Capt. Justin Napior
Happy April! We’re off to a killer start. The snook fishing is on fire and the tarpon are roaming! Live bait has been hard to beat and can be found pretty easy along the beach. A well placed artificial will also do the trick, three- and five-inch white paddle tails have been working well. Try to match the size or your lure to the size of the bait in the area. Rig them on a twist lock hook 3/0 or a ¼ ounce jig head, I prefer the twist lock hook unweighted for skipping mangroves and the jig head for deeper cuts and creeks. The early morning bite is your best bet, beat the heat and get an early start or try some night time snook and tarpon fishing for a different experience.
I wanted to share a little fishing adventure I had recently. These two snook slayers fished with me last year with their dad; they had a blast catching snook for the first time! And I had a blast watching them. Fast forward to this year and their dad contacted me to say they were coming back and wanted to fish with me again! I was pretty excited because kids’ trips are some of my favorite trips! I got everything ready the night before, got some awesome bait in the morning and met them at the ramp ready to fish. These two can cast pilchards like pros! They caught snook and jacks all morning. Dad hooked a monster snook first thing in the morning but she got the best of us- another fish story to tell. Lots of laughs and smiles all day long! Fishing trips like this are the things kids will remember when they grow up. I also enjoy teaching them about proper fish handling and why its’s important to take care of your local waters, and I always try to pick up at least one piece of trash every time I go out. I look forward to fishing with these guys every year and this is one of the many reasons I love doing this! Next time you’re planning a fun trip, I highly recommend adding a fishing excursion. Hope everyone has a great month, Tight lines!!
capt.jnapior@gmail.com or call 239-682-7101
