Hi,
When my fishing club (Stuart Rod and Reel) announced on 2-12-16 that the fish of the month was snook-- I was taken aback. There were three cold fronts and the water temperature sent the snook to deeper water. I catch lots of snook but not lately. It seem however with the recent warm-up especially yesterday with air temp in the low 80s that perhaps the snook would be back. I'm here to tell you -- they're back. Maybe not in great number or size but they are back shallow and there are some good sized ones too.
1st Fishing Report- Walton Scrub 2-16-16, 1:30 pm low incoming tide. Wind moderate out of NW but ideal for Walton. Fishing 1/8 jig with different 4" plastics. water temp low 70s. Air about 80 and beautiful. No camera.
What a day!!! I was fishing with my neighbor Jim. The tide was too low to fish shallow so we went deep. After a few casts I caught a nice 2lb jack and released it. There was some scattered bait. I went deep and had another hit- missed it. Jim didn't get a bite. There was a guy fishing a live mullet with a bobber North so we both headed South. We got nothing through the "dead zone" an area 400 yards long before the first pier.
Then wham!!! A fish nailed my jig and I set the hook- fish on!!! It went down and around and I knew it was another jack. This one was bight yellow- a river jack, nice sized too. I released it and several casts later caught a baby jack. Jim had still blanked but when we fished off the third pier his luck changed. First he caught, believe it on not a catfish!!! Then he caught two jack and a very nice 20" trout. Meanwhile I had caught two big bluefish and two more jack. There were small schools of bait drifting through and the fish were chasing them.
I saw a school of bait and cast across it. Wham!!! fish on!! This was a fairly big fish and I pulled it around then it took off toward me -- went around me and jumped- a very nice 4lb bluefish. I wrestled him to me and he splashed water all over me several times as I pried his mouth open to get the bait.
We kept fishing South then I told Jim we should check out an area shallow that we used to catch snook. We crossed the sandbar and fished to the mangroves. Wham! Fish on, my drag whirred-- the fish was flying, heading North- I knew it was a snook. When I got it to me it wasn't a slot (28") but around 24", a good 3lb heavy fish. Maybe the snook were back, I thought.
We turned North and headed home- Jim fished very shallow around the piers and I went back deep. About the third cast I caught a small trout- that I foul-hook, got him under the lip instead of inside it. I released it and caught a small jack and had another small trout flip off when I pulled it to me. I caught a decent 16" trout off the third pier then Jim caught a nice snook off the second pier.
After I caught another Jack we both fished shallow back and Jim had a fish on but it got off before we could identify it. We got off the water it was nearly 4:00pm.
Jim's totals: Jim caught two catfish, one mullet, 3 jack, 1 nice trout and one nice snook. He lost a big snook near a pier.
My totals: 6 jack, 3 trout and a nice snook. A beautiful day on the water
2nd Fishing Report 2-17-16 Walton Scrub. Medium low tide outgoing. Very windy and cool around 68 with wind blowing hard from NE. I went alone, leaving about 9:00 am and was on the water about 9:30. I brought my camera and took a few pics, two came out.
With 2-3 foot waves it was hard to believe anyone could catch anything. I saw one guy other there and he quickly gave up. Another boat was fishing near the sandbar- they too left. A boat was in my spot off the third pier but they weren't catching anything and when I caught up to them 30 minutes later they said they had hooked a pompano but lost it.
I fished shallow with the wind at my back- it was almost cold but not enough to bother me. I was making long casts and going South for the piers- nothing, no bites no action. I was looking for snook since they had been shallow yesterday. I got to the first pier and my third cast under it I got a strike up by the platform- missed it. I stood up against the pier and cast shallow. After 5 casts with the wind bowing my line I got a thump- fish on!! It was a nice snook - it jumped immediately but the lure stayed. I charged away from the pier and luckily the fish swam into open water. After several nice jumps, I took a pic, released it and headed to the second pier- nothing.
The boat that was fishing off the 1st pier was now tied on the third pier- so I couldn't fish it the whole way. I went under the pier and talked to the boaters who were having engine trouble- they started the boat right after I talked to them and roared away. I went to the next short pier nothing and when I cast near the 5th pier- fish on- this was a small snook (19") and it presented no problem and only jumped once as I pulled it to me. I fished the pier- nothing and went on to the 6th pier. After 10 casts suddenly I saw my line swimming away- I never felt a thing since it was swimming at me. I tightened my slack line and set the hook- wham!!!! Then nothing- my 8lb braided line had broken. Yes it was a hard hook set but I wasn't expecting to be broken off. Who knows what happened, but it surely was a big snook!!!
I retied with a heavier jig head (to fight the wind) and fished South to the mangroves. No snook there today!!! I went deep and fought the waves. You had to cast into a 20mph plus wind. I fished to the third pier before I had a strike- missed it. Then two casts later I caught a nice jack. I fished 15 more minutes deep and went back to the first pier to fish shallow and go in.
I made a long cast along side the pier in shallow water. Wham!!! There went my line at 100mph-- a big snook had it and was swimming north. I quickly waded North. Since the water was only two feet deep now I went fast. Suddenly the snook jumped and she headed back to the pier. I barely turned her and got her coming back. She jumped twice and I took two pics -only one came out, when she was being pulled near the top of the water. I hooked that snook was in 12" of water- amazing. She was a good 28", a small slot and a nice fish.
I fished shallow on back but didn't get another hit. A windy but good day.
My totals- 3 snook with one a small slot (two pics- upcoming) and one nice jack.
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