By Jeff Dennis
Saltwater anglers target the waters of South Florida for snook which do not inhabit the cooler waters to the North.
With a catch and release mentality and strict seasonal closures, some snook can grow quite large.
Any small and growing fish is going to be hungry and can get fooled by the tantalizing action of a fishing lure, however, this is not the case for older snook that are well-educated about fishing pressure.
Seasoned boaters approach them with stealth and sneaky anglers find that getting out of the boat to fish while wading is particularly effective.
Jensen Beach, Florida in Martin County offers great access to the Indian River Lagoon which is home to snook and a myriad other species of fish. River Palms Cottages and Fish Camp has an Old Florida feel to it with cabins for rent that literally face the sandy shoreline. They also offer private dockage and a public boat ramp next door.
Over the past decade there has been some habitat loss in the Indian River Lagoon regarding natural sea grass beds, but the snook is so structure-oriented, their fishery remains strong.
Regulations stipulate that a snook must be in a slot of 28 to 32 inches to keep and only one fish can be kept per day. However, there is no snook harvest during the colder winter months or during the summer months when spawning occurs.
Captain Ed Zyak is a local fishing guide in South Florida and he shares that spring is really a great time to fish for snook.
“Snook are heading towards the ocean inlets in spring, and that’s where they will spawn during the summer,” says Zyak.
“Threadfin herring, pilchards and mullet are some of the natural baits that occur here, but I cast D.O.A. artificial lures for snook because it takes precision casting to reach them when they are hanging back in the mangroves. I exit the boat and wade fish to methodically pick apart a shoreline looking for a linesider.”
“I prefer to fish for snook when the water is moving so halfway between low tide and high tide is ideal. A DOA 4-inch shrimp in Glow and Copper Crush colors is my latest go to lure, but the CAL 3-inch shad tail lure in Bayou Tiger color is a good one too,” Zyak says.
Prospecting for snook will no doubt include some line snags in the mangroves along the way, but re-rigging is just a part of fishing.
Another dividend from casting for snook is the mixed bag of fish that likely will crash your lure, from speckled trout to jack crevalle.
Wade fishing isn’t done very far away from your boat, which is anchored up. One can stay waist deep when walking along sandbars which are easy to view thanks to the clarity of the saltwater.
A cell phone, fishing pliers, and a couple extra lures in your shirt pocket are all you need to explore underwater nooks while casting for snook.
When targeting snook at bridge pilings and dock structures, use a heavier bait to get the lure down deeper where the snook will be holding. The TerrorEyz and Bait Buster lures by D.O.A. are effective jigging tools when seeking out these larger snook for catch and release.
When fishing the ocean inlets, the tactics can be a little different. Anglers want to be casting to the snook at first light when they are most receptive. Using a small 3-inch shad on a jighead seems to be just as effective as a larger lure.
Arriving back at River Palms in the afternoon, a thatched hut on the beach offers relief from the sunshine. The afternoon breeze blows off the water while anglers swap fishing stories and compare notes to see who holds the bragging rights for sneaking up on the largest snook.
The author’s Lowcountry Outdoors blog is celebrating a tenth anniversary in 2019
Photo By Jeff Dennis
Florida angler with large snook caught in the Indian River Lagoon