Snook Nook Fishing Reports

FISHING AUG. 31, 09

Lets go catch a Snook, 28" to 34" is the slot and you must pinch the tail for that measurement, one is the daily bag and now you know all there is about them. Well almost, it has been excellent fishing for these fish in our area, bridges, surf, flats and inlets have seen a lot of action but now is the time. If you plan on keeping one its all about that slot. We caught but we didn't measure, we knew they were going back but now the season is open it is all about the slot. From the surf edge it has been a morning bite up close using top water lures, diving plugs that you can feel touch bottom or soft rubber swimming baits as you can tell these fish are opportunist, be there just as the sun is coming up.

Fishing the flats it is all about live baits, shrimp ,mullet and pins will top the bait list. Hook the fish on the bottom, back buy the tail and they will swim down and away from the hook again low light is best.

Inlets, moving water, preferred live baits. Some days it will be incoming other day out going but that water has to be moving.

Bridges it will be the dark hour, pay attention to the ambush points, pitch your bait into the current and hang on.

Now that we have covered all the points, please be sure to measure the fish because you will be surprised how many it will take to get one in the slot.

Off shore this week it has been King fish and more Kings. From forty feet out on sardines, north or south, throw in some small dolphin, pesky Sails and you gotta love the Bonita. Bait was on the move this week on the Sand Pile then off to the House of Refuge and several other locations , problem they were not there for very long and then they came back so get out the cast net and take some mullet with you. Lots of twelve pound Kings, perfect size and the Bonita were the same size, big. Muttons have slowed but I think it was because we have had few anglers, weather man talked up the storm again and the big seas that he forecasted were just a forecast.

Early anglers fishing the river would see and activity from the channel, then long casting to the mixed up water found the Reds and this was going from the Jensen causeway north, east or west side but the bite was over as soon as that sun appeared. Now it was Trout and Snook time, pilchards, small mullet, shrimp, soft rubber the bait list was longer than the catch list and that went till mid morning. Big Tarpon at the Roosevelt bridge eating big Mullet, do not take a knife to the gun fight.

Surf, it was plenty of big Whiting a few Jacks, Pompano,Blues, not a lot of a species but allot of fish. Just about any time you came there was something going on. Till next week , watch that "SLOT".....HENRY

FISHING 8/22/09

So the weather channel said the seas were to be 5 to 7ft for the week end, not sure where but it was not here. Our inlet cam and surf cam showed some rollers but not the seas the weather channel had forecasted, to be a weather man what a job.

Five to seven feet may have been the call but they were rollers, far apart and most anglers were looking for all the bad conditions that were forecasted. Deep was the location for the Wahoo, 240 feet of depth, deep baits found the fish. Of the fish that were caught, no big monsters but still nice fish. Captain VJ Bell found them on a color change the two other fish that I heard of were also deep and again it was a color line that anglers spent their time on. Anglers looking for rod pullers found most action in that 40 to 60ft zone. Sails were on the out side as deep as 100', Kings from the middle to the shallow side. Finally two Dolphin in the zone but they were the only two all week end and ten there is the boils. This area is east of the power plant and if Tarpon and Permit start your hart you need to be there. Big schools of big fish, most Tarpon were over the one hundred pounds and the Permit all twenty five pound and bigger, one little hitch, trying to figure out what it is they are eating. Snapper bite has been excellent using sardines, well the fish can not read so they didn't know about the five to seven foot seas.

Well with a little east wind most anglers spent their time on the east side of the river and found plenty of fish, so that is where they came back to. Lots of slot size Trout from Bear Point to the Sail Fish flats using top water, soft rubber, shrimp, mullet the bait list was almost as long the catch list. Tarpon, Jacks, Lady's and Snook were the mix and they were there late almost 10:AM before they all disappeared. Lots of bait in the river, big schools of mullet and half beaks were keeping the big Jacks and Snook busy, watch for the bait sprays and get in them, you know what they are eating match the profile and go for it. Tarpon from the north fork to the inlet and then north, it was Tarpon of all sizes. Favored bait this week was big mullet not finger but big, like feed a family of three size. All location reported the same big baits, time varied with location but the big mullet was the bait. If you are going to target these fish bring out the big equipment, big fish. Bridges were all about the Snapper and Drum on shrimp but there were others. At the east ends of the causeways Pompano, Mac's and Lady Fish kept anglers busy, favored tide , incoming. Yes, Tarpon on the north side of the Jensen and on the south side of the Stuart causeways testing equipment warranty's.

The swells took care of the weeds on the surfs edge, plenty of bait and a good catch list. The bite time has narrowed to the morning hours with dawn being the best. Snook and Jacks have kept most anglers attention, Spoons, topwater, soft rubber have all been working. Whiting, Croaker and a few Blues have filled the rest of the day but then the weather man, ummmmmmm.

Have a good week...........................................Henry

FISHING 8/15/09

Weeds in the surf, that is north of county line, south from Jensen to the inlet, no complaints. One of the great things about our area is our access to the water, if it is weeds then just move north or south to the next access until you run out of weeds. Look first from the dune walk, looks good, then time to unload the gear. Surf continues to be the place with fish all day. On the catch list is has been Snook on top water, Whiting and Croaker on pieces of shrimp, Blues and Mac's on cut baits and yes still a few pompano. The cool thing is that it is an all day bite, it may be Snook early then the Whiting move in and next is may be the Jacks and Lady fish, the fish have been in and out all day. Numbers of rod pullers, with the species changing almost hourly. Bring the light equipment, you will be casting north and south, the fish are at your feet, in the trough.

Off shore, plenty of bait, Sand Pile, BullShark, House of Refuge, one does not need to get caught up in that pile of boats just to get bait. Now where to fish, that depends on your target if it is Dolphin go deep, 300' out to the Push Button. That is the one place that you will get the 15 to 20lb fish, not allot but that is the location. Yes they are closer but few and far in-between. Now if it is fish that start your hart forty to sixty feet of water, Cobia, Kings,Sails that is the zone. On the out side edges of the bait schools, that's where dinner is why should they be else where. Have that pitch rod rigged and ready you will use it. Bottom fishing, excellent with plenty of Muttons and mangroves, even the Yellow Tails made the catch list this week.

Boaters, waders the river has been busy with Reds, Trout and Snook(season is closed) but you need to be there before sun up, 9:30 am that bite is over. Early morning anglers have started their day with top water baits and as the sun rises they are going to soft rubber baits. Live shrimp, try a popping cork or a rattling float to get their attention. Now if your time is after sun up go to the channels edge and slow down, the fish want out of that bright sun and they will go to the channel, deep water. Fishing the bridge, Drum. Snapper. Jacks, Pompano and Lady fish all on live shrimp. Pompano from the bridge at the east end of the Jensen causeway on the in coming tide, not sure what they are doing here it is summer, but then Blues and Mac's on the beach.

Talking and reading about fishing will not work you have to get your bait wet.....................................................Henry

FISHING 8/2/09

Lets go catch a fish , inshore, off shore and the beach it was a good week for catching. Off shore a little bit of south east wind moved the Dolphin in, saw one in the twenty pound class and heard about a few more, they were found in the 150' zone hitting trolled or live baits. The baits moved out and north but were easily located. Cobia, Sails and King fish kept most busy and the Snapper bite continues from 40' out using sardines. Bring some extra the Bonita are thick. Saw a Black Fin in the twenty pound class, yes it was below the Bonita school.

Fishing the river, excellent Trout and Red Fish bite if you are fishing early at 9:AM the bite is over. Fishing north of Taylor Creek or from Bear Point south to the Sail Fish Flats, lots of good fish. In the mix plenty of Jacks, big Lady Fish and some good size Snapper. Live shrimp and soft rubber baits (avocado ? ) were the favored baits, not sure what happened to top water. After nine it was to the deeper water, out to the edge of the channel the bite was light, if your bait stops, set the hook. If you were lucky enough to see the feeding frenzy at the Jensen causeway, one has to wonder how do the Snook know the season is closed? Anglers the

Snook bite has been excellent, all well over the slot, please take the barbs off the hooks. Just hold that rod tip high and you will land that fish, after you see the fish all you have to do is lower the rod tip, the fish will shake it head and the hook will release and the fish can swim away unharmed.

To the surf edge, that south east wind blew in the weeds, if you were fishing north of county line. From the old Holiday Inn it was clean, the list was long. Anglers were catching live baits from the edge and catching in numbers. Snook, Blues, Mac's, big Jacks and all the Whiting and Croakers you could want. You pick the time the fish were there all day.

Now go catch a FISH..........................Henry

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