The Snook Nook FISHING REPORT
Always Bring Your Camera!
Current Fishing Reports

JULY 2004

July 4, 2004 FISHING

TARPON ON THE BEACH, TARPON IN THE INLETS, TARPON FROM THE BRIDGES, TARPON IN THE RIVERS, HAVE YOU HUGGED A TARPON TODAY?

SURF ANGLERS ARE RUNNING NORTH AND SOUTH ON THE SURFS EDGE TRYING TO CONVINCE A ONE HUNDRED POUND FISH NOT TO TAKE ALLL THEIR LINE AND GO EAST. FUN JUST TO HEAR THE CONVERSATION. NOW WE HAVE ALL TALKED TO A FISH AT THE OTHER END OF OUR LINE BUT IT IS REALLY FUN TO LISTEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. LIVE BAIT TOPS THE LIST, DAWN IS THE HOUR AND ANGLERS WITH BOATS YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE ANGLERS STANDING THAT YOU DO NOT CUT THEIR LINES. YES, SOME ANGLERS DO MANAGE TO BRING THAT FISH TO THE EDGE. THE TRICK IS TO TURN THE FISH, CONFUSE THE FISH, MAKE IT LOOSE DIRECTION SO AS TO GO NORTH OR SOUTH NOT EAST. YOU NEED TO RUN PARALLEL TO THE WATER AND KEEP THE PRESSURE ON. AS THE FISH TIRES HE WILL START TO FOLLOW THE PRESSURE, NOW YOU NEED TOGO THE OTHER WAY WITH THE PRESSURE ON TRYING TO GET BACK AS MUCH LINE AS POSSIBLE. JUST BECAUSE HE IS NOW FOLLOWING THE LINE DOES NOT MEAN HE IS DONE, I THINK THEY JUST WANT TO SEE WHAT'S PULLING. AS THE FISH GET IN THE VERY SHALLOW HE MAY MAKE ANOTHER RUN AND YOU GET TO START OVER OR YOU MAY HAVE WHIPPED YOUR FIRST TARPON FROM THE SURF EDGE. DO NOT TAKE THE FISH FROM THE WATER, GET YOUR PICTURES QUICKLY AND WALK HIM BACK TILL HE RECOVERS. WANT TO TRY FOR TWO?????

SURF HAS BEEN THE PLACE WITH LOTS OF ACTION AND A LONG CATCH LIST. WHITING, POMPANO, BLUEFISH, TARPON, SNOOK, PERMIT, JACKS, EVEN A KINGFISH OR TWO, FISH FOR ALL HOURS, FOR ALL ANGLERS. TARPON AND PERMIT ARE AN EARLY MORNING BITE. SNOOK AND THE BLUES EARLY ON A HIGH TIDE. WHITING, POMPS AND BIG JACKS MOST OF THE DAY. THE BEST PART IS WE ARE SMARTER THEN THEY, I THINK.

THE RIVER IS CRYSTAL CLEAR TO THE POINT THAT TWO ANGLERS WENT TO THE SAILFISH FLATS TO TARGET BONEFISH AND CAUGHT FOUR. REDS HAVE BEEN EARLY IN THE POWER PLANT AREA JUST AFTER DAWN, YOU CAN SEE THEM PUSHING WATER. STRONG TROUT BITE, AS THE SUN COMES UP YOU JUST NEED TO FISH DEEPER, START EARLY IN THE VERY SHALLOW USING A TOP DOG JR. AFTER THE SUN IS BRIGHT FISH THE SHADED AND DEEPER AREAS USING YOUR FAVORED SOFT RUBBER JERK BAITS. PLENTY OF JACKS, CROAKER, TRIPLETAIL ON THE CHANNEL MARKERS, DRUM AND ALL THE REST TO KEEP YOU BUSY. TARPON SOUTH OF THE STUART CAUSEWAY, AROUND THE BRIDGES, LITTLE MUD CREEK OR GO TO THE NORTH FORK OF THE ST. LUCIE RIVER PLENTY OF FISH, NARROW BITE TIME. EARLY AND LATE ARE THE BEST TIMES.

BLUE WATER ANGLERS TARPON JUST OUTSIDE THE INLET, TOLD YOU THEY ARE EVERY WHERE. LOTS OF BAIT FROM FIFTEEN FEET OUT SO YOU CAN AVOID THE MOB OF BOATS ON THE FIRST SCHOOL. CURRENT SLOWED ON THE REEFS, TEMPS ARE PERFECT AND THE LIST IS LONG. COBIA, KINGS, SAIL, BONITA AND A FEW DOLPHIN. REEFS, IT IS GENUINE REDS, MUTTONS, MANGROVE, GROUPER, KINGS MORE COBIA AND THE EVER PRESENT AMBER JACKS. FROM THIRTY TO EIGHTY FEET HAS BEEN PRIME FRO DEPTH AND WITH THIS WEEKS FULL MOON THE NIGHTTIME HAS BEEN THE BEST. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S WITH THIS RUN OF SAILS BUT THEY ARE RESIDENT, ALL BIG, NO PUNKS IN THE GROUP. IF YOU GET ONE ON CHANCES ARE THERE WILL BE OTHERS WITH THAT FISH LEAVE YOUR OTHER LINES IN THE WATER, TWO ARE MORE FUN THAN ONE. HAVE THE SPARE ROD RIGGED FOR THE TOURING COBIA, YOU WILL PITCH THEM THE BAIT, NO DO NOT HIT HIM IN THE HEAD WITH IT, LET THE BAIT CROSS THE FISH'S PATH. WHERE ARE THE DOLPHIN, WELL IF I KNEW I WOULD TELL YOU. BUT YOU HAVE AS MUCH OF CHANCE OF FINDING THEM IN SIXTY FEET AS YOU DO IN SIX HUNDRED. FISHING GOOD FOR ALL ANGLERS EVEN YOU ANGLERS WITH A FLY ROD.

WHERE IS THAT CAMERA, IT TOOK TWO HOURS TO LAND THAT TARPON, YOU HAVE THAT OBLIGATION TO THAT FISH TO SPEND WHAT IT TAKES TO RELEASE IT REVIVED AND READY FOR ANOTHER DAY….

HAVE A GREAT FORTH…………………..GANG AT THE SNOOK NOOK

JULY 10,04 FISHING

FLAT WATER IN THE RIVER, A FLAT OCEAN, WARM WATER AND NO CURRENT ACROSS THE BOTTOM IT MUST BE JULY.

MUTTON SNAPER IN THE TWENTY POUND CLASS ALONG WITH RED SNAPPER AND ALL THE REST OF THE FAMILY. GROUPER PERFECT FOR THE TABLE, NOT SO BIG YOU WISH THEY WERE ON SOME ELSES HOOK. THE WATER IS WARM, JUST ENOUGH CURRENT AND THERE IS FISH. ANCHOR ON ANY PATCH FROM THIRTY TO SIXTY FEET AND YOU SHOULD BE IN THE FISH; SARDINES ARE THE FAVORED BAIT. YOU NOW BECOME THE FLOTSAM AND YOU NEED TO KEEP WATCH FOR FISH THAT GATHER IN FLOTSAM. COBIA, DOLPHIN TOP THE LIST AND WE HAVE CATCHS REPORTED FROM THIRTY FEET OUT OF BOTH, NOT MENTION THE SAILS AND KINGS. THE BAIT SCHOOLS ARE FROM THE SHORE OUT, LOTS OF BAITS IN ALL DEPTHS. GOOD SUMMER SAIL BITE, KINGS NORTH OF THE INLET AND DOLPHIN STILL SCATTERED AT BEST. FOUR BOATS GO OUT AND ONE COMES IN WITH THE DOLPHIN AND THEY ARE NOT SURE WHY THEY WERE THERE. DOLPHIN FANS TROLL, TAKE DINNER TO THE FISH, DON’T WAIT FOR THEM TO FIND YOU.

SURF ANGLERS IF YOU WANT THE NUMBERS YOU NEED TO BE THERE FOR SUN UP. THE ONLY THING MISSING THIS WEEK WAS THE PERMIT. THE TARPON ARE SCHOOLED IN SIZE; FORTY-POUND FISH UP CLOSE BIGGER HAVE BEEN JUST OUT OFCASTING DISTANCE, UNLESS YOU HAVE YOUR FLATS BOAT WITH YOU. SNOOK THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY, DAWN BEING BEST BUT YOU STILL CAN FIND THEM IN THE BAIT SCHOOLS ALL DAY. SOME BLUES NEAR THE INLETS ON SPOONS, YES BLUE FISH A WINTER VISITOR? LOTS OF WHITING AND THAT MAKES FOR GREAT TABLE FARE, GOOD SIZE CROAKER IN THE GROUP. THE REASON I LIKE SUMMER SURF CASTING IS YOU NEVER KNOW WHATS THERE. THE FIRST REPORT FRIDDAY MORNING WAS FROM A FLATS BOAT ONE HUNDRED YARD OFF, SAILFISH ON LIVE BAIT. NOW IT GETS BETTER, TWELVE-POUND DOLPHIN FROM THE HERMANS BAY BEACH ACESS ON A LIVE GREENIE, YOU NEVER KNOW. YES, I HAVE THE PICTURE.

RIVER ANGLERS THE TARPON SHOW IS ON AND WE SPENT ENOUGH TIME ON THIS LAST WEEK, IT HAS NOT CHANGED. SNOOK BITE HAS BEEN EXCELLENT IN THE DARK TILL DAWN HOUR THEN IT SLOWS DOWN. TROUT IS EARLY, REDS IN THE SKINNEST WATER BEFORE SUN UP, SAME AS LAST WEEK. BUT IT IS SUMMER AND THERE IS LOTS OF FISH, LIKE THE TWENTY-THREE POUND TRIPLETAIL FROM THE CHANNEL MARKER. IF YOU ARE GOING TO FISH AFTER SUN UP YOU NEED TO FISH THE DEEPER WATER AND THAT PUTS YOU IN THE CHANNELS AND YES THE TROUT AND SNOOK WILL BE THERE BUT IT IS THE STRUCTURE THAT WILL HOLD THE TRIPLE TAIL. CHANNEL MARKERS ARE THE STRUCTURES YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO. THESE FISH WILL LAY ON THEIR SIDE SOAKING UP THE SUNS HEAT ANDTHEY COME IN ALL SIZES, MOST IN THE EIGHT TO TWELVE POUND CLASS. YOU NEED THE PLORIZED GLASSES TO SEE THE FISH. SET UP A DRIFT PAST THE MARKERS, NO MOTOR AND STUDY THE WATER, YOU WILL SEE THEM. PITCH A SHRIMP TO THEM, HIT THEM ON THE HEAD WITH IT AND THEY WILL EAT. EXCELLENT TABLE FARE, TAKE JUST ONE BECAUSE YOU MAY NEVER TAKE ANOTHER AFTER YOU CLEAN THE FIRST. IT IS A TWO-KNIFE PROCESS; THESE FISH ARE TOUGH TO FIGHT AND JUST AS HARD TO CLEAN. THE BRIDGES HAVE HAD BIG BLACK DRUM HANGING ON THE PILINGS. THEY LOVE FIDLER CRABS BUT WILL EAT A SHRIMP, WORTH THE TARGET. DRUM IN THE EIGHT TO FIFTEEN POUND CLASS AND THEY DON’T CARE WHAT TIME IT IS AS LONG AS THE WATER IS MOVING. PLAN YOUR DAY THERE IS FISH FOR ALL HOURS.

PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO FISH, WHEN YOU CAN IS THE ANSWER. BRING THE CAMERA……………HENRY