Fishing – 09-07-2011

Snook season closed until Sept. 2012

Just when you thought it was safe to go snook fishing….

Yes, Sept. 1 should have been opening day for snook season had not the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission implemented the closure of the snook fishery.

Under FWC executive orders to protect snook populations affected by the exceptionally cold weather of 2009-2010 in Florida, only catch-and-release fishing for snook has been allowed on the Gulf Coast since Dec. 15, 2010. The prolonged cold winter of 2009-2010 killed an estimated 1,000,000 snook according to some estimates, and the FWC closed the snook season since then to give the species time to recover. The current closure of snook in all of Florida’s Gulf, Everglades National Park and Monroe County state and federal waters will remain in effect until Aug. 31, 2012 according to the FWC website.

Although it would be nice to bring a big snook home for dinner, all of us seasoned snook fishers know this closure is the best alternative for the future of snook on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

There is a certain “snooky” sense we get this time of year. We get the urge to go out and catch snook. Well, the good thing is, we can still go out and catch them, we just can’t keep them. The way I see it, this creates an opportunity for us to brush up on targeting some species other than snook.

Diversify your skills.

If you haven’t noticed, redfish are schooling up on the grass flats and around mangrove islands. Both live bait and artificials are working to produce a bite. If you’re seeing the fish but can’t get them to bite, try switching up your tactics a little. I’ve seen times when a school of reds would swim right around a shiner without a bite. Switching to a Berkley Gulp shrimp or gold spoon ended up with a bite. Remember, fishers are known for being good at adapting to their surroundings, so always try out different tactics. You might be rewarded with a killer redfish bite.

And don’t be discouraged about the snook closure. In the long run it will be better both for the snook and the snook fishers. If we’re patient, our snook numbers will be back up before we know it.

Capt. Warren Girle is catching Key West grunts, flounder and Spanish mackerel on his offshore charters. In the catch-and-release category, Girle is catching numerous red and gag grouper. “We probably caught 75 red grouper on a recent charter,” says Girle. “It’s just non-stop action out there.”

Moving inshore, Girle is catching redfish in North Sarasota Bay. He likes to fish the morning high tides with artificials, such as top-water plugs and jigs. On the lower tides, Girle likes to wait for the reds to school up in deep potholes. When they do, Girle will switch to live white bait to get a bite. For Girle, the reds have been averaging 30-32 inches with the biggest coming in at 35 inches.

Bob Kilb at the Rod & Reel Pier is seeing decent numbers of Spanish mackerel being caught, although most are just above the minimum limit of 12 inches. White crappie jigs and silver spoons are a good bet, or you a live shiner on a long-shank hook works, too. Mangrove snapper are still showing in good numbers underneath the pier. With the abundance of small sardines schooling around the pier, the mangrove snapper have more than enough to eat, so be stealthy when targeting these fish. Using fluorocarbon leader in 15- or 20-pound test with a No. 4 live-bait hook is a good way to get started.

Small bonnethead sharks are being caught by bottom fishers soaking frozen squid away from the pier. Remember, even though these sharks are little, they still have teeth. Don’t put your fingers in their mouth to remove your hook. Always use pliers.

Dave Sork at the Anna Maria City Pier says, “There’s tons of bait schooling around the pier.” The largest concentration of bait is Spanish sardines, although white bait and threadfins are around, too. Remember, if you’re throwing your cast net from the pier to get bait, be careful not to throw on the Spanish sardines. Doing so can sometimes result in gilling them due to their small size. Removing all of the sardines from your cast net is not only time consuming, it’s a mess.

Now that you’ve caught your bait, you can target Spanish mackerel by rigging your 30-pound fluorocarbon leader with a No. 1 long shank hook and a shiner, also known as whitebait. “Early morning has been the best time to target the Spanish mackerel,” says Sork. A silver spoon trailed behind a popping cork is a sure way to get some good mackerel action. While targeting Spanish mackerel, pier fishers are catching ladyfish, skip jacks and lizardfish.

Mangrove snapper are biting steadily on the outgoing tides. Numbers of these little snappers have arrived, but most are undersized. Along with the snapper, pinfish, grunts and juvenile gag grouper are abundant under the pier, so be ready to catch a variety of species.

On a final note, Sork says he’s seeing tarpon “slurping” on the thick schools of Spanish sardines just off the pier. He suggests throwing a small live ladyfish in where these tarpon are and, hang on tight. Hook a tarpon and you’ll be the talk of the pier for the day.

Jonny Keyes at Island Discount Tackle is hearing about good action out on the flats of Anna Maria Sound. Spotted sea trout are feeding heavily on moving tides. Look for schools of glass minnows on shallow flats that drain into deep potholes and depressions to find aggressive trout on the feed. If you’re using white bait, the smaller ones are best. Mixed in with the trout are ladyfish, Spanish mackerel and bluefish.

Redfish action is still good in the usual spots. Mangrove islands in Sarasota Bay as well as Long Bar are good places to stalk these schools of bull reds. Both live bait and artificials are working.

Mangrove snapper are being caught on local piers and nearshore structure. Small shiners and threadfin herring cut in pieces are producing decent numbers of these tasty little pan fish.

If it’s flounder action you’re looking for, Keyes says he’s hearing about a good bite in and around Longboat Pass. Small shiners or shrimp fished on the sandy drop-offs around the pass are producing good numbers of flounder.

And don’t forget to watch the tides if you plan on fishing Longboat Pass. It’s a narrow inlet with ripping tides, making it hard to fish at times. For best results, target those flounder on the slower tides.

Keith Trent at the south bait shop on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge Fishing Piers says the mainstays there are Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle and pompano. Spanish mackerel are feeding on the bait schools being washed out of Tampa Bay on the outgoing tides. Both live bait and artificials, like silver spoons, are producing good numbers of mackerel. Other migratory species being caught include skipjacks, ladyfish and a few bluefish.

Fishing under the pier is resulting in mangrove snapper, flounder and juvenile gag grouper. Both live and cut-bait, such as threadfin herring, pinfish and shiners are working well for all of these species.

Last but not least, you can still find a few tarpon hanging around the Skyway Bridge. Live pinfish are producing a good bite.

Capt. Mark Howard of SumoTime fishing charters says the redfish have invaded the local waters in masses. Schools of redfish are all over the flats tailing in the shallow water at low tide and moving up into the mangroves at high tide. Howard suggests looking for the red tails in the air and place a bait in their path to be rewarded with a drag-screaming hook up. “The reds have been mixed in size, from rat reds to over slot bruisers,” Howard reports. Howard predicts the red fishing will stay red-hot on the flats until the wintertime.  “A quiet stealth approach to the schools of redfish will ensure TV style action,” he adds.

The bait game has dramatically improved. The flats are loaded with all sizes and fish are gorging themselves. All the regular spots, Key Royale, the Bulkhead, Terra Ciea marker No. 9, and the edges of the Intracoastal will be holding greenbacks. Howard suggests using Purina Tropical Fish food to chum bait to the boat. “When chumming for the shiners, wait 10 minutes before you throw your net to give the shiners time to ball up around your boat,” says Howard. “The wait will ensure the schools of bait will be thick in your chum slick.”

On a final note, Howard says now is the time to get your fishing gear in tip-top condition for the fall fishing run. “Look for more fishing opportunities and more varieties of fish moving into our waters to put a test to fishing skills,” Howard says.

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