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CHEVY FLORIDA INSIDER FISHING REPORT CAPTAIN’S TIP OF THE WEEK
Episode 5 - Targeting Snook In The East Region With Capt. Mike Holliday
May is a big month for snook fishing in the East Region. The water has warmed significantly and the fish are extremely active. At the same time, they’re moving out of the brackish rivers and towards the inlet as they prepare for the summer spawn. With the spawn ahead, the fish are feeding ravenously.
At the same time, silver mullet, pilchards, threadfins, sardines, sand perch and pinfish are all moving inshore or to the areas close to the inlets, so the snook are really focused on these baitfish. There are still some shrimp around, but for the most part, the larger baitfish species with high fat contents are what the fish want to eat.
Start your days throwing topwater plugs like a Rapala Skitterwalk, Yo-Zuri Sashimi Pencil or Heddon Zara Spook, or work swimbaits like the Bass Assassin Die Dapper in Mullet colors. Since all these lures imitate mullet, the best places to fish them are on the flats around mullet schools, or along seawalls. I prefer the seawalls at first light, then move to the potholes and shorelines on the flats at about 7:30 a.m.
I like to fish 20 pound Suffix 820 braided line on the docks and seawalls, and 10 pound on the flats. Use an 18 to 24 inch piece of 40 pound fluorocarbon leader and try to make the longest cast possible. On the seawalls, it’s important that your lure hug the wall.
By 9:00, switch over to live baits. Any of the above baits will work, freelined around the inlet areas, docks or in the large potholes of the flats during low tide. As a rule, the outgoing tides are going to be the best at the inlets, as they sweep baitfish out of the inshore waters.
On the open water of the flats you can use 10 to 15 pound braided line, while around the docks and inlet areas I like 20 to 30 pound braid. I’ll use a 40 pound fluorocarbon leader and a 2/0 to 5/0 VMC circle hook, depending on the size of the bait.
At dusk, go back to topwater or swimbaits along the walls or shorelines. Then after dark, fish the bridges and dock lights. You’ll likely get your largest fish around the bridges using chartreuse colored 5-inch Bass Assassin Swimbaits with a 1-ounce jighead, chartreuse colored Flair Hawks, olive colored Rapala Sub Walks or Yo-Zuri Mag Minnows.
Bridge fishing requires heavy tackle, and I usually go to 20 to 30 pound braided line on a fast taper rod so we can guide the fish away from the structure when hooked. The fish usually sit on the up-current shadow line or bridge fenders, but not always. They tend to be on the down-current side of the lighted docks.
Some of my favorite spots to fish snook in May include: The Earman River, the seawalls at Old Port Cove, the Coast Guard Station Dock at Jupiter Inlet and the big current breaks in the middle of the inlet. In Martin County, the 10-Cent and 25-Cent Bridges, Seawall’s Point seawalls and the Sailfish Point Flats see a lot of fish, while in St. Lucie County expect the Fort Pierce Inlet, North and South Bridges and the mouth of Taylor Creek to have the largest concentrations of fish.
Snook season is open on the East Coast in May, with the fish averaging 22 to 30 inches in length, and fish over 30 inches very common.
You can watch the full episode and others on our website, www.chevyfloridainsiderfishingreport.com, and click on the Videos Tab.
This Fishing Report was submitted on 5/4/2013 5:22:16 AM by Seamus and last updated on 5/4/2013 5:22:16 AM.
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