11-26-2008, 10:04 PM
Well it's that time of year when all you hear is "the snook will be moving back into the creeks and residential canals". I'm lucky enough to live on a creek in the upper tampa bay area that fills up with snook during these months. There are resident fish that live year round in the brackish water, but there's no comparing the action now to the bite say mid summer. Me and my neighbors wait all year for what we refer to as "snook day". This occurs usually right after the first cold snap, last year on this glorious day me and my neighbor landed easily between 10-20 fish throughout the day. Don't get me wrong most weren't slot and we got more dinks than picture worthy fish. But still you can't beat it standing in your own backyard.
So far this season I haven't landed the same quantity of fish but I've been catching and broken off by much bigger linesiders.
So if you plan on pushing up into the creeks and canals after the snook I would offer this advice:
[bob
]The fish have been following and hanging to schools of smaller size mullet. Find the finger mullet to a bit larger size mullet schools, chances are you've found the snook as well.
[bob]The last week or two they've been aggressively feeding on the super low tides when everything becomes concentrated towards the middle, deepest part of the creek. But you'll see them towards the shore line with only about 6 in. of water between there back and the surface. They appear to be sunning warming themselves , not interested in food. But once they've warmed up they go to the middle and start stuffing themselves.
[bob]Lastly and maybe most importantly is the bait/lure you are using. I've been slaying them with the mirOminnow , I'll let you figure out the color scheme. As far as, live bait I won't divulge exactly what the big ones slam but I will say this. It's not whitebait, it's not pinfish, it's not shrimp. Most people doubt me when I pull one out of my bait motel and hook him up, but once they see a slot fish crush my bait , they want to know where I throw my net and get them at.
So good luck , and happy snookin!!!
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So far this season I haven't landed the same quantity of fish but I've been catching and broken off by much bigger linesiders.
So if you plan on pushing up into the creeks and canals after the snook I would offer this advice:
[bob
]The fish have been following and hanging to schools of smaller size mullet. Find the finger mullet to a bit larger size mullet schools, chances are you've found the snook as well.[bob
]The last week or two they've been aggressively feeding on the super low tides when everything becomes concentrated towards the middle, deepest part of the creek. But you'll see them towards the shore line with only about 6 in. of water between there back and the surface. They appear to be sunning warming themselves , not interested in food. But once they've warmed up they go to the middle and start stuffing themselves.[bob
]Lastly and maybe most importantly is the bait/lure you are using. I've been slaying them with the mirOminnow , I'll let you figure out the color scheme. As far as, live bait I won't divulge exactly what the big ones slam but I will say this. It's not whitebait, it's not pinfish, it's not shrimp. Most people doubt me when I pull one out of my bait motel and hook him up, but once they see a slot fish crush my bait , they want to know where I throw my net and get them at. So good luck , and happy snookin!!!
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