snook season

Snook season closing is coming up fast, but the bite is still hot! Snook are a popular favorite along the entire east coast, from the fight to the table fare they are all around amazing fish.

This week the snook were on fire! Large live baits such as pinfish, pilchards, croakers and even large mullet were getting the job done. A fish finder rig with 50 pound fluorocarbon leader and a 6/0 j hook is my “go to” rig. Artificial baits such as large lipped plugs, jerkbaits and swimbaits are great choices when fishing around structures or drop offs.

As we move into summer the snook are staging to spawn and it’s very very important we handle these fish with care! Try to avoid dragging them on the deck, keep your hands wet when handling and never hold vertically, as you shouldn’t with any fish especially more so with snook. These fish will be moving about the inlets and areas in the river getting ready to produce many more small snook, so to ensure a good healthy survival and to help the next generations, it’s critical we handle with extreme care.