Surf Snook SWFl

Comandante

There are spawning snook on the SWFL beaches. Lately, I’ve been targeting them about three times X week. I’m fishing in the middle of the day and not at peak hours early and at night. Despite those self inflicted handicaps, I’m still getting plenty of action. Earlier this week I was one for five bites with a 22 inches snook released. This afternoon, I was one for one with a 17 inches snook released. Mixed between snook bites, there are juvenile black tip sharks. Some days there are more shark bites than snook bites. Some days have zero shark bites. Best bait for the last two weeks has been live pinfish caught right in front of me in the surf. Yesterday, there were tons of glass minnows just off the break. Today I only saw a handful of tiny bait. Farther offshore today, just outside the bar, there appeared to be a large bait ball , maybe pilchards, moving south. I haven’t seen the silver mullet running the surf line for a couple weeks now. Also , Zero Tarpon observed rolling offshore. My go to lazy man snook rig is an 8/0 VMC circle hook on a 50 pound mono leader with a fish finder rig and one ounce pyramid sinker. I fish me baits in rod holders with Baits set between 20 and 75 feet off the surf break and I sit under an umbrella to stay out of the sun. Good luck to all summer visitors. There’s plenty of whiting and pinfish to keep you busy between big fish bites. OBTW, a couple days ago, I caught two keeper mangrove snappers on frozen shrimp on my pinfish bait rod. Mangos were in maybe four feet of water in the slough over mixed shell, sand bottom. Mangos are probably staging to the near shore ledges for spawning. Good luck to all, please post some reports.