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Beaching it an ideal solution for snook, tarpon

Tribune file photo

Snook spread out along the beaches after spawning, particularly around the passes.

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By FRANK SARGEANT

Tribune correspondent

Published: June 21, 2009

Florida's west coast beaches are great tourist attractions, but for much of the year they are not all that attractive to fish. The bare sand and gradual drop-off make our shores considerably less appealing to gamefish than the sharper drop and the inshore reefs of the east coast.

However, from May through August, snook and tarpon prowl close enough to check out the nail polish on the toes of the wading multitudes. This presents a chance for angling action that is unmatched, without getting in a boat.

Snook are almost a sure thing this time of year for those who understand the drill. The fish spread out along the beaches after spawning, with concentrations particularly abundant around the passes and near beach groins - or jetties - and other obstructions.

Anglers slip along the sand, watch for the shadow cast by the fish - the fish itself is likely to be so silver-white as to be almost invisible at times, though at other times they show up almost black - and then present a bait or lure. The linesiders come amazingly close to dry sand, sometimes actually swimming up in the foam of an incoming wave to seize a crab, then rushing back into the trough before the wave leaves them high and dry.

The mistake most newcomers to beach snooking make is to fish beyond the fish. They're rarely outside the "green bar," the little ridge of sand that makes up about 30 feet off the beach in most areas. The best tactic is simply to walk parallel to the water and look anywhere from right against the sand to about 10 feet out. Walk with the sun at your back and choose a day with an east wind, or no wind at all, so the water is calm and clear.

Good lures include the DOA Shrimp, DOA Baitbuster, Tsunami 4-inch swimbaits, MirrOdine and all sorts of single-hook jerkbaits, especially good when there's a lot of weed in the surf. Small white or silver flies also work well.

Live baits including live sardines or shrimp are also deadly, and the sardines often account for some big fish at this time of year. Captains John Griffith at (813) 854-5858 and Mark Gore at (813) 434-5504 have expertise in this action.

Typical flats tackle is adequate for surf snook in most cases: 10- to 15-pound-test microfiber line, 20- to 25-pound-test hard mono or fluorocarbon leader, and a 7-foot medium-action spinning rig.

Snook season is closed through August, so this is entirely a catch-and-release fishery. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reminds anglers that snook (and all gamefish) should be photographed in the water, or, if held up for a photo, gripped by both the jaw and tail to keep from damaging their internal structures.

Tarpon are more challenging for beach anglers because they often show only at the outer edge of casting range for an angler who wades out to the first bar. Fishing them around the larger passes offers closer shots because of the more rapid drop-off to deeper water.

Captain Van Hubbard, who has been whacking tarpon in the Englewood area, says the best bet is a live crab early in the morning, and live threadfins as the sun gets high. The best crabs are brown creatures about the size of a silver dollar, known as "pass crabs." They often can be scooped with a net from weed lines. Threads are typically caught with a cast-net or Sabiki rigs around large markers and bridges.

Hubbard also recommends a fluorocarbon leader.

"The water has really been clear lately, and I think that fluoro keeps them from getting suspicious because it doesn't show up like mono," said Hubbard, who can be reached at (941) 740-4665.

Tarpon gear is typically an 8-foot heavy-duty spinning rod, a medium-heavy spinning reel and 50-pound-test microfiber line, allowing for much easier casting than the traditional revolving-spool outfits.

Like snook, the tarpon fishery is catch-and-release. To kill a tarpon, you need a $50 permit, but there's really no reason to do it. The fish are inedible, and if you want a mount you can order one made of fiberglass, which lasts longer and looks better than a skin mount.

Killing a tarpon is considered bad form among most anglers these days. The reduced kill in the past 20 years appears to have resulted in much better fishing, and most would like to keep it that way.

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