Since the wind was out of the west and tarpon fishing was screwed this morning I headed out to the west side of Sarasota Bay. On one recent trip to this location I saw what looked like a really big snook and Rik had mentioned that he had seen some big ones in this location also. So I left the house this morning with big snook on my mind. When I left the launch I paddled about a mile to an island where I has seen the snook. The plan was to work the edges of that mangrove island as early as possible. So for the first hour on the water I diligently worked all around that island...Nothing! I then moved out onto a flat, but there wasn't much happening there either. I managed just one little trout. Next I saw some fish and birds working at the edge of the flat by a deeper channel. It turned out to be a big school of lady fish. Better than nothing so I started throwing my Aqua Dream spoon at them and caught a couple.
A short time later a good size school of mullet started flowing in through the channel and up on the flat. Looked like a good place for reds to me so I started to work them with the green Aqua Dream spoon. On the second cast I got a big hookup. No...a really big hookup. Whatever it was went on a long line stripping run. A run like I have only experienced from a tarpon. I was starting to worry that it was going to spool me since I was using a reel that is low on line. Since it didn't jump and I had not yet seen it I really didn't know what was on the other end of the line. Once it stopped stripping line it was dragging me around pretty good and I was afraid it was going to drag me back to the mangrove island. I was able to hold the rod with one hand and stick in my stakeout pole with the other. From this point on it was just a good fight to get the fish back to the boat. All in all it was a pretty good fight with 10lb line and 30lb leader.
All I had to measure with was one of those 36" folding "laws" rulers and when I laid it down next to the snook I had 3 or 4 more inches of fish than I had ruler. Note in the picture below that the kayak is 30 inches wide.
Personal Best Snook
Personal Best Snook
Being out on the water in the kayak is the prize. Catching fish is the bonus.
Steve
Steve
Re: Personal Best Snook
Congratulations, beautiful fish!!!
NATIVE Redfish14
Your Wallet - The one place Democrats are willing to drill
Steve
Your Wallet - The one place Democrats are willing to drill
Steve
Re: Personal Best Snook
Nicee!!
Mark .aka. Man of Purpose. Original Chincy Jones
Ultimate 14.5 sand & blue Indian River Outdoorsman.
The jig is up and weedless.
Ultimate 14.5 sand & blue Indian River Outdoorsman.
The jig is up and weedless.
- Flatz Komander
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Re: Personal Best Snook
Very nice snook!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Senior Exalted Pro Staff Member of the Paddle-Fishing.com Kayak & Canoe Anglers Club
Re: Personal Best Snook
Holy cow. That's a great snook. congratulations!
"Bugman" Tom
Heritage Redfish 14
Chevy Silverado
Heritage Redfish 14
Chevy Silverado
- rugrat181
- Supporter 2011 - 2014
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Re: Personal Best Snook
Sweeettt!!!
It's 5 o'clock somewhere. Let's celebrate !!
Senior Exalted Pro Staff Member of the Paddle-Fishing.com Kayak & Canoe Anglers Club"
Dave S
Senior Exalted Pro Staff Member of the Paddle-Fishing.com Kayak & Canoe Anglers Club"
Dave S
Re: Personal Best Snook
Yup. A biggun. Good on ya!
Senior Exalted Pro Staff Member of the Paddle-Fishing.com Kayak & Canoe Anglers Club
"SANCTUARY!!!"
Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse, and helping your uncle jack off a horse.
"SANCTUARY!!!"
Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse, and helping your uncle jack off a horse.
Re: Personal Best Snook
He once shared a really good Snook address with me and I too landed my personal best Linesider.Manning wrote:Rik had mentioned that he had seen some big ones in this location also.
NATIVE Redfish14
Your Wallet - The one place Democrats are willing to drill
Steve
Your Wallet - The one place Democrats are willing to drill
Steve
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- PFTS Chairman
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Re: Personal Best Snook
About 28-29 right?
Very nice Steve.
Very nice Steve.
You know what La Quinta means in English? Behind Dennys. MarkM
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Re: Personal Best Snook
nice
Senior Exalted Pro Staff Member of the Paddle-Fishing.com Kayak & Canoe Anglers Club
Re: Personal Best Snook
That is a real beauty there Steve.... You will remember that girl for a long time
Obama just traded 5 Mercedes for a Slinky ....Greg Gutfeld
- fishshooter99
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Re: Personal Best Snook
Great post, awesome fish.
Gary
expatriate Floridian living in the foriegn land of Georgia
expatriate Floridian living in the foriegn land of Georgia
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Re: Personal Best Snook
Funny, everyone I find who is lookin for Reds gets Snook, I want a Snook and I was getting Reds lol.
Also, those fish grippers, seeing those everywhere now. I picked up some and love them.
Also, those fish grippers, seeing those everywhere now. I picked up some and love them.
Re: Personal Best Snook
That grip is 4 or 5 years old. The best $12 I ever spent. I have mine tethered to the kayak. I clip it on the fish and leave them in the water while I get my camera out.godsmack481 wrote: Also, those fish grippers, seeing those everywhere now. I picked up some and love them.
Being out on the water in the kayak is the prize. Catching fish is the bonus.
Steve
Steve
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- Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2013 9:46 am
Re: Personal Best Snook
Well if they lasted that long so far then I feel I made a great investment. I don't wanna do too much touching when certain fish have that mucus membrane that is not good to remove from them. I'm all for preservation. And also for the toothy ones lol.
- justabucup
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