Kick Starting the New Snook Season
By CAPT. MEL BERMAN, 970-WFLA

Snook season has officially reopened. Remember, there are rules with which west coast snookers should be acquainted. The bag limit is now one snook per day, Not less than 28” or more than 32”Atlantic -Not less than 28” or more than 33” Gulf of Mexico, Monroe County, Everglades Nat. Park. And don’t kid yourself, even the most ardent of catch and release proponents privately look forward to the day when they can again put a snook fillet on the grill.

It’s the “catching” part we’re going to deal with here. What you do with the linesider you hook is up to you, your appetite and your conscience. Just bear in mind that these sub tropical fish can be severely affected by cold fronts and could be stunned or killed should there be a sharp drop in temperature. Many conservation minded anglers avoid targeting snook even during those early spring cold snaps.

However, in early March -- especially with the relatively mild winter -- snook could very well begin a kind of reverse migration. As waters gradually warm, the linesiders begin emerging from their back bay retreats and head for the mangrove edges and open flats, docks, passes-- and later the beaches or any other protective areas.  But remember, this entire scenario is entirely dependant of a continuation of the current warming trend.

Generally speaking, a good moving tide is feeding time for this prized species. My own experience is that an outgoing tide will always be the most productive. Seeking shelter under the mangrove roots during high tide, snook begin venturing out as the tide starts running out. Thus, an outgoing tide at the edge of the mangroves would be a prime time and place to set up shop.

As water temps rise, schools of bait should gradually become more available on the flats. The killifish or “creek chubs” will be available year ‘round, and can prove to be the best cooler weather choice for live baiters. Other baits, such as free-lined shrimp, pinfish, and pigfish work equally as well.

If artificials are preferred, the choices are many. This time of year snook feed heavily on glass minnows and other small baitfish. Thus silvery shad tail jigs or small gold spoons worked slowly and jigged slightly at the base of the mangrove roots will match that hatch.

Snook also forage for small crustaceans, the aforementioned killifish and finger mullet.  Thus, shrimp artificials, dark colored grub tail jigs emulate shrimp and crabs, while striped plugs or tiger-tail jigs look like chubs. Silvery/golden topwater plugs are dead ringers for finger mullet. Weightless Texas rigged jerk-worm tails worked temptingly on or below the water’s surface can also be very effective.

One technique that has proven to be highly productive is to “skip” a bait under mangrove trees, docks or pilings. Essentially, skipping a bait is similar to skipping a stone across the water’s surface. Just as with the stone, an underhanded cast starts the skip in motion. Some of the best snookers I know can precisely place a  bait way back in a pocket under the bushes. It takes a bit of a learning curve, but skipping baits can dramatically increase your chances for getting snook strikes.

Personally, one of my favorite snook fishing techniques is to skip a bait under the mangroves. Then I slowly crawl it back out. And every so often I’ll be rewarded with that wonderful snook “bink” -- setting the hook and reeling that baby in. It’s what snooking is all about!

And by the way, if you hook a snook under the bushes, keep that rod tip in the water as you crank her in. This way you avoid tangling your line in the mangroves

Again, snook season will be opening. But be the good steward of this fabulous Florida fishery. Please take only what you need for dinner. Sometimes that could be two guys each taking a fillet from one snook. Then put the rest back for other to enjoy. Like my friend Mark Sosin has been quoted as saying,” a fish (especially a snook) is too  valuable to catch just once."*