, 2011)

Tatonka said:


> What do sheephead hit on? I mean is it more than likely to catch one fishing for crappie or catfish as in bottom dwelling?


 Pretty much everything. Can get em fishin cats. But on Erie we get them trolling worm harnesses and crank baits. Also get them Perching with live minnows...Bass guys catch them down south casting crankbaits as well...


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