His family has been spending vacations on Little Gasprilla Island for years. The island is just north of Pine Island and Boca Grande- one of the best Snook Fisheries in Florida.
I headed down a day early to haul gear and settle in before Emmett could break away from work and join me at the family place at Little Gasprilla. He told me about the mangroves and docks – the sight of many snook swarming around lights at night. Even with the stories I was not prepared for the natural beauty and incredible fishery.
Little Gasprilla can only be reached by boat. I arrived at the ferry dock- really just a big pontoon boat- about 2pm. Pushing the overloaded dock cart out to the boat I was greeted with Mangroves and grass flats covered with reds and mullet. Sheephead swirled around the pilings. Snook or no snook I knew I would be eating fresh fish for dinner!
The view from the back porch kept me from spending much time there... I could see water and kept thinking FISH!
I was very intrigued by the mangroves- almost all the back water is covered in them. They remind me of rhododendrons you see in the mountains but with a crazy root system that starts above the water line creating tunnels and networks that are ideal to protect small fish and create perfect ambush spots for the big ones.
I got settled into the house as quick as I could, grabbed a rod and my cast net and headed to the docks. There was white bait and mullet everywhere. One cast and I had about 30 baits stashed in a floating bait bucked on the dock.
I hooked one in the back and pitched it out toward the ferry dock… seconds later I had a mangrove snapper for dinner! Over two hours I caught Trout, Reds, Mangrove snapper, Grouper and my first small snook- all off the dock. My fist snook was an 18”er that hit white bait I was drifting toward a school of more bait. I could see trout popping the school as my cork drifted toward them. Just before it reached the school my bait came to the surface flipping nervously. A quick POP and I had my snook on.
As the tide started dropping the snook stacked up next to a series of pilings. I could see six to ten and any given time. I floated bait after bait in front of them but they just didn’t want to eat. Just as I was about to give up and head in for dinner one flashed out of the shadows and hammered my bait. The line came taught and the snook ran right for a barnacle encrusted pile quickly wrapping up and cutting me off! Even though I lost that one I was exciting and had me ready for more.
I went back to the house and baked two Mangrove snapper in butter, lemon and old bay for dinner. Then headed back out to the docks.
Most docks on the bay have “Snook Lights” – they are either regular lights shining down in the water or waterproof lights under the dock liuminating the fish from below. As I walked down the dock I could see the snook in the edges of the light and several swimming around the pilings. The tide was making a very slow fall so there was not much current and the fish were not very cooperative. But, they were mesmerizing! It is incredible to see big fish in the wild swimming just a few feet from you. I did manage several more mangrove snapper and a lot of trout. Makes me want to do some dock light fishing at night here for Trout!
Woke up early the next morning to try the beach side of the island.The wind was whipping across the bay but the beach was calm with the east wind knocking down all the waves. I really wanted to take a snook in their three habitats- Docks, Mangrove Back Country and the beach! At certain times of the year the snook cruse the beach looking for bait. I’ve heard stories of schools of silver ghosts just outside the surf line. The beach was beautiful- remote and shell covered. Darker sand that our beaches.
Well it was not to be. The ladyfish and jacks were thick so I was not board- I caught them on top water, suspending lures and jigs. I did see one snook but could not tempt him to bite. After talking to some locals they have started their migration toward the back country and there are not many on the beach.
Later that day I went back to the docks and had a repeat of the day before- More Snook, Mangroves, Grouper, reds and trout. I even caught one grouper twice. I had a big hit that broke my leader. I retied and a few minutes later caught the scoundrel with my other hook in the opposite corner of his jaw!
Emmett came in just before sunset and we prepared to do some night time dock fishing from his boat. I picked up a few dozen shrimp and had them waiting in the bait well.
We loaded up our gear and headed to a local Marina grill for dinner. I had a Grouper Ruben Sandwich- a first for me – and it was GREAT.
On the way back we fished some of the old phosphate railroad trestles- these things are from the 20’s and 30’s. Just amazing they are still standing – and they provide great fish habitat!
We ran to the docks and anchored up a good casting distance from them. Again we could see the snook swarming in the lights- no doubt they were there! Emmett showed me their standard rig of a 25lb Flouro and a 1/0 circle hook. We hooked the shrimp in the horn and freelined them to the feeding snook. Without a bobber I would watch for my line to come tight and reel like a mad man. Emmett caught the first few before I got the hang of it.
A few dozen snook later we decided it was time for bed. We had a guide lined up for the next day and didn’t want to be too sleepy to enjoy it!
The next morning we met Bruce, one of Emmette friends, and Capt Steve Hogan at Eldreads marina. It has a very similar feel and style to any marina up here- nice local folks running the place with good knowledge of the area.
We drank a cup of coffee and talked about the snook kill last winter. Up until the hard freeze last year they had 30 to 40 big snook living under their dock. They were “pets” and folks were not allowed to fish for them. A lot of folks would throw out their extra white bait or shrimp to feed them. In the days after the big freeze the dead or dying fish would float to the surface of the canal. You could hear the marina owner was still grieving over the loss of so many big fish.
Capt. Steve showed up with loads of bait and took us for a run out on the beach side of the island. For about an hour we wore the big Spanish Macks out freelining white bait on a steel leader. We must have caught 60 and had sharks take a bite out of a few Spanish and this jack.
We stopped for some more bait…
Then he took us into the backcountry- which is spectacular. There are so many mangrove islands it would take years to fish them all.
I would have been lost but Emmett knew the names of them all. We fished several islands with grass flats and deep holes. He would chum the white bait- squeezing them and throwing handfuls out with what looked like an ice scoop. The fish would begin to chase the balls of bait around popping the cripples on the top.
We caught lots of trout reds and snook… the guides techniques were about the same as what Emmett and I had been doing the night before. It was a great day on the water fishing the mangrove islands.
Before the day was over all three of us had the inshore slam- Red, Trout and Snook!
We caught a pile of eating fish- This was just the first load from the cooler!
We also saw several stilt houses- I’d love to have on e of these on oyster bay
And rosette spoon bills…
That night we hit the docks one more time catching some more snook before we headed to bed.
What a trip- and Emmett was a fantastic host. He knew the area and techniques as well as the guide did.
Can’t wait to chase those linesiders again!
