From Ron Brooks,
Your Guide to Saltwater Fishing.
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Perhaps the most sought after fish by sport fishermen, certainly in Florida is the magnificent snook. Found only in Florida, the Caribbean, and both Atlantic and Pacific sides of Central America, this fighter is a prize any fisherman will be proud of.

There are four separate species of snook in Florida; only one of them, the Common Snook, grows large enough to reach legal lengths. Snook are extremely sensitive to water temperature and sudden drops during extreme cold fronts in Florida often result in massive fish kills.

As a boy growing up and even through high school and college, I went nowhere without a fishing rod in my car. Usually a Hurricane spinning rod with an Orvis 100 reel, this outfit served to catch whatever fish hit the lure I was throwing and that was usually a white bucktail with red thread.

I fished every South Florida canal and inlet from Homestead to North Bay, driving from place to place. Sometimes it would take 30 minutes of driving and 15 minutes of walking to get just one or 2 casts in under an appropriate mangrove limb.

I liked to catch other fish, but catching snook was what we lived for. "We" would be me, George Brown and Tony van Smith. These two friends and I spent many a Friday or Saturday night fishing from a bridge catwalk or seawall. A typical day of fishing (after school) would net three or four snook in the four to six pound range, and untold numbers of jack crevalle.

I lost track of George and Tony many years ago. I also lost the ability and freedom to fish every afternoon for 4 or 5 hours. The snook population was decimated by over fishing and by several back to back freezes in Florida a number of years ago. Hatchery stocking, while technically possible, is complicated and expensive. Strict limits and closed seasons have brought the snook back in Florida, much to my delight.

I went night fishing for snook back last September in Sebastian Inlet with my son, Tom. We broke off several fish under the bridge, but did manage to catch one nice ten-pounder. My hope is that they will be there for my grandchildren to enjoy in a few years. Good conservation practices and catch and release will help make sure that that happens.  

Do you fish for snook? Know someone who does? Got a story or question? Tell me about your experiences and ideas for others by sending me an Email.