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Updated 08/30/10
Snook Season
May Open After All
It looks like we might get a snook season this year
after all.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, which has
evaluated the snook population, will recommend to the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to reopen snook season
September 17. However, the commission. in making the final
decision September 16, may choose one of the other options
offered to be more precautionary. |
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The commission may also implement a
different strategy for the two coasts of Florida. I think the increase
in cost of a snook stamp to $10 from only $2 could play a role in this
too.
Snook fishing has been the best action with fish feeding well on both
tides. The beaches and passes all held good numbers of snook this week.
Snags, rock ledges and downed trees on the beach side had good numbers
of snook with most of the fish in the 20- to 26-inch range. Live baits
thrown right up on the beach drew strikes almost every cast.
Pass fishing was good this week too with all our area passes loaded with
linesiders. Bouncing live pinfish and grunts on the bottom while
drifting the passes caught some real monster snook this week.
Tom Desantos of St. James City landed his personal best last week, a
20-pound-plus, 40-inch snook. Snook over 30 inches have been pretty
common in and around the passes with a few each trip coming boatside.
During the same trip, he caught lots of smaller snook and even a few
slot-sized redfish while drift fishing the passes. The start of the
incoming tide was the best bite.
Fishing docks around Redfish and Captiva passes on the end of the
outgoing tide until the incoming tide really got moving was simply
combat fishing at its finest. One morning this week, fishing with Gilley
Russell from Lake Placid, we simply could not pull one of these big fish
out from under a dock. Just about very dock we fished around the passes
was good for a few drag-screaming bites. Big pinfish hooked in the tail
on heavy spinning tackle pitched under the docks were quickly inhaled by
snook.
The passes and beaches also held good numbers of trout. The trout fed
best on smaller pinfish and whitebaits. Trout to 20 inches were common
with Gilley Russell getting the biggest one of the week on my boat. It
measured 24 inches.
Pods of small bait could be found all week on the bayside of Captiva.
Feeding birds gave away the location of these bait schools and made for
non-stop action on trout, ladyfish and jacks. Small free-lined shiners
and jigs caught fish cast after cast. Keep your eyes on the birds and
watch for the fish busting the surface. This is great action and enough
to keep everyone busy.
When asked by clients what's my favorite month to fish my answer is
always the same: "September". Anything you could want to catch is around
this month and the boat traffic on the water will be minimal after the
Labor Day holiday weekend passes.
September was traditionally the slowest month for business in our area
but every year more and more anglers are catching on that it's a great
month to be out on the water.
Click the links below to view copies of my other recent reports.
08-09-2010 -
08-16-2010 -
08-23-2010
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