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Snook Spawn Is Winding Down

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 24, 2008

GO FISHING is a daily look at the area fishing scene through the eyes of local charter boat captains and fishing guides. Today: Ray Markham.

Snook fishing has been steady around oyster bars and mangroves near passes that run out of Terra Ceia, Miguel and Joe bays.

These small bays in south Tampa Bay are prime snook spawning areas. The surrounding waters can hold large numbers of snook during the summer and into the fall. Large, breeder-sized females and smaller, more aggressive males will be abundant until the first cold snap.

As the new moon approaches next week and with fall beginning, the spawning period will wind down.

This new moon will likely be the last spawning dance of the year for these fish.

Most of the fish I am finding are within 200 yards of these passes during periods with good water movement. On the incoming tides, good numbers of fish will move to areas surrounding passes where eddies form.

These breaks in the water flow will hold baitfish and shrimp swept by the current and unable to swim against it. These slower areas of water, just out of the current, require less energy for the snook to maintain an ambush position, but allow them to dart into the current to pick off unsuspecting or struggling prey.

After the new moon, fish that have spent the summer on the beaches and in passes leading to the Gulf will begin moving back into the estuaries and up rivers and creeks after stopping in backcountry areas to feed heavily.

Live baits such as pinfish, scaled sardines, threadfin herring, finger mullet, killifish and shrimp will work, but I prefer fishing for snook with productive artificial baits such as MirrOlure's Top Dog, MirrOmullet and MirrOdine, and soft plastic baits such as the DOA Shrimp and CAL Shad.

Ray Markham co-hosts "Florida Sportsman Magazine Radio Live," Saturdays from 8-9 a.m. on WWBA, 1040 AM, and may be reached for charter at (941) 723-2655.

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