Snook Report?

[Aquaholics]

Hey I was wondering if anybody has been catching snook or juvinile tarpon in broward or palm beach from the shore. If you do can u please tell me where and how u caught them! I Just got a fin nor lethal 40, 30# braid, 7 foot med heavy ugly stick and would love to see how it performs

[SirSnookalot]

I can only address Palm Beach County, not many snook are being caught on artificial lures, I've caught only about 10 since the first of the year.  The catalysts to catching snook is both baitfish and water temperature, there is a lack of both now. IMO the best shot to catch one now is the ICW on the outgoing tide, snook start getting more active usually some time in May or June.

Whether fishing the ICW or the beach here is a few tips, productive areas are inches from sea walls and on the beach in the first trough called the swash, I cast parallel to the shoreline or wall.  They do like structure too, casting next to pier pylons and bridges are excellent spots.  Bass and snook have a lot in common but here is a major difference, snook like fast current, a big reason why so many of them are caught at inlets, I may add the rougher the water the better the bite.

[Aquaholics]

Thanks for the help! What would be the most common and aggressive inshore species as of right now in Palm beach?

[SirSnookalot]

This is the time of the year for larger jacks, I think the ICW is the best place to catch them now.  I must caution you about jack fishing, it is very difficult to target them.  We don't always know what time of the day they show up, daybreak is usually good but not always.  We also don't know the location, they can be 500 yards away and you never know it, yesterday no fish showed up.  Sometimes they bust for a few seconds, you have 1 cast and they're gone.  The key is to cast where you think they are moving to and not where they are at, before the lure hits the water they're gone.

 

I have driven an hour for that 1 cast, getting a hookup from a 10 or 20# is well worth it.  There isn't much out there better than catching a good jack on light tackle, except catching a bigger jack.