Snook are back in season Sept. 1-Nov. 31.
So if you’re lucky enough to catch one in the slot of 28-33 inches, you can enjoy a snook dinner.
I’ve never considered September a great month to snook fish, but that doesn’t mean they’re not around.
With air temperatures still in the 90s and water temps following suit, you’re going to want to fish when the water is slightly cooler to increase your chances of motivating a monster linesider to take a bait.
Night fishing for snook is a great option, especially when looking for big fish. Dock fishing around lights or fishing the passes around the bridges is a good bet. When fishing the bridges, use larger baits, such as jumbo shrimp or pinfish or even a large shiner. If you’re dock fishing, normal-size bait should get the job done.
If you stay off the snook for a while longer, you may want to get out on the water during the day to look for schooling redfish.
As September ushers in the peak of our rainy season, we should see an influx of redfish in Tampa Bay and to the south, as the Manatee River drains copious amounts of freshwater from its source, Lake Manatee.
Large amounts of freshwater push the reds that inhabit the river into the bay, causing concentrations to gather in staging areas throughout the flats. This, combined with the breeder schools of reds that come out of the Gulf of Mexico, can trigger quite a response for many of the flats anglers.
My advice: Get out early and locate the fish because I guarantee the crowds will be coming.
Nowadays with a new “look-at-me” mentality on social media, you can bet someone will post pictures and videos all over the Internet that evening. So, if you find the fish, enjoy it while you can and consider keeping it a secret because most likely the next time you go to fish the school, every Tom, Dick and Harriett will be there.
Capt. David White is happy to see an increase in the number of redfish that his clients are catching on inshore trips. Whether fishing mangrove edges, oyster bars or even along the beaches and passes, White is finding redfish for his anglers. Casting live shiners is working well to lure the reds to the hook, although crustaceans — crab and shrimp — are working, too.
Snook are another target on White’s guided fishing trips, with live shiners as bait producing the best action. Snook are following suit with the redfish as to where to be caught. The beaches and passes are holding fish, as well as the mangrove shorelines on the flats. Lastly, mangrove snapper are being caught, although, after the passing of Hurricane Idalia in the Gulf, they became tougher to locate.
Capt. Warren Girle is catching a variety of species while fishing the waters of Sarasota Bay. He reports that fishing deeper areas, such as channel edges and grass flats in 6-8 feet of water, is yielding some spotted seatrout as well as mangrove snapper. Both are being caught side by side by Girle’s clients while casting small live shiners as bait.
Occasionally, a rouge school of jacks or ladyfish is moving by, adding chaos to the bite but also variety and entertainment for Girle’s clients.
Fishing shallower flats in the 2- to 4-foot range is yielding action. Redfish and snook are the primary targets in these waters. Again, live shiners are working great as bait. Girle also adds that casting a topwater plug can be advantageous in these depths. Both snook and redfish will attack a plug twitching along the surface of the water which can result in some memorable strikes and great battles.
Jim Malfese at the northernmost fishing pier on Anna Maria Island, the Rod & Reel Pier, says he’s seeing some redfish being caught, often by anglers who come to the pier under-gunned and with little experience, although they’re still managing to land a few.
Anglers using live shrimp as bait, usually on a weighted rig and cast under the pier are having success with the reds. Sizes vary from 16 inches to up to 25 inches, so it’s best to use heavier gear as you don’t know what you’re going to hook into down there. There also are snook in Tampa Bay, hanging around the pier, with some exceeding the slot of 28-33 inches. So it’s best to go prepared.
With the water around the pier becoming tannin-colored as an abundance of freshwater is flowing into the bay, the mangrove snapper bite has diminished slightly. Still, Malfese says determined anglers are managing to pull a few to the deck.
Lastly, migratory species such as jack crevalle and ladyfish are being caught as their schools pass through lower Tampa Bay by the pier. The fish will take a shrimp, although casting jigs or spoons at them is more effective.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.