"Better then last year" well that might be what I say every year but I will say I don't remember the last time going back into Snook season when there have been so many fish around. Right now if it Snook, Red fish, Tarpon, Trout, you name it we can just fish for it and most likely catch it, and have been catching them over the past few weeks. For this time of the year I can't say I have seen it much better.
High tide, low tide, they have both have been good for the Red fish bite. Most of the Red fishing that you do this time of the year on a high tide is usually around or in the mangroves. It seems like as soon as the tide gets high enough the fish go running for the trees. This at times can be really good because the fish don't get spooked as easy but it can make it a little tougher at times because the fish are harder to see. On the really high tides being on the water so much helps because you know where the fish have been and where they should go when the tide goes out. During the lower tides these great fish fall off the edges of the flats and this can be a great time to catch them. The best thing to do is if you have an idea where the fish have been be really quiet sneak up on the edge of the flat where the water drops deeper, take and chum a lot of bait and wait for a little while. If you don't get any action move down the flat a little and try again. Repeat this a few times some where along the edge of the flat you will find those fish. Most of the time with this process you will find more then just the Red fish. The last few trips I have been able to catch Snook, Red fish, Trout, all in the same area. This is really neat you almost just follow the fish right along the flat. The Snook bite has still been some great action. I have had a few keeper fish already this season with the new slot limit 28-33 inches they have made it a little tougher to do. I can say when you catch a keeper fish it a great fish. Only two years ago the size limit was 26 before that it was 24. I think any Snook over 24 inches is a great fight if you can keep it or not. You hook that great catch he goes to pulling drag, jumping out of the water, what more can you ask for!
The Tarpon bite for me has still been the smaller ones up in the river, but the bite has been great. Most of the fish that we caught this past week were 15-25 lbs. On the light tackle this is a great fight. You hook a 15lb plus fish of any kind on 10 lb tackle you will have your hands full. With the Tarpon we have had a run of big Jacks, which these fish pull just like the
Tarpon if we could only teach them how to jump. The Jacks have been around the same size, and then I can't leave out the great Alligator Gar. These fish don't put up as much of a fight as the Tarpon or the Jack but I can say you will say it is one of the strangest fish you can catch. Put it this way it has lots of teeth!
