Snook season quickly ending
With only two months to catch and keep a snook in the spring the season comes and goes in a flash. Not to mention it has been one of the windiest years in recent memory. With that said there are only a few days remaining to invite a snook home for dinner before they become catch and release only until September as season will be closed beginning on May 1st.
Snook were not reported in big numbers but fish of keeper size were caught throughout the area. Captain Cliff Simer reports catching snook up to 24 inches with a couple in the slot and several undersize while pitching live pilchards under the mangroves along the eastern shore of Charlotte Harbor. Redfish up to 20 inches were also mixed with the snook. Captain Gary Clark found a few snook that measured near 30 inches in southern Matlacha Pass that took live shiners on the rising tide around oyster bars. A few large trout up to three pounds were also caught at the same oyster bars.
On my boat we did not catch that many snook, however we were lucky enough that most of the ones we hooked were over 28 inches. They weren’t huge with the largest one falling just under 30 inches. We fished mainly around oyster bars and sandy areas along shorelines in north Matlacha Pass and the eastern shore of the Harbor near Two-Pines. There were also reports of snook caught around the keys on the eastern side of Pine Island Sound and around structure at both Redfish and Captiva Passes. Fish are also beginning to gang up on the beaches, shore-bound anglers found good action over the weekend at Blind Pass and also along the surf at Bowman’s Beach on Sanibel. On the beach live pilchards, shrimp and small soft plastics in a white pearl color were the baits of choice.
Redfish continue to be hit or miss for many anglers. There are reports from a couple anglers of large redfish schools in the Sound and across the Harbor in Bull Bay working the shallow flats on the rising water. For most targeting reds, they have been beating the bushes on high water and catching one or two here and there. Most reds reported were averaging from 22-26 inches.
Again this week the most predictable fishing was over the deep grass flats where trout, mackerel and bluefish continue to feed over the same area. The best bite was over the first half of the incoming tide in areas of Charlotte Harbor near Bokeelia, north of Part Island in the upper Sound and east of Fosters Point in the mid Sound. Mackerel, bluefish and some extra large ladyfish were also caught a short distance off the beaches and between the B and C span of the Sanibel Causeway on the Gulf side.
There hasn’t been many days were the wind has allowed for offshore grouper fishing, but there have been reports of gag grouper caught on the inside. Gags up to twenty-four inches were caught over structure in the Sound near Captiva Pass and several were also caught by snook anglers targeting dock inside the Gulf Passes. For baits anglers found large diving lures in a tiger shad color and large pinfish and thread herring accounted for the gags.
Every day there appears to be more sharks showing up in our inshore wat ers. We are sighting good numbers of bull sharks in northern Matlacha Pass and in Charlotte Harbor and blacktips and lemons were reported in the Sound. This coming week I have a group coming from Denmark, they camp on Cayo Costa and we fish during the day and they really like to catch sharks. Between their beach sharking at night and our trips during the day hopefully we will have some good shark reports next week. And maybe if we’re lucky a tarpon or two.
Remember, just because snook season is closing down doesn’t mean you can’t still catch them. Over the years they have become more of a sport fish for catch and release action, many anglers refuse to kill a snook anytime of year as they are such a great game fish. We are getting into the best snook fishing time of year and the best time to catch the big girls. There will not be as many anglers targeting them in the coming months with the focus shifting to tarpon, but please catch and release them with care and if you hook into one of the big ones keep her in the water at boat side for the release. If you must remove her from the water for a quick picture, support her body with both hands, (do not hang her from her mouth, this can cause irreversible damage to the fish) and return her to the water quickly. If we all practice safe catch and release techniques there is no reason we can’t enjoy the challenge of hooking into that trophy snook all through the closed season.
If you have a fishing story or photo that you would like to share or for charter information please contact us at (239)283-7960 or visit us at www.fishpineisland.com. Have a safe week and good fishin’.