Dave Stewart holds up a snook. Capt. Ron Mallet says snook fishing in South Florida is excellent during the season that starts in February, but anglers should be prepared for broken lines and some lost fish. Photo provided
By Steve Waters
It was the opening night of the winter snook season, and the fishing was fast and frustrating.
Capt. Ron Mallet had two experienced sea trout fishermen from South Carolina on his boat, and they were fishing for snook for the first time.
Mallet gave his customers some pointers, telling them to hold their rods out to the side as they drifted live shrimp in the Intracoastal Waterway. When they felt the “thump” of a snook bite, all they had to do was reel the line tight to set the hook.
Less than an hour into the trip, after a few missed hits and broken lines, one of the anglers, who was following Mallet’s advice, landed a beautiful 36-inch snook. The fish was released because it was over the slot limit of 28-32 inches to keep a snook (anglers are allowed one per day).
“He was ecstatic,” Mallet said. “The other guy kept trying to horse in the snook and kept breaking the line. Then the first guy caught a 28-incher, which went into the cooler. On the next drift, he released one.
“Meanwhile, I’m trying to help the other guy, but he won’t listen.”
At the end of the trip, the first angler hooked yet another snook, the biggest of the night. As the fish stripped line from the 17-pound plug rod, the angler offered the rod to his fishless friend.
The stubborn fisherman took the rod and held it straight up. Mallet suggested the angler point the rod tip down and to the side so he could steer the snook away from trouble. The angler ignored the advice and, as a result, was unable to stop the fish, which swam straight to a rockpile and broke the line.
The snook fishing in South Florida when the season opens Feb. 1 — it’s been closed on the Atlantic coast since Dec. 15 — can be terrific. But be prepared to lose some fish. And if you’re paying to fish with a guide, it pays to listen to the guide.
This time of year, snook can be found from the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Beach County to the back end of finger canals connecting with other canals that eventually flow into the Intracoastal. During the winter, snook move into these canals seeking warm water. Snook become listless in cold water and can be snagged or netted, which is why the season is closed from mid-December through January.
Later in the spring, snook congregate near inlets and beaches as they prepare to spawn. The season closes again from June 1 to Aug. 31, when snook are spawning and easily targeted because they are so concentrated.
Bridges located over or near the Intracoastal are prime snook fishing spots. Snook also can be found after heavy rains by open spillways — the Boynton and Lake Worth spillways are among the best spots — where the snook ambush baitfish flushed out of freshwater canals.
Mallet likes to drift with the current along sea walls using live shrimp. Usually, the bigger the shrimp, the bigger the snook it attracts. Lures that imitate shrimp also hook snook.
The top of the outgoing tide is the best time to fish, whether from a boat or a bridge. That’s when snook will lie in wait for baitfish to be carried by the current and past pilings, boat docks and rocks.
Given those hangouts, break-offs are inevitable. That’s why many anglers who fish from bridges use 80- or 100-pound line with heavy-duty 10-foot rods. When you use light tackle, technique is critical, as that stubborn angler from South Carolina discovered.
Mallet doesn’t take any chances when he gets a bite. He reels quickly to get the fish away from obstructions.
“If you can, take the initiative when a snook is first hooked,” he said. “Treat every fish as if it’s a serious one.”
Outdoors writer Steve Waters can be reached at steve33324@aol.com.
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