Winter Snook Hunt on Fire

Flamingo to Big Bend
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CoonHound53
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Aug 27, 2012 4:51 am
Location: Sarasota, FL
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Winter Snook Hunt on Fire

Post by CoonHound53 »

Last night I did a solo launch out in SRQ Bay, headed towards the green lights of the canals. I put in at 10:00pm (I typically don't start this late), but I was using my new Hobie kayak, so I had to see how she floats. As I turned into the canals, all I could hear was plussh!! plusssh!! of snooks going nuts at the top water. I was surrounded, about six different docks and lights to hit, all were very active. I use the "watch then fish" approach when I fish at night. I like to see how these fish act and what the water is doing before I anchor and cast. These lights were stacked, lots of juveniles though - very aggressive. The way the water was flowing, I was unable to really retrieve my top water the way I wanted with out hitting the docks or boats. As I watched the snook and what they were hitting, I realized that they were hitting anything and everything!! Sticks, leaves, any debris that were floating out towards the bay, so I figured I would try this with my lure. I tossed my top water about 6 yrds in front of the snook in the current so it would float over the school. The lure looked like a stick motionless. Just as the lure came into sight of the school about 4 juvies started to follow, then one quick twitch, and BAM!! I was hooked. This guy was 16", but still it was a snook, and I wasn't even fishing, just floating lures. I continued to do this at the other five lights and killed it. I caught about 7 snook overall, but all under 20", and very weak fighters ( the cold has got them slow). They were all small. I did however hook on to a big daddy, but he knew what to do, and shot back towards the docks and broke me off - about that time I called it a night, because I couldn't find my clippers to tie on a new lure. It was a very good night, and I learned a new trick "Lure Floating".

If you were wondering, the Hobie did great, very light. But very low profile, I pretty much stayed wet the whole night. I still have to break her in though. I need to reconfigure my set up, my reels got wet.
Listen to the Peppers! Riches will follow.
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