Now is the time to hit the beaches for some big Snook, Trout and Redfish. During the hot summer months, many game fish seek refuge from the hot waters of the bays and estuaries by heading out the inlets and passes and into the Gulf. Water temperatures are typically 2-3 degrees cooler in the Gulf than in the Intercoastal Waterway, which may not sound like much, but it makes a huge difference. When the water heats up, it becomes oxygen-depleted, and fish breathe oxygen just like you and I. Being cold-blooded, a fish’s metabolism is dependant on water temperature and the amount of oxygen it can get across its gills.
The easiest and most productive way to catch these exciting game fish is also the cheapest, since you don’t even need a boat!! Go to your local bait shop or Wal-Mart, and pick up a few packs of D.O.A. Shrimp in “Nite Glow” and “Root Beer” colors. Use medium class spinning gear, such as a 6’ 6” to 7’ 6” rod. Use 20 pound line, and a 15-30 pound Flourocarbon Leader. If you do not know all the fancy fishing knots, you can also pick up some small swivels at the bait shop. The best is to learn a good knot to tie your main line to your leader, as sometimes even the smallest swivel can spook the fish and cause them not to bite. Use about 3 feet of leader, and tie the lure directly to the end w/ out using any weights, you want the lure to have a natural action as it “swims” through the water.
If you are very quiet and very stealthy, you should be able to see shadows in the surf, usually just a few yards out fro the beach. Sometimes it will be an obvious school of fish, swimming and moving around. Other times it will just look like a dark spot under the water, either way, it’s usually a Snook. Basic rule of thumb is to cast your bait at anything that looks out of the ordinary. Sometimes the waves will push blobs of seagrasses up against the beach, and those usually hold good amounts of fish.
When throwing any lure, a slow retrieve usually works best, just reel up the lure slowly and give it a small twitch every once in a while. People who do not want to use lures, or who prefer live bait, should use either smaller pinfish or scaled sardines for bait. You will usually see schools of bait fish just offshore, usually it looks like a spot on top of the water with weird ripples, and usually there will be Pelicans and Sea Gulls diving into these bait pods to get an easy snack. You can throw a Sabiki rig at them, or if you have a cast net, you can sometimes net bait right off of shore. Any little critter that swims will give you a good shot at one of these fish.
Just a reminder—Snook season is closed and you cannot keep any of these fish, no matter what size. Redfish are always in season, however you may only keep one per person, and it must be between 18 and 27 inches. None smaller, none bigger. Trout can be kept also, and make a great dinner. Minimum size is 15 inches, max is 20. You can keep up to 4 trout, and one may be larger than 20 inches. The best is always to snap a quick picture and release these bigger fish though, they are the females that are responsible for breeding so we can keep catching fish in the years to come!
Good luck! Now get out there and catch ‘em up!
Mike Czipri is a Tampa Bay Native who spends just about every moment of his free time fishing. He picked up his first rod and reel as soon as he started walking. He's also AB Hunt Property's Solutions' superstar leasing agent. Contact him any time at mczipri@abhunt.com.
