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Hawks Cay
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Keys Fishing
Snook Fishing in the Keys
How to catch snook during snook season in Florida
The first thing you learn fishing in the keys is that a successful snook fisherman must be smart, skillful, patient and above all persistent. Every angler wants to land a lunker, but a trophy specimen of the species Centropomus undecimalis, can be particularly elusive.
Florida Keys fishing is famous for tarpon, cobia and bonefish, but nothing gets the blood pumping like snook season. If you want to go snook fishing, you’ll find the largest specimens on the flats and deep in the backcountry of Everglades National Park.
“Snook are easily identified by the black lateral line running from gill to tail, which is why veteran anglers often call them linesiders.”
The common snook, largest of the four species found in Florida waters (the other three are the sword-spined snook, fat snook and tarpon snook), is prized for its fighting ability and as table fare.
This silvery green fish is easily identified by the black lateral line running from gill to tail which is why veteran anglers often call them “linesiders.”
Anglers booking Florida Keys fishing charters will find that snook can be caught on a variety of live and artificial baits. The top Florida Keys fishing guides understand that while there are many factors that influence inshore species – water temperature, moon phase, barometric pressure – the most important is tide.
Anglers armed with a little local knowledge cane head off on their own, but the chances of success are much higher if they contact one of the more reputable Florida Keys outfitters such as those found at the Hawks Cay Marina.
The best snook guides, including Bill Whitney aboard the Soc-Et-Tu-Um, provide light-tackle half and full-day excursions. Jeff Malone of Tarpon Time and Joel Tomlinson of I’m Hooked are masters of live-bait fishing. Derek Rust, with his 24-foot Yellowfin, can take larger parties deep into Florida Bay.
If you go, be prepared for non-stop action. Snook feed when the water is moving. The reason is simple: An outgoing tide flushes baitfish off the grass flats. Snook, like most predators, try to expend as little energy possible in pursuit of prey. They let the tide do the work.
Many anglers compare snook to largemouth bass because both species are structure-oriented and often lurk along shadowlines and dropoffs to ambush prey. Snook are notorious tackle busters, like tarpon, and if timed right, both species can be caught on the same trip.
While snook can be kept certain times of the year, most conservation-minded anglers practice catch and release. Studies show that 98 percent of snook survive after they are returned to the wild.
Anglers can help insure the survival of this prized sportfish by setting the hook quickly so the fish does not swallow the bait. If possible, keep the snook in the water and use a pair of pliers to remove the hook. Barbless hooks simplify the process. Handle the fish as little as possible to increase its chance of survival.
If you want to take a photo to show the folks back home, do so as quickly as possible. There is no greater thrill than fighting a big snook then watching it swim away unharmed.
QUICK FACTS:
Offshore Rates
Half day reef charters from $750
Full day reef charters from $1100
Backcountry Rates
Half day charters from $450
Full day charters from $650
Full Charter Price List
10 boats and captains available to suit any need. Download the complete
Hawks Cay Charter price sheet here.
Wish you were catching these fish?
We can “hook” you up! call for reservations:
charters available through:
I'm Hooked
At Hawks Cay Resort
61 Hawks Cay Blvd.
Duck Key, FL 33050
charters available through:
Tarpon Time
At Hawks Cay Resort
61 Hawks Cay Blvd.
Duck Key, FL 33050
charters available through:
Soc Et Tu Um Charters
At Hawks Cay Resort
61 Hawks Cay Blvd.
Duck Key, FL 33050
charters available through:
Saltwater Experience
At Hawks Cay Resort
61 Hawks Cay Blvd.
Duck Key, FL 33050
Current Conditions Mostly Cloudy
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Air 83.0° |
Wind South at 5.8 MPH (5 KT)mph |
Humidity 70% |
