fort pierce snook fishing

A cold weather mangrove snook that ate a Z-Man Curly Tailz jig for Tony as we fished the “warm-up” two days after a front passed.

I wish I had an actual fishing report for this past week, but I simply do not. I will however, offer a bit of a forecast for the very near future.

As this frigid weather passes by us look for a solid bite from our common gamefish species. I have no doubt they fed well as this cold front approached and likely shut down for several days as the near freezing air temps dropped the water temps substantially.

My guess is Tuesday and Wednesday will be good bets for activity. If you can’t find suitable water temps in the main body of the Indian River the waters adjacent to the Fort Pierce Inlet should provide us with better temps on the incoming tide cycles.

As snook season opens February 1st and many will be targeting them remember to be gentle with the fish that need to be released. These fish will already be super stressed by cold water, be gentle and patient during the release!

Live bait will up your odds for snook right now. Pinfish, pigfish, mojarra and croakers are all excellent. Of course, a frisky mullet would be most welcome if you can find some and don’t discount a large live shrimp drifting near the bottom pinned to a jig-head.

Most of the time the snook will be holding deep and near the bottom where the water temperatures are the most stable. Depending on the actual temperature and the fish’s mood the bites may not be as solid and obvious as during warm water season. I tend to let them “mouth” the bait a bit longer than what might be considered normal. Since I use circle hooks I’m happy to let the hook do its job.

At night I’m a sucker for throwing a lipped plug for snook. I try to select a plug that offers a nice wobble as I employ a very slow retrieve. There are many variables to sort out before deciding which plug to use. Water depth, current speed and line diameter all affect the depth your lure will run. Being just above the bottom is ideal. Being ON the bottom will likely cost you a lure or two.