Weather, wind and dirty water putting a damper on beach snook season

John Mallia of Buffalo, N.Y., landed the snook of a lifetime while sight-fishing the surf off Longboat Key.

This summer has been challenging -- to say the least.

West wind, dirty water, rough surf and other problems have made this the most trying beach snook season in years.

Big snook prowl the surf in summer.

And it appears now that the season just might be over when you add red tide into the fray. Places where I've had some success are now unfishable because of deadly bloom.

We did have some beach snook success in July. Sara McKenzie of Oregon joined me for a day of sight-fishing in the surf. We encountered plenty of snook at our first spot, but the fish were uncooperative. We switched locations, heading south to mid-Longboat Key. There, Sara hooked nine snook and landed five. She also had a large snook quickly inhale the fly and spit it out.

Mike Cline of Bozeman, Mont., an accomplished trout angler, joined me for two days. We fished north Longboat Key with moderate success. Mike hooked three snook on the first day and landed a small one. Next time out, he cast at 30 or 40 monster snook without a hit.

Sara McKenzie of Oregon connects with a beach snook.

John Mallia and Don Lenda of  Buffalo, N.Y.,  fished two days with me and had fair success. First day out, John landed a pair of pompano. Don had a monster snook take his D.T. Variation, but the fish (we estimated it at 25 pounds) broke the leader.

Next time out, John landed another pompano and hooked a big snook. He was able to land the fish after and challenging battle that took him deep into the backing. We estimated his personal -best snook at 15 pounds.

Typically, July and August are the prime months for beach snook. Not this year.

I might be jumping the gun a bit, but I'm think it just might be over as red tide has invaded Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Fortunately, red tide has no effect on freshwater fishing. And we have been having some pretty decent results in local fresh waters.

John Weimer, a member of the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers in Sarasota, and I fished Lake Manatee and did well. We landed 15 mostly large copperheaded bluegill on Gibby's Snymphs under strike indicators, popping bugs and Myakka Minnows. We also landed bass, channel catfish and a hefty tilapia (John's personal best). We fished the Gilley Creek area of the lake.

Key to fishing this time of year is to get out early to beat the heat.

AUGUST FORECAST: I'm thinking fresh water is the way to go. With red tide making things difficult in salt water, a switch to the sweet side is in order. Top spots locally include Lake Manatee, Benderson Lake, Myakka River, Upper Myakka Lake, Shell  Creek and Webb Lake. Popping bugs should work good early, but we usually switch to nymphs and Myakka Minnows by mid morning. If the red tide stays out of Sarasota Bay, I look for decent snook action at night around dock lights. Small tarpon and spotted seatrout also are possible around dock lights. We use small minnow and shrimp imitations for dock snook.

It's not too early at least begin thinking about peacock bass. We've had pretty good success over the last two years around Naples on peacocks up to six pounds. We also encounter oscar, Mayan cichlid, largemouth bass, tarpon, bluegill and shellcracker. When targeting peacock bass, we use 5 or 6-weight rods, floating lines and Junior's Craft Fur Minnows. It's a blast when the peacocks cooperate.

September through mid-December are prime months.

If you're interested in book a trip, please give me a call (941-284-3406) or email me (steve@kayakfishingsarasota.com).

I'd love to take you fishing!

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

Snook plentiful and cooperative in the surf along local beaches

Jesse Ehrlich of Sarasota battles a snook on fly rod that he sight-fished for in the surf.

Snook fishing in the surf has been very good this summer. We've been walking local beaches an sight-fishing with fly rods for snook in the surf.

Dault Roberts shows off a snook.

I've taken a number of people who had never caught a snook or had never experienced much success with snook along our beaches.

All succeeded.

John Weimer of Sarasota joined my for a beach snook outing early in the month. John is a member of the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers in Sarasota. We landed three snook to 25 inches in tough conditions. Wind was up and so was the surf.

Another Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers' member joined me a few days later. Steve Kost of Lakewood Ranch hooked 14 snook and landed nine to about 24 inches. All fish fell for my Gibby's D.T. Variation, arguably the best fly for beach snook.

Incidentally, Steve had a hip replaced in April and is scheduled to have the other hip replaced this month.

Dault Roberts of Oklahoma caught four snook to 24 inches on a fairly tough day. We encountered plenty of fish, but they weren't very aggressive.

I first started fishing with Dault when his was a first-year dental student at LECOM in Lakewood Ranch. He's now Dr. Dault Roberts and practicing in Oklahoma.

Snook in the surf. Can you count them?

Retired orthodontist Dr. Jesse Ehrlich tried his hand at beach snook and landed four snook to 23 inches. He had been fishing for snook in the surf at north Lido Key. He wanted to learn more beach snook techniques.

Larry Nazzaro and his son, Trevor, fished with me and each caught a pair of snook. They hooked five and landed four. Larry resides in The Villages near Ocala. Trevor is from Denver. Again, we saw lots of fish, but they were tough to fool.

The next day, I ventured out by myself and managed a pair of fish in rough conditions. However, one of my snook was a beautiful 28-incher.

I did a few other solo trips and did fair to very good. My catch totals ranged from two snook to nine.

Author Steve Gibson with a nice snook.

I've found that the best action takes place around the new moon. The days surrounding the full moon can be slow.

Also, calm days when the water is clear are usually tougher than when we have a little wave action and choppy water. The snook seem to be more aggressive when conditions aren't "perfect."

For beach snook fly fishing, I recommend 6- to 8-weight fly rods with clear, intermediate sinktip line.

I keep the leader simple and use a six-foot length of 20-pound fluorocarbon.

I will use some other flies -- mostly while baitfish imitations -- but I still catch a majority of my fish on the D.T. Variation.

For beach snook, you'll need a quality pair of polarized sunglasses. Seeing the fish is paramount to success. If you can't see them, you'll probably have trouble catching them.

Other essentials include a cap or hat, sunscreen, flats boots (I go barefooted) and plenty of water. I recommend eating a banana the morning of your trip and drinking a couple of bottles of water before your trip begins.

Snook will remain in the surf throughout this month. They'll start migrating back into the bays in September.

Sight-fishing for snook in the surf is one of my favorite things to do.

Early in the year, I set a goal of catching 100 snook on fly during 2016. To date, I've totaled 143 snook.

Not bad!

Once September arrives, I'll begin targeting  our toughest fly-rod fish -- redfish. My 2016 goal on reds is 10 -- and I might not achieve that!

I took a busman's holiday of sorts late in the month with my buddy Capt. Rick Grassett of the Snook Fin-Addict out of C.B.'s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key. We headed out on our annual fly-rod tarpon trip.

Over the years, we've rarely failed  -- and this time was no different. We stuck four big tarpon, landed one and broke off another near the boat.

If you're interested in fly fishing for giant tarpon, Capt. Rick Grassett is your guy. He specializes in shallow-water sight0-fishing for big tarpon from May to mid-August. You'll probably have to book your trip a year ahead of time. I encourage you to do so. You can reach him at 941-350-9790.

AUGUST FORECAST: I expect snook fishing to continue in the surf along area beaches. There are plenty of fish out there and they're cooperative most of the time. I haven't been fishing the bay at all, but I will do so in the coming month. Spotted seatrout action is expected to be good over deep grass along the east and west sides of Sarasota Bay. You'll also encounter jack crevalle and ladyfish. We'll also get out a couple of hours before daylight to fish around lighted docks. Snook are the primary targets, but we often encounter small tarpon, spotted seatrout, jack crevalle and sometimes redfish. I also expect shark action to be in high gear in southern Tampa Bay. We target small blacktip, bonnethead and spinner sharks. It's a blast in a kayak.

September often is a very good fishing month with little pressure.

If you're interested in booking a trip for beach snook this month or a trip in September, call me at 941-284-3406.

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

941-284-3406

Beach snook seasons looks like it will be a good one

Author Steve Gibson holds a fine snook he sight-fishing in the surf. (Photo by John Weimer)

It's early in the season for beach snook, but I'm going on record that it's going to be a good one.  I've already seen quite a few large snook in the surf and I've done pretty well on them.

If you've fished for a while, then you know what I mean. I seem to have an innate ability to predict the action at a particular spot or during a specific season. Beach snook action has been off somewhat for the last few years. I think that's going to change.

Another nice beach snook on fly.

Beach snook fly fishing might be my favorite activity in local waters. It beats the hell out of blind-casting for undersized spotted seatrout, ladyfish or whatever else might be lurking in the depths. Truth be known, I'd probably rather do to the dentist than blind cast with a fly rod for trout.

That's just me.

I don't think it gets much better than sight-fishing for snook in the clear waters of Florida's west coast. These elusive gamefish usually start showing up in the surf as early as March and will remain there thru September. Peak months July and August.

I like to get to my favorite beach around 7:30 a.m. Realize the sun's not up high enough for you to see much. However, I want to be at my favorite spot or in an area I know there are fish when the visibility is prime.

As the sun rises in the east, your window of visibility gets wider and wider. At 7;30 in the morning, you're luck to see 15 feet up the beach. At 10 a.m., you can see snook 150 up the beach. It's that different.

I try to pick a day when the wind is light from the east. That almost assures that I'll be looking for snook in  a calm and clear surf. It's much easier to see them when conditions are good.

Former Venice resident Scott Dempsey fights a snook on fly.

Now, that doesn't mean they're easy to see. If you're new to the game, seeing snook in the surf can be perplexing and quite frustrating.

Most neophytes look for whole snook complete with tails, scales, fins and eyes. If you look for a complete fish, you'll likely be disappointed and swear there are no snook in the surf.

It's difficult to explain, but I look for a different color. A shape. Movement. There can be a lot going on in the surf, but once you figure things out you won't mistake a snook. In addition to snook, you'll also see mullet, baitfish, whiting, sheepshead, black drum and other species.

Once I spot a snook, I have to determine which way it's swimming or in which direction its facing. If you find a snook cruising north or south just off the dry sand, you've found a fish in what I call the "feeding zone." Fish in that zone (it stretches from the lip of the surf out to four or five feet) are looking for food -- sand fleas, crabs, baitfish. If you've find them there, you've got a decent chance to hook one.

A school of snook in the surf.

You'll also find snook lying on the bottom in the deeper water of the first trough. I suggest casting at those fish, but more often than not they'll ignore your offering. They've already fed and not actively feeding.

Those fish you find lying on the bottom 15-20 feet out usually will be facing to the west. And that offers a casting problem. How do you present the fly without "lining" the fish. Try a curve cast, a cast when execute properly will place the fly in front of the fish without lining them.  The curve casting requires the rod to be horizontal the the water (sidearm). Whip the rod tip at the end of the forward stroke. That whipping will cause the tip to curve the line and fly. Check out this video on the curve cast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKtmlVMgWPU

When you find a snook cruising in the feeding zone, your first task is to determine in which direction it's swimming. If you're walking north and the fish is swimming south, all you have to do is stop and let the fish come to you. If you're walking north and the fish is swimming north, you'll have to overtake the fish to present the fly properly.

In that situation, I simply move 20 feet away from the water and increase my walking pace enough to overtake the fish. I don't run. i believe snook can "feel" you running and become suspicious.

It's important to present the fly in front of the fish. After all, that's the business end of fish. I've never seen a snook eat with its tail.

Now, the next piece of advice will be questioned by some. But that's OK. It has worked great for me over the years. When casting to a snook in the feeding zone, I make a cast that's perpendicular (straight out) to the beach. I don't make diagonal casts or parallel casts.

I cast straight out and then try to retrieve that fly so that it and snook meet at the same place at the same time.

At that point, one of two things will happen: 1. The snook will ignore (or spook) your offering; 2. The snook will turn and follow.

If the latter happens, then it's up to you to provoke a strike. I do this by speeding up my retrieve or even  wiggling the fly with the rod tip. Realize your fly like is only a foot or two from the dry sand at this point.

And that brings us to fly selection. You should use any fly in which you have confidence. For me, that's my Gibby's D.T. Variation, a fly I've been using for 30 years and one that has resulted in more than 5,000 snook.

Why would I want to use any other pattern?

A little history on the D.T.:

Matt Hoover, a guide in Naples, sent me an original D.T. Special. In an accompanying note, Hooverl wrote: "This is the only fly you'll ever need for beach snook.

He was right.

I've tweaked the pattern over the years to fit my needs. The original D.T. Special featured four splayed white neck feathers on the tail, a palmered white neck collar and the hook shank covered with white thread.

I still use four neck hackles, but I tie them to the rear of the hook facing each other. I also add two strands of pearly flash. I build up the head and tie in a small amount of red thread just in front. I then add eyes and epoxy head and eyes. I leave most of the hook shank bare. Check this out on the D.T. Variation: http://gibbysfishingblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/good-fly-is-easy-to-tie-and-catches.html

I did not come up with the D.T. Special design.

I use fly rods from 5- to 8-weight. It largely depends on where I'm fishing and the size of the fish. Most often, I use my TFO BVK 5 weight with accompanying BVK Reel.

Line choices include a full floating line or a clear, intermediate sinktip. Leave your full sinking lines at home.

To keep things simple, just use a straight piece of 20-fluorocarbon as leader. If you go lighter, make sure you have 12 to 18 inches of 20-pound fluoro for a shock leader (bite tippet).

You'll want to travel light. I carry everything I need in a fanny pack: flies, leader material, leaders, nippers, pliers and water.

Other essential items include cap or hat, sunglasses, cell phone and camera.

I wear neoprene SCUBA boots. I do not advise sandals, Crocs or similar footwear. I also don't recommend flats/wading boots with zippers. Sooner or later, the zippers on your boots with clog up and with sand and shell. And you'll likely break the pull trying to unzip your boots.

I get my zipperless boots at a dive shop in Sarasota.

You might have to take quite a hike to find the fish. You can always camp out in a spot and allow the fish to come to you, but that usually doesn't work very well.

Where to fish? You can find snook in the surf from Anna Maria Island to Naples. That's a lot of real estate. Once you start exploring the surf, you'll find some spots are much better than others.

I try to avoid areas where the beach has been renourished. You'll find that the companies doing this procedure "rebuild" depleted beaches with sand from other areas. And the new sand usually isn't compatible with the original sand. You won't find sand fleas at the edge of the beach in new sand.

And you'll find that even the slightest wave action will "cream" the surf up, ruining your visibility.

My best day fly fishing for snook in the surf? I caught and released 41 snook one morning in 2009. On another outing, Jack Hartman of Sarasota and I combined to catch 51 snook.

My best day in terms of quality fish took place in August 2010 when I caught 15 snook. Eight of those 15 were 28 inches or larger. My largest fish went 40 inches and 20 pounds. On that morning, I also caught and released three oversized redfish and jumped three 100-pound tarpon.

Interestingly enough, I went back the very next morning and caught only two small snook. I didn't see any large snook, redfish or tarpon.

Go figure!

As you've probably figured out, I'm not going to take you by the hand and lead you to the best spots to fly fish for snook in the surf. I've spent too much time finding these prime spots and no one showed me anything.

Start are your favorite beach and branch out from there.

Your success or lack thereof depends on you. If you want to catch a snook you probably will. If you really don't have a great desire, you might want to try blind-casting for seatrout in Sarasota Bay.

Now is the time to sight-fishing snook in the surf

A sizable school of snook swims in the surf along Casey Key south of Sarasota.

I have conducted seminars on fly fishing for snook for the past 30 years.

In almost every session, a majority of folks that I talk to have yet to catch their first snook on fly.

I live in Sarasota, Fla., on the Gulf Coast. The area offers some great sight-fishing for snook from May through August. We walk the local beaches and fly fish snook in the calm, clear surf.

The author shows off a fine beach snook.

Sight-fishing, for those who aren't familiar with the activity, is spotting the fish before making a cast.  It's considered the ultimate activity for many fly anglers.

We slowly walk along local beaches and look into the surf. When we spot a snook, we'll present it a fly. There are times when we'll see 300-400 snook in a morning.

This activity isn't beyond the skill level of most anglers. If you have the desire to sight-fish a snook, you can do it. All you need is a quality pair of polarized sunglasses, hat or cap and the ability to cast a fly.

It's that simple.

And if you can follow a few simple directions, you're on your way.

Prime months are June, July and August. If I had to pick my peak times, it would be mid-July to mid-August. That seems to be the time when the most snook are in the surf.

Scott Dempsey of Savannah, Ga., succeeded.

Snook take to the surf as early as March. It all depends on the water temperature. When it hits 75 degrees, snook will move from the bays through the passes and spread out along the beaches. You can find them along Florida's west coast from Anna Maria Island to Marco Island.

While you might find them at any beach, realize there are some better than others. That's where I come it. I have spent a lot of time walking the beaches, so I know which are holding fish and which aren't.

I don't like to waste my time.

What I look for is good weather conditions. I like a bright, sunshiny day with a gently easterly breeze. 

This usually results in a fairly calm surf with clear water. And that's what you need when you're trying to sight-fish.

A "healthy" snook forages in the feeding zone.

When you're looking for snook, don't make the mistake of trying to look for a whole fish with eyes, mouth, fins and tail. If you do, you probably won't see very much. What you're looking for is movement, a shape, a shadow or even just a fin.

It's much like sitting in a tree stand, looking for deer. If you look for a whole deer complete with antlers, head, nose, mouth, body, four legs and a tail, you'll likely fail. When you're deer hunting, you might see just an ear twitch. Or the subtle movement of a tail.

Once you spot your first snook, it becomes pretty easy.

Where do you look? Well, the surf is an arbitrary thing that can be pretty large. I divide it into two pieces: the feeding zone and the trough.

Gibby's DT Variation is the fly of choice.

The feeding zone is that area from the dry sand out to four feet. Snook will cruise parallel to the beach in this zone looking for food.

You'll often find them in the trough (that deep area just off the beach) lying on the bottom and facing west. These fish usually aren't hungry and tough to fool.

I usually arrive at the beach about 8 a.m. Doesn't do much good to get there any earlier because the sun won't be high enough in the sky to light up the water. Your "window of visibility" will be very small early and it will open wider as the sun rises. By 10 a.m., you'll be able to spot a snook 150 feet away.

When you spot a snook, first determine in which direction the fish is swimming. If it's coming toward you, all you have to do is stand still and wait for it to come into range. If it's swimming away from you, you'll have to get in front of the fish in order to make a cast.

What's the proper cast? For me, it's a perpendicular cast (straight out from the beach). I like to time my retrieve so that the fly and fish meet at the same spot at the same time. When this happens, two things can happen. The fish will begin to track your fly or it will ignore it.

If the fish begins to follow, it's up to you to trigger a strike. This can be tricky because you only have a few feet of water to work with. I'll usually speed the fly up just a little. If the snook wants your offering, you can't retrieve it too fast.

Diagonal or parallel casts work at times, but there's a good chance you'll spook the fish if you're off-target or cast too far.

First thing I do when I get to the beach is to pull about 20 feet of fly line off the reel. I will then  hold the fly  and rod in my right hand, with the fly between my thumb and index finger. I allow about 10 feet of line out the rod tip, with the rest trailing behind me as I walk. Remember, short casts are the rule.

Some opt for a stripping basket, but I've found they only get in the way. The sand will not hurt your fly line. Just wash it off in warm soapy water when you get home.

Snook are structure-oriented, so don't overlook fallen trees, grass or rocks. Those are likely snook hangouts. Shadows can be, too! Shadows often are created by houses and trees along the beach.

If you spot baitfish in the surf, there likely will be snook around. I've often seen snook crashing the bait. A quick cast to the feeding fish often will result in a hookup.

Most of the snook are small males. The average snook is 20-22 inches. However, I've seen them up to 30 pounds or more. My largest snook on fly is a 20-pounder that measured 40 inches.

I've had clients catch a number of slot (28 to 32 inches) snook. I've also had them hook some monster. Just last summer, I guided outdoor writer Mike Hodge. He caught and release five average snook, but lost a monster that I don't think he really believed would hit. In fact, he didn't think that dark spot on the bottom was even a snook!

After I convinced him it was not only a snook, but a big one, I advised him to cast a couple of feet in front of the fish. As the fly was sinking, the big snook seemingly levitated off the bottom, eyed the fly and inhaled it.

Hodge did a good job of strip-striking, but forgot to let go of the fly line as the fish surge off.

Pop! The leader broke.

"I'm not sure what I did that," the bewildered Hodge said.

I took Jack Littleton on his first beach-snook outing and he hooked a monster early on. The big snook (I estimated her at 25 pounds) was tight to the beach. Littleton made a perfect cast and the fish hit almost immediately. He did a good job of strip-striking and clearing the line. He was "on the reel" is just a second or two. The fish made a lengthy run, then changed direction. The line went slack.

The hook simply pulled.

"I couldn't believe the speed and strength of that snook," Littleton said.

He did nothing wrong. He made a good cast, set the hook correctly, cleared the line and kept pressure on the fish.

Snook generally aren't easy. I've been skunked, but not often. My best day took place in 2009 when I caught and released 41 snook in a morning. I'd say an average day is five snook.

Snook aren't the only species you'll find in the surf. I've hooked or landed tarpon, redfish, spotted seatrout, flounder, mangrove snapper, ladyfish, jack crevalle, Spanish mackerel, pompano and cobia.

You never know just what you'll encounter.

When I fish, I carry one fly rod (usually a 7- or 8-weight), with a sinktip line and 6-foot , 20-pound fluorocarbon lure.

My fly of choice is my Gibby's DT Variation. I've caught more than 1,000 snook on this fly over the years.

I also wear a fanny pack tackle bag in which I carry extra flies, leader material, pliers, nippers and a bottle of water.

Don't forget your sunscreen!

You can go barefooted, but I opt for neoprene boots that I purchased at a dive shop. They protect your feet and also are great when the sand is hot. Sandals are abysmal. They are great for collecting sand and shell. Ditto for tennis shoes.

A camera is also essential. You'll want it when you land that snook of a lifetime.

A few years ago, I guided a couple of fellows on a beach-snook trip. When we arrived, there were already 14 members of a local fly-fishing club spread out along the beach, beating the water. About half were wading -- which you don't do. If you're wading, a majority of fish will be behind you!

I ran into one of the guys from the fly club a few months later. He said the 14 of them didn't hook or land a fish. My two clients didn't set the world on fire, but they did combine for seven snook and three Spanish mackerel!

I also asked why they were wading?

He said, "That's what they told me to do."

I've given beach snook presentations to that club on at least three occasions. I've stressed not to wade!

If you want to sight-fish a snook in the surf, give me a call (941-284-3406) or email me (steve@kayakfishingsarsasota.com).

I think you'll like it!