Aquaholics Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 Hey guys I see all these videos on YouTube of people catching snook and tarpon in lakes and canals! I live in Boca Raton, Fl does anybody know a spot where I can catch these fish? Thanks! Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted March 3, 2015 Super User Posted March 3, 2015 When you find out tell me, I have never caught a fresh water snook or tarpon in Palm Beach County. Quote
Aquaholics Posted March 3, 2015 Author Posted March 3, 2015 I'll definently let you know! Do I have any freshwater tarpon and snook spots in broward? Quote
HookdUP Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 They don't seem to go into the canals in Palm beach the way they do in broward and im not sure why ... Possibly because the canals are further inland in the palm beach area idk ... But if U wanna catch a snook tarpon bass peacock ... A canal Slam ... I know where to send you and when and where but it's a 954 aread code .:: I replied to your pm but it didn't go through and when all Id written was lost then I got discouraged ... Pm me your number ill help where ever I can Quote
0119 Posted March 5, 2015 Posted March 5, 2015 Every single body of freshwater no matter how small probably has snook and tarpon in it. They sure do here across to the west. Snook have been caught in Lake O. I've caught both up the Peace almost to it's head waters. Even our ditches have small snook and baby tarpon in them. I use fly tackle and small rapalas with upgraded hooks as their prey is usually glass minnows. 1 Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted March 5, 2015 Super User Posted March 5, 2015 In Palm Beach county I think the spillway gates have too much elevation for snook and tarpon to enter freshwater. We also have 2 sets of locks coming from the ICW before the water hits the canals. Just my thought as I have never seen those fish here in freshwater. Quote
0119 Posted March 5, 2015 Posted March 5, 2015 They are in land locked waters that haven't seen salt intrusion for decades here. FWC says water birds transfer fish eggs from venue to venue. I never fully agreed with that. I've caught snook only 6 or 8 inches long in ponds that never saw a flood tide. There will be snook over 40"long in the same water. I suspect they can breed in fresh contrary to the biologists. Nature always has a way. 1 Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted March 6, 2015 Super User Posted March 6, 2015 I've heard they don't reproduce in freshwater too. An email I got yesterday, you know where I'm going this morning. iPad Went to The Lake Worth Sea Wall yesterday (Tuesday)around 11 AM. -there were schools of big Jacks every where! I had only my litetackle rod and reel I use to catch Croakers with. It was no match for the bigJacks! Lost lots of Jacks and lures! Broke my line every time I hooked one!Went to Boynton Inlet today (Wednesday) around 11AM. - could not find a parkingspot. Then stopped at Lantana - nothing there. Then stopped at XXXXXXSea Wall - loaded with schools of big Jacks again! Had my heavy duty tackle rodand reel this time! Still managed to lose lots of Jacks and lures - but was atleast able to bring one big Jack in! No complaints because as you well know,it's always awesome any time you have feeding frenzied Jacks slamming bait orfor that matter any thing you throw at them and a fishing rod in your hand! Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted March 6, 2015 Super User Posted March 6, 2015 My first jack snapped my line like cheap sewing thread after peeling out about 25 yards, never saw it. The second one hit a spoon inches below me next to the sea wall, missed the hook but it was the size of my avatar. I wound catching 2, both were about 7-8 lbs., mighty tough hombres. Quote
shanksmare Posted March 7, 2015 Posted March 7, 2015 In Palm Beach county I think the spillway gates have too much elevation for snook and tarpon to enter freshwater. We also have 2 sets of locks coming from the ICW before the water hits the canals. Just my thought as I have never seen those fish here in freshwater. In most spillways don't they pull up the gates so the water passes under the gate not over the gate? That appears to be the situation here on the west coast of FL. I which case the snook and tarpon are free to swim past the spillway easily (at least in the summer during the rainy season when they are releasing freshwater into the creeks and rivers. Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted March 7, 2015 Super User Posted March 7, 2015 Only caught 1 this morning smashing a Poppa Dog. After a lengthy battle I was able to walk the fish down a sea wall about 150 yards to an area where I could beach it. By this time a small audience had gathered so a photo op was possible. 3 Quote
powerduster Posted March 8, 2015 Posted March 8, 2015 They are in land locked waters that haven't seen salt intrusion for decades here. FWC says water birds transfer fish eggs from venue to venue. I never fully agreed with that. I've caught snook only 6 or 8 inches long in ponds that never saw a flood tide. There will be snook over 40"long in the same water. I suspect they can breed in fresh contrary to the biologists. Nature always has a way.I was always dubious about that as well. I do think most fish were just tranported by people. there was one instance where biologists were wrong about a particular fact, which I knew was wrong just from personal experience, so I wouldn't be entirely surprised if snook and tarpon could indeed breed and thrive in freshwater. Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted March 9, 2015 Super User Posted March 9, 2015 In a landlocked area if both small and larger snook and tarpon are there, they have to be reproducing. For years I've heard they don't reproduce in fresh, I'm guessing that they do. With all the fishing I do in freshwater canals in Palm Beach County, if snook were here I would have thought I'd have caught one by now. Quote
0119 Posted March 10, 2015 Posted March 10, 2015 Here they are very prone to cold weather. Shallow ultra clear ponds without a dark bottom, they dont warm up well and we get fish kills sometimes. Worse FWC never patrols these areas and folks have felt free to poach without risk. Quote
metrolonx Posted June 6, 2019 Posted June 6, 2019 On 3/3/2015 at 3:03 AM, SirSnookalot said: When you find out tell me, I have never caught a fresh water snook or tarpon in Palm Beach County. There is a large lake in the back of Cypress Creek Natural Reserve in Jupiter that has both Tarpon and Snook. It's disconnected from the ocean and people have caught these fish here for many years. I'll put in the link to the location. Dropped pin Near Palm Beach County, FL 33478 https://maps.app.goo.gl/Z9FhfHHCq28h9PuBA Quote
Super User soflabasser Posted June 6, 2019 Super User Posted June 6, 2019 Welcome to the forum @metrolonx. South Florida is loaded with places you can catch tarpon and snook in freshwater and the hardest part is finding public water. Those freshwater tarpon and snook will hit the same lures a bass will hit which is always a nice surprise when bass fishing. Quote
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