To the angler who loves to fish the beaches, shores, jetties, bridges and piers of Florida.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Meet Mark at Whites Tackle
Join us tomorrow night at 6 pm with Capt. Mark Nichols of Doa Lures. He will be on hand to talk about his product for catching snook, trout, redfish, and tarpon. Come learn from a true professional at Whites Tackle in Stuart! Get here early to reserve your seat and see you tomorrow!!!
From Henry @ Snook-Nook - Jensen Beach
Gee the week end and no rain, two day in a row, wow. Here I sit looking out the window of the Snook Nook and the sun is shining, four Pelicans and a bunch of Sea Gulls are sitting on the water and the bait is every where. Mullet top the list yet it is not a Mullet run, close but not quite. Then the Glass Minnows are in waves keeping the Gulls happy and the fish fat and sassy, lets fish the river. Low light is the key, the Indian River is shallow and that makes for easy feeding but when the sun is high it is hard to hide and if you can see the fish chances are they have already seen you. Beautiful Reds all week north of the Power Plant, east or west side we saw all top of the slot fish taken on live and artificial baits but the dark hour was their time. After sun up these fish move to the Mangroves and it will take some time to get them out. On the west side at low light they are following the bait,as the sun rises they go for the deeper shaded areas around the docks and stay on the bottom, a slow moving small spoon will get their attention.
Trout are all at the top of slot, and it seems they are every where, from the flats to the bridges following the Mullet. Hector has been catching from the bridge using live shrimp, putting a slit shot on the the leader and casting his shrimp up into the current and letting the current present his bait, low light is the key. Do not recall when so many Trout have been taken from the bridge. North to south find a grass edge and chances are you have found Trout, of course all this bait helps.
Lots of Lady Fish, Jacks, Tarpon, Snook, Drum, Blues and Macs to name few have made for a good week in the river, and did I mention all the bait? Yes the Tarpon and Snook are having a picnic at the bridges, wait for dark and come on down.
Surf anglers have had a good week, some days the surf was up but not as it has been. Some weeds but not all areas and the bait is every where they do not mind the weeds. Early morning or that high in coming is prime time, if is chrome throw it. Baits have been in close or out of casting range but there, mullet of all sizes. This week the favored has been the Wind Cheater, last week it was 3/4oz spoon but both have a lot of flash, both have some weight to cast.
Tarpon, real big Tarpon and Snook well over the slot, mix in Blues, Jacks, Spinners, Black Tips and few more make for a lot of big action at the beach.
Now if you want to take home dinner, big Whiting and Croakers are there in good numbers through out the day, Tarpon or Whiting?????
Sebastian Inlet Report
09-30-13 MONDAY: MANGROVE SNAPPER, REDS, SNOOK, SPANISH MACKEREL, JACKS, BLACK DRUM, BLUE RUNNERS AND BLUEFISH
We have another beautiful morning at the Sebastian Inlet. Winds are blowing out of the West-Northwest at 4 mph and there is a small swell for our surfers out there, hopefully it will build. Always use caution when casting into the surfing area when surfers are present.
Over the weekend we saw a good variety of species come over the rails. We've seen a lot of Reds, a lot of them have been in the slot, and some have been over. Snook are active, but getting one in the slot has been tricky, most have been oversized. Mangrove Snapper, Spanish Mackerel, Jacks, Blue Runners are still present. We've started seeing Bluefish activity, Black Drum and a few keeper Pompano as well.
Meir Genoune of Boynton Beach fished the north jetty on Friday with his wife Teresa and reported a slow start to the morning. When the tide changed around noon, the Reds turned on and fishing turned into catching! Anglers were catching Reds one after another, many over the slot but 15 - 20 keepers were caught between 1:00 - 2:00. Meir landed his slot Red by 7:30 a.m. and Teresa landed hers during the noon bite. As a matter of fact, she landed an additional 7 that were returned to the water! Meir said she was putting the guys to shame, way to go Teresa!! Meir reported that Bluefish were abundant with several big Mackerel in the mix, three keeper Black Drum and a handful of slot sized Pompano were landed as well. The cooler north winds and tons of bait in the water was a recipe for great fishing!
Photo one is of one of the oversized Reds landed by Teresa Genoune on Friday which is almost as big as she is!!
Photo two features Meir Genoune with his slot Red
Photo three is of Teresa's slot Red she landed during the noon feeding frenzy!
Friday, September 27, 2013
Sebastian Inlet Report
09-27-13 FRIDAY: MANGROVE SNAPPER, REDS, SNOOK AND SPANISH MACKEREL
We have a touch of fall in the air this morning! Winds are blowing out of the North-Northwest at 8 mph and gusting to 11. There is a moderate chop on the water and small craft should exercise caution. Things have been heating up at the inlet this week. We've seen a real good Mangrove Snapper bite, Reds of all sizes but most have been in the slot. Snook have been biting but most of those have been oversized, but an occasional keeper will make some angler's day! Spanish Mackerel started making appearances a few days ago and there have been some real healthy ones landed. Tarpon have been active in the evening hours.
Our first photo today features Serina Humber of Winter Haven. Serina was fishing the inlet for the first time when she landed this nice Mangrove Snapper using live shrimp.
Inlet regular Paul Szoke is featured in our second photo today. Paul landed this healthy Snapper along with several others.
Cristian Sotelo of Coconut Creek and a buddy landed the two slot Reds in our third photo along with 8 Mangrove Snapper, 1 oversized C/R Red, 1 20" C/R Fat Snook, and Cristian lost what looked like a slot Snook right at the net. They plan on coming back when the Flounder start to run!
Bill Brice of Palm Bay fished the north jetty and is featured in our fourth photo today. Using shrimp, Bill landed the oversized C/R Snook, but sent it on its way with a kiss good bye!
Our last photo today is of Jeremy Ward. Jeremy is a recent transplant from Columbia, SC, now living in Melbourne. Fishing from the T-Dock Monday evening, he landed his 22" slot Red using live bait, his first Red, ever!
From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart
Ft pierce
Inshore the mullet run is on the trout,snook, and red fish have been in the bait schools to the north top water has been good at first light then soft baits have produced well. The beach fishing has still been steady.
Stuart
Inshore with the mullet run in its early stages, anglers have been reporting a steady trout, snook, and tarpon bite up around blind creek and little mud creek look for the bait and get up infront of the school and cast mullet imitations like Baitbuster, swimming mullet or DOA call jerk baits. Top water seems to only work right after first light and as the sun starts to heat up switch those soft plastics. We have a great seminar next Tuesday in our Stuart location with Capt. Mark Nichols at 6 p.m..
Inshore the mullet run is on the trout,snook, and red fish have been in the bait schools to the north top water has been good at first light then soft baits have produced well. The beach fishing has still been steady.
Stuart
Inshore with the mullet run in its early stages, anglers have been reporting a steady trout, snook, and tarpon bite up around blind creek and little mud creek look for the bait and get up infront of the school and cast mullet imitations like Baitbuster, swimming mullet or DOA call jerk baits. Top water seems to only work right after first light and as the sun starts to heat up switch those soft plastics. We have a great seminar next Tuesday in our Stuart location with Capt. Mark Nichols at 6 p.m..
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Sebastian Inlet Report
09-26-13 THURSDAY: SNOOK, REDS, SPANISH MACKEREL AND MANGROVE SNAPPER
We have a nice breeze at the inlet this morning. Winds are blowing out of the West at 9 mph, but we still don't have any waves for our surfers out there. The north jetty is crowded with fishermen this morning, good news travels fast amongst our local anglers. The bite was very good yesterday.
We received updates from Diane Buyce of Melbourne and Mike Ricciardi of Vero Beach. Mike reported a very strong Snook bite in the morning, but he wasn't aware of any slot fish, all were out of the slot and returned to the water, although he got close with one that was 27.5"using live mullet. 90% of the fish landed were on live mullet. The Snook bite lasted from 6:30 a.m. - 8:00, then about 8:30, an awesome Redfish bite turned on and 15 - 20 Reds came over the rails, about 80% were in the slot. Spanish Mackerel returned and anglers using live greenies scored. Diane Buyce landed 10, some were good size, in the 3 - 4 lb. range. Mangrove Snapper are still abundant, but most anglers were focused on Snook and Reds and Rick Jablonski of Sebastian landed a big, fat 16" Snapper that was a beauty. Diane reported that working the Macks for several hours can wear an angler out, she had the best luck free-lining greenies, but thinks she may try again today.
Our first photo is courtesy of Christopher Muhl. Justin Case (L) and Cameron Burns (R) found a nice quiet river spot and wound up with a Treasure Coast Grand Slam of Snook, Tarpon, Redfish and Sea Trout! The big gator Trout had big teeth, so Justin is holding the fish for Cameron. It weighed 10.5 lbs.
Photo two features Mike Ricciardi with a 27" slot Red and Diane Buyce with a 27" slot Red plus real nice Spanish Mackerel. Beautiful catches!!
Rick Jablonski of Sebastian is featured in our third photo. This sweet Mangrove Snapper was landed yesterday while Rick was trying for Snook!
Ronnie Pastor of Vero Beach is featured in our fourth photo today. Ronnie was fishing the north jetty on Tuesday morning when he limited out with 5 Snapper using mojarra. Way to go Ronnie!
Ken of Palm Bay is pictured with the only Spanish Mackerel that was landed Tuesday morning in our last photo.
From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart
Inshore the red fish have been to the north around Harbor Branch to round island soft baits have been the best bet. There has been a few nice trout at first light in the mullet schools with a few snook mixed in top water has been the bait of choice.The tarpon fishing has been good around the bridges and in the inlet at night.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart
Ft Pierce
Inshore the snook fishing has been good around the bridges and on the flats with live bait and jigs. The trout fishing has been good both north and south on soft baits and live shrimp. The mullet are starting to up along the beaches thick with snook, jacks and tarpon in them. Stuart
Fishing in the Indian River has been stellar this week up toward round island with anglers reporting 30-40 trout a day with redfish and snook mixed in with jacks and ladyfish. Doa Cal jig in the 1/8 and 1/4 sizes and in either the paddle tails or 4 inch jerk shad in the green back color. Top water will work for the first couple hours after sun up and then switch to soft plastics. The mullet run is in full effect with tarpon being caught near little mud creek.
Sebastian Inlet Report
09-25-13 WEDNESDAY: MANGROVE SNAPPER, LADYFISH, JACKS, REDS AND SNOOK
We have another overcast morning at the inlet and rain in the forecast, which isn't always correct. Yesterday there were some sprinkles in the morning, but the huge rain that was predicted never made it. Winds are blowing out of the West at 7 mph and gusting to 13, but there's no surf to speak of. We could see a swell build for our surfers out there, but right now, there is nothing. Fishing is another matter, Mangrove Snapper bit pretty well yesterday for anglers using mojarra. Mangrove Snapper up to 17" came over the rails (the 21" reported yesterday was an error).
Inlet regular Mike Ricciardi sent in our first photo today of Eddie Chan with a beautiful, fat, 17" Mangrove Snapper he landed using mojarra. Eddie fished overnight and landed some huge Ladyfish as well. Also pictured is Tony Swiderski of Sebastian with a 31" slot Snook. Tony landed an oversized Snook prior to landing his keeper.
Ray Rodiriguez of Orlando sent in our next two photos. Ray and his friend Yaly German fished the north jetty Monday and landed the oversized C/R Reds. Ray is featured in photo two and Yaly is featured in photo three. The Reds were released unharmed after the photos.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
West Palm Beach Fishing Club Seminar
Please join Mark Hightower and Gulfstream at the West Palm Beach Fishing Club this Wednesday the 25th for a Seminar on fishing the mullet run from Boats, Bridges and Beaches! There will be much to learn from this legendary angler and lots of cool lures and apparel to be giving out. The WPB Fishing Club is located at 201 5th Street West Palm Beach, Florida 33401. Hope to see you there!
From Capt Joe Ward @ Bait Shack - FT Pierce
The inshore fishing has been good on the full tide when the water is clearest - not the brown you see on the out going tide. Plenty of snapper along the channel edges as well as around the local bridges and in the Ft. Pierce Inlet. Your best bet will be a small live shrimp or a piece of cut bait. There has been a good black drum bite in just about the same place as the snapper. The trout and redfish have been a little on the slow side but, try places like Bear Point or Harbor Branch. A live shrimp fished under a popping cork will get the job done. Look for the clear water in 2 to 4 feet. The snook action remains steady on the first of the out going tide in the Ft. Pierce Inlet. Use a live bait live a finger mullet or a shrimp and fish it on the bottom. The Spanish mackerel and jacks are following the bait school into the Ft. Pierce Inlet on the incoming tide. Just look for the birds.
Sebastian Inlet Report
09-24-13 TUESDAY: IT'S ALL ABOUT MANGROVE SNAPPER THIS MORNING!
We've had some light rain at the inlet this morning, but it looks like a deluge may be headed our way this afternoon. Go prepared if you head to the inlet. Many times, a good rain will turn the bite on, but be sure to get off the jetties if there is thunder or lightening. Winds are blowing out of the Southwest at 5 mph and there is a light chop on the water.
A semi-steady bite of decent sized Mangrove Snapper was the highlight of the morning, some reaching 21"! One slot sized Snook was landed before daylight, an oversized Red, one Spanish Mackerel and a big Jack came over the rails before 10:00 a.m. Most anglers were using mojarra, some were using finger mullet and at least one successful angler used shrimp for the Snapper. There was less bait in the water this morning.
Our first photo today features Juan Torres of Orlando who landed this nice 25" slot Red yesterday off the north jetty.
Photo two is from Bruce who landed this unusual fish near the SISP boat ramps. When the fish was in the water, he thought he had a Lookdown. Once the fish was reeled in, its head and eyes were different and it had stripes with very long ribbon like threads trailing from each of its fins. After some investigating, we came up with a juvenile African Pompano. The first one we've had on the fishing report.
Our last photo is courtesy of Mike Ricciardi of Vero Beach. The photo shows the schools of bait that were teeming around the inlet.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Sebastian Inlet Report
09-23-13 MONDAY: MANGROVE SNAPPER, REDS, SNOOK AND JACKS
It's a beautiful morning at the inlet. Winds are blowing out of the South-Southeast at 2 mph and the water is flat and calm. Be sure to take insect repellent with you if you head to the inlet, the no see 'ums love these conditions!
Over the weekend we saw schools of big Jacks, Reds, Snook and a lot of Mangrove Snapper are still hanging around the jetties. A few Spanish Mackerel have started making appearances, but hopefully those numbers will pick up as we head into fall. A lot of bait is in the water, schools of greenies, mojarra, mullet and glass minnows have been setting off the bigger fish, which is a good sign.
Mike Ricciardi of Vero Beach fished the afternoon shift on Friday and sent in an update for us. Mike fished from 11:00 - 4:00 and reported a beautiful day, although he didn't have any luck, he had a great time watching the giant schools of bait get chased and busted up by the Snook, Reds and Jacks. Anglers were having good luck using live mullet, but several fish were landed on mojarra. Four or five Snook were landed, but all were oversized and returned to the water.
Photo one is of Bob Green with a C/R Redfish.
Photo two is of Tony with a 26.5" slot Red.
Photo three is of Mike Ricciardi with a slot Red.
Photo four is of bait being busted up by bigger species, trying to jump their way out of the situation!
From Henry @ Snook-Nook - Jensen Beach
Surf anglers had a testing week with conditions, weeds, rain, surf kind of a ruff week. But in the midst of it all lots bait, mullet, silver sides, glass minnows to name a few and with them came the fish. Easy way to locate the bait is look for the birds, then keep in mind the fish will ball the bait swimming around the school.
Now we know where the bait is and the location of the predators make that cast, fishing the edge of the school will find the Tarpon, Snook, Jacks and a bunch more. Some times are better than others but the surf any time is a good time. Now back to the conditions, weeds you could go a few access north or south, rain well that you could wait out and the surf, well how about your board so all in all not a bad week on the beach. Plenty of Whiting and Croaker to take home but to watch that Tarpon jump will make your day. Lots of access points and a moderate sea, come on down just do not bring a knife to the gun fight. The 3/4 once spoon is the secret, every body seem to favor.
You have to love the bridges over the Indian River, at low light it is an action zone. Tarpon, Snook, Jacks, Lady Fish to pull real hard and the Mangroves, Trout, Drum to take home, could it get any better. Catch a moving tide around the walls, pier or cat walks and you will be in the fish. Cast up into the current and let the tide move your bait but please do not put your rod down, one does have to set the hook. Lots of bait, mullet, pins, silver sides to name a few and all very accessible, so why would the fish not be there. The same is true form Stuart bridge north to JC Park east side or west low light is best, now if it will ever stop raining.
From Native Tackle - Sebastian
INSHORE
The redfish action has been outstanding! The snook and trout action has been very good around the docks and they been hitting live bait fish! It has been horrible weather but the bite has been turned on pretty much everywhere and there has been a lot of bait! The mangroves are biting around the docks, and close to the inlet! The jacks are hitting almost anything you throw at them right now and seems like anywhere you go, you will get into them. Some anglers that tried to stay out of the wind have been fishing the Sebastian river and have come up with goodtarpon, reds and shark action. A lot of reports of big bull sharks!
INLET
Even though we have had some bad weather this past week and some extreme tides which makes for dirty water....but anglers fishing got into some good action. Redfish, snook, jacks, blue runners and mangrove snapper has been the catch this past week at the Inlet! A lot of bait running and looks like the jelly fish has moved on!
SURF
Lots of mullet on the beach right now. Great shark action and along with theshark.... some snook, tarpon, spanish mackerel and a few jacks has been the bite in the surf this past week!
From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart
The inshore fishing has been great with the mullet run just starting. There have been Redfish to the north around the spoil islands, and these fish have been caught using DOA and Gulp jerk baits. The Trout fishing on the inlet flat has been good on the incoming tide using live baits along with Any of the DOA soft plastics. Snook fishing has been getting better in the night time on the incoming tide using feathers and plugs.
Inshore the Mullet figured out it is the beginning of fall and have really started showing up in numbers. There was a good school of Redfish spotted on the Sailfish flats over the weekend at the top of the incoming tide, there has also been a good bite reported to the North around the spoil islands. The Trout bite has continued to be good also from Walton Rd to Ft Pierce inlet flats. The Snook and Tarpon should begin to push into the river to follow the Mullet schools that are starting to show up. October 1st at 6:00pm Mark Nichols from DOA will be holding a Seminar here in Stuart on inshore fishing, don't forget to mark your calendars!
Friday, September 20, 2013
Dig Deep for Linesiders
How to Jig Up Hefty Snook from Southeast Florida Inlets
Dave Justice casts into the darkness blanketing Miami's Government Cut. He hopes the 1-ounce shrimp-imitation jig will sink quickly, working its way down the rocky ledge that drops from 5 feet to well over 40 before leveling off. The only sign of Justice's efforts that I can see is the white braided line, as it flows from the reel's spool faintly illuminated by a full moon.
As soon as Justice feels the jig hit bottom, he cranks his reel a few times then lets it sink again. After repeating this a few times, he jerks the rod back suddenly and reels aggressively as a nice snook tries to retreat into the rocks below.
Soon I hear it thrashing off the bow of the 34-foot Sea Vee center console. "It's just a runt!" Justice yells back. Within seconds he hauls the fish over the gunwale and Sport Fishing ad sales rep Twig Tolle of Miami retrieves his jig. His "runt" turns out to be a nice 12-pounder.
We make another drift over the same area and Tolle joins Justice in the jigfest, hoping to score one of the trophy-sized snook that hug the dark depths below. A few seconds later, both anglers hook nice-size fish. They jockey around the boat, following thrashing fish. As soon as Tolle gets his snook boat-side, its sharp gill plate slices through his 50-pound fluorocarbon leader and the fish swims away into the night. Soon after, Justice lands a stout 15-pounder. I discover the prizes that await anglers willing to patiently work Florida's Atlantic inlets after the sun sets and fatigue - along with some midnight hunger pangs - would lead most of us to a warm pillow and mere dreams of hot snook fishing.
Smart Snook
Most anglers with snook fishing experience will testify that linesiders, especially trophy-size, prove among the most difficult of species to coerce into eating artificials. Justice is no exception, having played mind games with these fish since his boyhood days in Miami. His father, Bill, says that as a teenager, Dave used to snook-fish all night for 10 or 12 nights in a row, often waking up and going to school on two or three hours' sleep. "But he usually came home with a big fish and the thrill of the catch kept him going all day," says Bill. Night fishing isn't for everyone, but for night owls like Dave, it can mean the difference in catching snook.
"Snook are more active after dark when they let down their guard," Dave Justice says. "Even so, I want an outgoing tide at night to avoid increased visibility of crystal-clear incoming tides." However, he adds that on windy nights an incoming can work just as well.
Justice stumbled on a deep-jigging approach while fishing Miami's Haulover Cut about 20 years ago. "The people doing it were jigging from shore on the tide changes, but I started drifting with the boat and it worked, even when the tide was running."
His most memorable trip occurred in August 1996 at Haulover. Justice and a friend caught over 40 linesiders during the last two hours of the outgoing tide. These fish held to a ledge between 15 and 30 feet deep. Justice was most impressed at the size of each fish: the biggest tipped the scales at 30 pounds, the smallest at 8.
Tough Fish, Tough Gear
Since snook hang around structure and rank among the most powerful strikers in salt water, it helps to have gear that can turn them quickly. Justice prefers a custom Leeward 7-foot heavy-action rod or a Cape Fear Live Bait 70 model. An extra-fast taper offers a sensitive tip for solid casting and better ability to feel the jig bounce off the bottom. Silicon-carbide rod guides complete the rod setup because they absorb the abrasion of braided line. Other rod companies like Rasta and Chaos make rods to meet individual specifications. Standard tackle manufacturers also make off-the-shelf rods that can stand up to these fish, but most models don't have enough extra-fast taper or the special guide inserts.
Reels should feature tough drags and capacity for least 200 yards of 20-pound mono line. Justice prefers the Daiwa Millionaire CV-Z300A, the Penn International 975 or a Shimano Calcutta 400. He is the national sales manager for Sufix fishing lines and spools each reel with 100 yards of 30-pound neon-yellow Superior mono for backing, then uses a seven-turn uni-knot (or "jam-knot") to add 100 yards of 50-pound Herculine. He says the braided line is all-important because success in deep jigging revolves around how you react to the bottom. "The braided line allows you to feel the bottom, so the instant you feel it, you can pull your jig off the rocks. You have a little stretch with mono and don't feel the bottom until it's too late and you're already snagged in it," says Justice.
For terminal tackle, Justice uses a uni-knot to tie on a 4-foot leader of 80-pound fluorocarbon. In tying the uni-knot, make two to three turns with the mono and six to seven with the braid to get a firm, but not bulky, connection. Attach jig heads with a non-slip mono loop knot. I'd suggest rigging at least a half-dozen extra leaders, complete with jigs, before heading out. Frequent cutoffs combined with the headaches of trying to rig in the dark can lead to a lot of wasted time and frustration.
Carry a large variety of jig heads, from 1/4-ounce to 2 ounces. Take at least a half-dozen of each size. Water depth and speed of tidal flow determine which to use at any given time. Make sure the jig reaches the bottom without dropping too quickly. If you don't feel the bottom after a few seconds, switch to a lighter jig. If you get hung up immediately a couple times in succession, your offering's too heavy.
Jig tails vary according to an angler's preference. Once you find one that works, stick with it - but take at least 20 or 30 per night and carry a variety of colors. Justice raves about his choice for tails, Hogie's Chubbe-Tail Shrimp (409-543-1123). Made in Texas, these shrimp imitations prove stocky enough to handle larger jigs and attract monster snook. Justice finds the avocado color most effective in darker water, while the more natural-looking cuervo gold works well in clear conditions.
Rigs should be ready at all times. Rigging in the dark proves difficult, but necessary. Lights that shine into the water from a drifting boat spook fish. A boat with under-the-gunwale lights creates the ideal setup, though a portable flashlight or headlight gets the job done.
Solving the Puzzle
Most of southeast Florida's inlets hold big snook, but the best jigging conditions exist in the deeper inlets like Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce, Jupiter, Lake Worth, Port Everglades, Haulover and Government Cut. Other inlets, such as Sebastian and Jupiter, hold hordes of snook at times, but depths not more than 10 to 20 feet hinder this type of jigging.
Wherever you go, target the deepest areas along drop-offs. Many anglers only catch smaller fish because they cast too close to the rocks on the shallower part of big ledges. Justice has found that big fish hold in deeper sections most times of the year (except summertime when the fish aggressively feed and occupy various parts of the water column during spawning activity). He says the best ledges drop off gradually from 10 to 20 feet, then ideally drop as much as 50 feet before leveling off. "That gives them deepwater access, but they can still run up and down the ledge," he says. "I like to position my boat over the deepest part of the ledge. Then I can cast and let my jig start "comin" down the stairs" along the drop-off."
A depth finder offers the easiest way to spot a ledge and position the boat. Justice likes to keep the motor running and cast from the bow, which faces toward the ledge. Once the boat is in position, start drifting with the tide. Drifting proves better than anchoring because usually the boat moves at the same speed as the current. Anchoring presents several problems, such as lack of maneuverability and limited range. Plus, jig presentation becomes unnatural and hang-ups occur more frequently due to the boat swinging back and forth.
As with any approach to fishing artificials, proper presentation leads to more hookups. Deep jigging for snook revolves around this concept. Justice likes to use two or three swift reel turns to generate the bounce of the jig. "Use minimal rod action. I use my reel, turning the handle, to work the jig," he says. "It's almost like you're lifting and lowering the jig.
"I use a little more rod action in areas with lots of hang-ups, but if it's a fairly predictable bottom I just scoot the jig along. It will still come 12 to 18 inches off the bottom and then have a controlled sink rate, which is the most important part because snook always hit on the fall."
Snook tend to move around with the tide, so if after several drifts you don't get a strike, scout around over different ledges and be sure to try both sides of the inlet. Once you master the technique and discover the hideouts of these tenacious fighters, your deep digging will help you spend nights living out your snook fantasies instead of just dreaming about them.
Soon I hear it thrashing off the bow of the 34-foot Sea Vee center console. "It's just a runt!" Justice yells back. Within seconds he hauls the fish over the gunwale and Sport Fishing ad sales rep Twig Tolle of Miami retrieves his jig. His "runt" turns out to be a nice 12-pounder.
We make another drift over the same area and Tolle joins Justice in the jigfest, hoping to score one of the trophy-sized snook that hug the dark depths below. A few seconds later, both anglers hook nice-size fish. They jockey around the boat, following thrashing fish. As soon as Tolle gets his snook boat-side, its sharp gill plate slices through his 50-pound fluorocarbon leader and the fish swims away into the night. Soon after, Justice lands a stout 15-pounder. I discover the prizes that await anglers willing to patiently work Florida's Atlantic inlets after the sun sets and fatigue - along with some midnight hunger pangs - would lead most of us to a warm pillow and mere dreams of hot snook fishing.
Most anglers with snook fishing experience will testify that linesiders, especially trophy-size, prove among the most difficult of species to coerce into eating artificials. Justice is no exception, having played mind games with these fish since his boyhood days in Miami. His father, Bill, says that as a teenager, Dave used to snook-fish all night for 10 or 12 nights in a row, often waking up and going to school on two or three hours' sleep. "But he usually came home with a big fish and the thrill of the catch kept him going all day," says Bill. Night fishing isn't for everyone, but for night owls like Dave, it can mean the difference in catching snook.
"Snook are more active after dark when they let down their guard," Dave Justice says. "Even so, I want an outgoing tide at night to avoid increased visibility of crystal-clear incoming tides." However, he adds that on windy nights an incoming can work just as well.
Justice stumbled on a deep-jigging approach while fishing Miami's Haulover Cut about 20 years ago. "The people doing it were jigging from shore on the tide changes, but I started drifting with the boat and it worked, even when the tide was running."
His most memorable trip occurred in August 1996 at Haulover. Justice and a friend caught over 40 linesiders during the last two hours of the outgoing tide. These fish held to a ledge between 15 and 30 feet deep. Justice was most impressed at the size of each fish: the biggest tipped the scales at 30 pounds, the smallest at 8.
Since snook hang around structure and rank among the most powerful strikers in salt water, it helps to have gear that can turn them quickly. Justice prefers a custom Leeward 7-foot heavy-action rod or a Cape Fear Live Bait 70 model. An extra-fast taper offers a sensitive tip for solid casting and better ability to feel the jig bounce off the bottom. Silicon-carbide rod guides complete the rod setup because they absorb the abrasion of braided line. Other rod companies like Rasta and Chaos make rods to meet individual specifications. Standard tackle manufacturers also make off-the-shelf rods that can stand up to these fish, but most models don't have enough extra-fast taper or the special guide inserts.
Reels should feature tough drags and capacity for least 200 yards of 20-pound mono line. Justice prefers the Daiwa Millionaire CV-Z300A, the Penn International 975 or a Shimano Calcutta 400. He is the national sales manager for Sufix fishing lines and spools each reel with 100 yards of 30-pound neon-yellow Superior mono for backing, then uses a seven-turn uni-knot (or "jam-knot") to add 100 yards of 50-pound Herculine. He says the braided line is all-important because success in deep jigging revolves around how you react to the bottom. "The braided line allows you to feel the bottom, so the instant you feel it, you can pull your jig off the rocks. You have a little stretch with mono and don't feel the bottom until it's too late and you're already snagged in it," says Justice.
For terminal tackle, Justice uses a uni-knot to tie on a 4-foot leader of 80-pound fluorocarbon. In tying the uni-knot, make two to three turns with the mono and six to seven with the braid to get a firm, but not bulky, connection. Attach jig heads with a non-slip mono loop knot. I'd suggest rigging at least a half-dozen extra leaders, complete with jigs, before heading out. Frequent cutoffs combined with the headaches of trying to rig in the dark can lead to a lot of wasted time and frustration.
Carry a large variety of jig heads, from 1/4-ounce to 2 ounces. Take at least a half-dozen of each size. Water depth and speed of tidal flow determine which to use at any given time. Make sure the jig reaches the bottom without dropping too quickly. If you don't feel the bottom after a few seconds, switch to a lighter jig. If you get hung up immediately a couple times in succession, your offering's too heavy.
Jig tails vary according to an angler's preference. Once you find one that works, stick with it - but take at least 20 or 30 per night and carry a variety of colors. Justice raves about his choice for tails, Hogie's Chubbe-Tail Shrimp (409-543-1123). Made in Texas, these shrimp imitations prove stocky enough to handle larger jigs and attract monster snook. Justice finds the avocado color most effective in darker water, while the more natural-looking cuervo gold works well in clear conditions.
Rigs should be ready at all times. Rigging in the dark proves difficult, but necessary. Lights that shine into the water from a drifting boat spook fish. A boat with under-the-gunwale lights creates the ideal setup, though a portable flashlight or headlight gets the job done.
Most of southeast Florida's inlets hold big snook, but the best jigging conditions exist in the deeper inlets like Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce, Jupiter, Lake Worth, Port Everglades, Haulover and Government Cut. Other inlets, such as Sebastian and Jupiter, hold hordes of snook at times, but depths not more than 10 to 20 feet hinder this type of jigging.
Wherever you go, target the deepest areas along drop-offs. Many anglers only catch smaller fish because they cast too close to the rocks on the shallower part of big ledges. Justice has found that big fish hold in deeper sections most times of the year (except summertime when the fish aggressively feed and occupy various parts of the water column during spawning activity). He says the best ledges drop off gradually from 10 to 20 feet, then ideally drop as much as 50 feet before leveling off. "That gives them deepwater access, but they can still run up and down the ledge," he says. "I like to position my boat over the deepest part of the ledge. Then I can cast and let my jig start "comin" down the stairs" along the drop-off."
A depth finder offers the easiest way to spot a ledge and position the boat. Justice likes to keep the motor running and cast from the bow, which faces toward the ledge. Once the boat is in position, start drifting with the tide. Drifting proves better than anchoring because usually the boat moves at the same speed as the current. Anchoring presents several problems, such as lack of maneuverability and limited range. Plus, jig presentation becomes unnatural and hang-ups occur more frequently due to the boat swinging back and forth.
As with any approach to fishing artificials, proper presentation leads to more hookups. Deep jigging for snook revolves around this concept. Justice likes to use two or three swift reel turns to generate the bounce of the jig. "Use minimal rod action. I use my reel, turning the handle, to work the jig," he says. "It's almost like you're lifting and lowering the jig.
"I use a little more rod action in areas with lots of hang-ups, but if it's a fairly predictable bottom I just scoot the jig along. It will still come 12 to 18 inches off the bottom and then have a controlled sink rate, which is the most important part because snook always hit on the fall."
Snook tend to move around with the tide, so if after several drifts you don't get a strike, scout around over different ledges and be sure to try both sides of the inlet. Once you master the technique and discover the hideouts of these tenacious fighters, your deep digging will help you spend nights living out your snook fantasies instead of just dreaming about them.
"Justice Tackle" and uses different Rods and Reels - "BUT" the Technique and the
way he fishes has not changed
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