Last Chance For A Keeper

By FRANK SARGEANT The Tampa Tribune

Published: Apr 25, 2008

The last day of the snook season is Wednesday, and it remains closed through August. So for anglers hoping for a final taste of snook fillets this spring, it's now or never.

Finding slot fish appears to be easier this spring than it has been in a while. In fact, many anglers report there are now a remarkable number of fish too big to harvest. One day last week, captain Mike Anderson of the "Reel Animals" television and radio shows got seven that exceeded 20 pounds. That could have been the year's total for many top guides a few years back.

Many other guides have reported fish in the 40-inch range this spring, pretty clearly the result of the ever-tighter harvest regulations.

Limits are now 28 to 33 inches total length in the Gulf and Everglades, and 28 to 32 inches in the Atlantic. The closed seasons are December-February and May-August in the Gulf, and Dec. 15-Jan. 31 and June-August in the Atlantic. The limit is one per day, and a snook permit is required for those who must have a saltwater license.

As a result of these rules, biologists believe the "spawning potential ratio" - the number of fish that spawn at least once, compared to the number there would be in an unfished population - is now more than 40 percent. Healthy inshore fish populations generally have 30 percent or higher SPR, scientists say.

They also believe that many snook are being caught and released many times.

Live Sardines Work Best

So, how do you go about finding a keeper for yourself?

Live sardines are without question the best bet. Used as live chum, they turn on fish that might otherwise not be feeding. Anglers pitch a handful of the baits along deep mangrove shorelines, into sloughs and cuts, around riprap at the passes, and over potholes, particularly those near mangrove points.

The baits explore the area and if there are gamefish there, the explosive "CHUG" of fish grabbing them tells the angler it's time to start fishing.

The baits are fished on spinning gear, typically with 10- to 15-pound test microfiber line and two feet of 30-pound test clear mono or fluorocarbon leader as protection against rough jaws and sharp gill covers. Those fishing around bridges and docks often go for far heavier gear, up to 50-pound test line and 60-pound test leader. Hooks for sardines are typically short-shank 1/0s, often in Octopus or circle design.

Anglers fishing heavier gear use 2/0 to 5/0 extra-strong hooks. Some anglers use a 2-inch foam float to help keep track of the bait and to act as a tip-off when a fish hits.

Artificials also work well for snook. The larger Tsunami swimbaits are hard to beat, as is the DOA Shrimp, DOA Baitbuster, Yozuri minnow and the MirrOdine, the latter the best-ever imitation of a live sardine. Some expert anglers actually seem to catch more slot fish on lures than most do on live baits, perhaps because they spend more hours actually fishing. Livebaiters sometimes spend several hours collecting bait, often during the prime dawn bite.

Hot Spots

Around Tampa Bay, some of the better areas to start searching are the canals around Apollo Beach, the shoreline north of Simmons Park, the cuts and potholes from the Little Manatee River to Port Manatee, Cockroach Bay, Bishops Harbor, Mariposa Keys, Miguel Bay, the shoreline around Rattlesnake Key, the bars at the mouth of the Manatee River, and the shoreline near the Bulkhead, east of Anna Maria.

On Old Tampa Bay, check Double Branch and Rocky Creek and surrounding flats, as well as the Weedon Island shoreline, docks in Coffeepot Bayou, and docks along Pinellas Point.

After dark, lighted stretches around the Howard Frankland, Gandy Friendship Pier and the Sunshine Skyway produce very well throughout the warmer months. The passes and beaches around Fort DeSoto also are excellent.

As the fish begin spawning in May, all snooking becomes catch-and-release. However, repeated studies have shown that this sort of pressure does no harm to the spawners; nearly all survive if handled properly.

Best bet is to debarb hooks, handle the fish as little as possible, keep them in the water, and take a moment to revive unusually exhausted specimens.

Fishing where there are no bottlenosed dolphin is also a must for successful catch-and-release. The big mammals have learned that tired snook are easy meals, and often hang out in prime fishing areas.