Just a few short winters ago, staggering low temperatures along Central Florida & South Florida coast-lines for as long as 10 straight days, sent the water temps to all-time record lows. Claims from our local fishing Captains said those water temps dropped as much as 20 plus degrees in less than three days. In the 50 plus years I have lived here in Central Florida, it has never been that cold for that many days straight. For more 10 days we had freezing night time temps with the high not climbing above the high mid 40s or so. The result was one of the largest “Fish Kills” in Florida history.
The hard fighting & one of the most sought after game-fish for saltwater anglers, the “SNOOK,” suffered a tremendous amount of loss of the over-all population of this species. Reports of more than 30% of the south-west population of these great fighters have been lost to Mother Nature. In a trip to Pine Island Sound & the famous Boca Grande area just after the several days of frigid temps, we witness several hundreds of 24” to 40” snook either floating dead of floundering around just prior to perishing. We were devastated from viewing the site when there was nothing we could do to help these fish.
Since the devastating loss of total numbers of Florida’s tremendous Snook population the FWC has closed the Snook for harvesting on the East & West Coast for the last several seasons to hopefully allow these great fighters population to rebound. The results seem to be working! As an avid fisherman of our in-shore saltwater water-ways I have personally witness these results. In a recent fishing trip to the west coast we not only caught several slot-sized line sides, the water was so clear we were able to see multiple schools of Snook cursing the shallow flats both out on the beach-side and just inside of the passes leading to the Gulf of Mexico. The schools of Snook had several fish, some as large as 30 plus fish just moving up & down the shore-lines just awaiting the right tide movements to get them feeding. The first few days were very frustrating seeing these large schools just cursing the shoreline but not wanting to bite anything we presented. Redfish Pass, Captiva Pass, the famous Boca Grande Pass & Pine Island Sound are some of Florida’s most productive fishing grounds, the fishery there still remains some of the world’s best. In just a few short trips we figured out how and when we could get these great adversary’s to bite.
The FWC will keep the harvesting season which would normally open in September closed once again this year on the West Coast of Florida to help the Snook’s population to continue to re-build itself. As an owner of a second home in beautiful Pine Island Florida in the small fishing town of Bokeelia, we spend several days a month enjoying the wonderful fishing opportunities that Charlotte Harbor & Pine Island Sound offers anglers. The Snook are definitely on the rebound in all areas of the state based on the recent personal catches & reports from our states finest fishing Captains. So get out there and try your luck with this hard fighting adversary!!! Tight Lines….
Phil Wolf, CAM Orlando
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