Snook season opens today
By Capt. Zach Zacharias, Correspondent | 8 hours ago
An angler lands a snook that fell for a D.T. Special in the surf along Casey Key.
Snook season reopens in Gulf waters today. While the latest stock assessment by the FWC indicated a healthy population after the freeze of 2010, anglers should really consider the continuance of catch-and-release practices. There is a plethora of quality table fish out there right now in the form of mangrove snapper. They are literally everywhere and some of the best eating to be found.
From all appearances, our local snook biomass should have had an exceptional spawn due to the benign weather pattern of early summer, good water quality and no serious red tide outbreaks. The problem is, we are at the northern end of the semi-tropical snooks habitat and all was not well in the heart of snook country this year. The bulk of our snook call south Florida home and the water quality issues south from Charlotte Harbor and the east coast's Jupiter Inlet were less than ideal.
Due to the irresponsible release of tainted fresh water from Lake Okeechobee through the Caloosahatchee River and the St. Lucie Canal, the resulting runoff caused too much fresh water to reach all the way to the coasts, triggering massive blue-green algae blooms. I'm not an expert, but I would lay money that scenario did not make for a decent snook spawn in the heart of snook country.
Time will only tell when years down the line there may be gaps in size classes resulting from a poor spawn. All the more reason to continue catch-and-release even though the bag limit is a restrictive one snook per day. The premise of erring on the side of caution certainly applies when dealing with resource conservation issues.
If you are planning on harvesting your legal limit of linesiders, remember the slot size limit is 28-33 inches overall length, a one fish bag limit per angler-per day and a snook stamp is required on your license.
■ Discount Tackle in Bradenton reports lots of Spanish mackerel and little tunny in lower Tampa Bay. Mangrove snapper peaking from bay structure out to Gulf reefs. In 75 feet of water or more offshore, expect red grouper. Live shrimp on light tackle fooling hogfish on hard bottom in 30 to 40 feet.
■ Skyway regulars enjoying blitzes of mackerel, jack crevalle, blue runner and bluefish. Mangrove snapper, gag grouper and large Key West grunts biting well day and night. Shark and tarpon on the increase in numbers and size.
■ Adventure Charters skipper Jim Klopfer seeing mixed bags of sea trout to 20 inches, mackerel to 3 pounds, mangoes, grass gags, bluefish, shark and more. Live bait most productive but jigs, lures and flies working as well. The catch of the week was a large cobia bested on 10-pound class tackle at the middlegrounds.
■ Charterboat Best Catch out of the Crow's Nest Docks reports Spanish mackerel, cobia and bonito schooling from the beaches on out to the M-Reefs. Red grouper bites best in 120 foot or more while a variety of snappers, permit and barracuda strong in 50 to 75 feet. Jetty action good with snook, mackerel and pompano.
■ Fine Bait and Tackle in North Port reports good largemouth bass results for early risers. The local bays giving up OK trout catches. Redfish are schooling but most over the slot. The Tom Adams Bridge and Lemon Bay are the hot redfish spots. Big snook in the Gulf passes with smaller ones heading back inshore. Pompano consistent from Caspersen Beach on up to the Venice Jetty. Grouper bites have been fair offshore with bigger units found very deep.
From all appearances, our local snook biomass should have had an exceptional spawn due to the benign weather pattern of early summer, good water quality and no serious red tide outbreaks. The problem is, we are at the northern end of the semi-tropical snooks habitat and all was not well in the heart of snook country this year. The bulk of our snook call south Florida home and the water quality issues south from Charlotte Harbor and the east coast's Jupiter Inlet were less than ideal.
Due to the irresponsible release of tainted fresh water from Lake Okeechobee through the Caloosahatchee River and the St. Lucie Canal, the resulting runoff caused too much fresh water to reach all the way to the coasts, triggering massive blue-green algae blooms. I'm not an expert, but I would lay money that scenario did not make for a decent snook spawn in the heart of snook country.
Time will only tell when years down the line there may be gaps in size classes resulting from a poor spawn. All the more reason to continue catch-and-release even though the bag limit is a restrictive one snook per day. The premise of erring on the side of caution certainly applies when dealing with resource conservation issues.
If you are planning on harvesting your legal limit of linesiders, remember the slot size limit is 28-33 inches overall length, a one fish bag limit per angler-per day and a snook stamp is required on your license.
■ Discount Tackle in Bradenton reports lots of Spanish mackerel and little tunny in lower Tampa Bay. Mangrove snapper peaking from bay structure out to Gulf reefs. In 75 feet of water or more offshore, expect red grouper. Live shrimp on light tackle fooling hogfish on hard bottom in 30 to 40 feet.
■ Skyway regulars enjoying blitzes of mackerel, jack crevalle, blue runner and bluefish. Mangrove snapper, gag grouper and large Key West grunts biting well day and night. Shark and tarpon on the increase in numbers and size.
■ Adventure Charters skipper Jim Klopfer seeing mixed bags of sea trout to 20 inches, mackerel to 3 pounds, mangoes, grass gags, bluefish, shark and more. Live bait most productive but jigs, lures and flies working as well. The catch of the week was a large cobia bested on 10-pound class tackle at the middlegrounds.
■ Charterboat Best Catch out of the Crow's Nest Docks reports Spanish mackerel, cobia and bonito schooling from the beaches on out to the M-Reefs. Red grouper bites best in 120 foot or more while a variety of snappers, permit and barracuda strong in 50 to 75 feet. Jetty action good with snook, mackerel and pompano.
■ Fine Bait and Tackle in North Port reports good largemouth bass results for early risers. The local bays giving up OK trout catches. Redfish are schooling but most over the slot. The Tom Adams Bridge and Lemon Bay are the hot redfish spots. Big snook in the Gulf passes with smaller ones heading back inshore. Pompano consistent from Caspersen Beach on up to the Venice Jetty. Grouper bites have been fair offshore with bigger units found very deep.