A unique website dedicated to fishing information from Florida's Northern Big Bend. This includes the area from the Econfina River west to the Apalachicola River
The key to snook surviving in the Crystal River area is the abundance of springs. The warm water offers sanctuary during the winter months. Makes sense they could migrate a little bit further north with similar conditions around Spring Warrior and the SMNWR. Doubt those 17-inchers swam all the way from Homosassa, so in all likelihood there is some established breeding going on.
Snook are a fantastic game fish. As Gary mentioned in his original post this might be the only redeeming benefit to global warming/climate change.
Read a report the other day that an La Nina trend is expected for this winter. Traditionally that means warmer/drier weather for the Southeast. So snook catches may become even more routine by next spring.
"Sun rise and sun sets. Since the beginning, it hasn't changed yet." Little Feat
I'm happy to show folks just where I caught my snook - and other fishy predators. But you gotta be willing to bust your hump and get in a workout. Captain Dave can vouch for that!
GaryDroze wrote:I'm happy to show folks just where I caught my snook - and other fishy predators. But you gotta be willing to bust your hump and get in a workout. Captain Dave can vouch for that!
Maybe not, I heard of two other snook caught on Sat....Maybe instead of climate change, maybe it was hurricane ?
Bob Stearns' water temperature fishing guide lists these temps for snook...
minimum: 60
preferred: 70-82
maximum: 90
I've been wadefishing the St Marks Refuge creeks for 21 years. Until 2014, the temperature in the Deep Creek canals had always dropped into the 70s (average: 74) by mid-October. It has been ticking up each year since. Did not have my thermometer with me Friday, so when I got home I checked the NOAA site for closest buoy data. Showed water temp at the time of my catch at Shell Point was 81.1 degrees.
I predict that by next fall snook will be a "mystery fish" candidate in the NFGFC tourneys.
GaryDroze wrote:Bob Stearns' water temperature fishing guide lists these temps for snook...
minimum: 60
preferred: 70-82
maximum: 90
I've been wadefishing the St Marks Refuge creeks for 21 years. Until 2014, the temperature in the Deep Creek canals had always dropped into the 70s (average: 74) by mid-October. It has been ticking up each year since. Did not have my thermometer with me Friday, so when I got home I checked the NOAA site for closest buoy data. Showed water temp at the time of my catch at Shell Point was 81.1 degrees.
I predict that by next fall snook will be a "mystery fish" candidate in the NFGFC tourneys.
According to my lowrance, at 8am Friday the water temp near spring warrior creek was 79 degrees.
I don't know much about Snook but I've seen Sheephead in a certain little river that connects to another river through a mad made canal, that connects to the ocean. Fish do whatever they want lol!