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| ** | It was a long, tough four months for the “hook ‘em and cook ‘em” crowd, but at the stroke of midnight this Sunday, August 31st, Florida snookers can not only count on catching -- but keeping one tasty linesider. And for some reason or other, there are always those fishing right at the stroke of midnight, Aug. 31st to catch that first keeper. That’s always puzzling; because the season is set to remain open here until Dec.1st, Gulf Coast, and Dec15th East Coast. So there will be plenty of time to hook your snook dinner. |
Just to review the regs; the daily snook bag limit is; not less than 28 inches or more than 32 inches Atlantic; Not less than 28 inches or more than 33 inches Gulf of Mexico, Monroe county, Everglades Nat. Park. Many guides and conservation-minded fishers will only keep snook under 30-inches, returning the big breeders so that they can create more offspring.
The most encouraging news from government scientists is that snook populations are in relatively good shape. However, here on the Florida Suncoast, our linesiders are on average, smaller than those caught on Florida’s east coast. But, since recent west coast regulations went into effect, that extra month closure appears to have resulted in an encouraging increase in average snook size.
Despite a warmer than usual winter, snook remain creatures of ancient habit and will travel to their traditional cold weather haunts in the cozy confines of residential canals, backwater creeks and bayous. There, the linesiders tend to hug the warm mud bottoms, moving somewhat lethargically in search of their next meal. Therefore, slow worked sub-surface lures and heavier jigs bounced slowly along the bottom should produce some serious strikes. Of course live jumbo shrimp, pinfish or creek chubs (killifish) will also be quite effective during the cooler fishing season.
Now, as has been the case this year, when we have extended periods of warmer weather, the linesiders will begin peeking out of their winter haunts and move out onto near shore flats.
As for what you need to know to catch snook; a good moving tide is their feeding time – and they usually face into the current. So for best results, cast up-tide beyond the snook. Then work you bait back to them. My own experience over the years is that an outgoing tide has been most productive. Seeking shelter under the mangrove roots during high tide, snook begin venturing out as the water level starts dropping. So set up shop right at the beginning of the outgoing tide -- and wait for them to swim out.
Snook are similar to largemouth bass in that they are “attack feeders.” Hanging around, waiting for something to swim by that looks like dinner, they dart out to attack their prey. So when a linesider strikes a bait, you will feel a unique, sudden “bink” that requires just a slight hook-set to nab the fish. And it’s the precipitous strike that makes snook fishing so much fun.
One technique that has proven to be highly productive is to “skip a bait” under mangrove trees, docks or pilings. Essentially, it’s similar to skipping a stone across the water’s surface -- where an underhanded cast starts the skip in motion. Some of the best snookers can precisely place a bait way back in a pocket under bushes or docks using this technique. It takes a bit of a learning curve, but once mastered, skipping baits can dramatically increase your chances for hooking many more fish.
Now even though it will be legal to keep one snook per day, the rest should be carefully released. Though a very hardy species, snook must be handled with the utmost care – especially during the colder months. Ron Taylor, the snook scientist at St. Petersburg’s FWC Research Institute, has some excellent suggestions for the best ways to conduct the catch and release process.
He urges anglers to decide beforehand which fish will be kept, and promptly release all others. “Hook and land the fish as quickly as possible, leave the fish in the water while de-hooking and then immediately release the fish,” he said.
Taylor urges all snookers to crimp down the barbs on hooks, adding that “Catch rates using barbed and barbless hooks are not significantly different – but the advantages are a reduction in time required to de-hook the snook, plus considerably less physical damage to the fish from hook removal.”
He advises that “it’s not necessary to work the snook back and forth through the water before releasing. It’s okay to lift it out of the water for a few quick photos. Then let it go by simply putting the fish gently back in the water and allow it swim off when it’s ready.”
Also, after a five year study of released snook with deeply imbedded hooks, Taylor concluded that they do survive if the angler just cuts the leader as close to the mouth as possible.
Again, snook season will be opening. But be a good steward of this fabulous Florida resource. Please take only what you need for dinner and gently put the others back. Many is the time when fishing with a friend, we would each take a fillet from just one fish. Then all the other caught linesiders go safely back in the water. Like my friend Mark Sosin (and others) says,” a fish (especially a snook) is too valuable to catch just once.”
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