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Daily fishing report

Fishing for 30- to 40-inch snook is about as good as it can be. Recent charters have nearly all been successful. Snook are congregating in the channels and dropoffs along Anclote, 3 Rooker, Honeymoon and Caladesi islands. Though they're not easy to catch, your chances increase greatly by being in the right place at the right time with the right bait. The right time is very early A.M. Be where you plan to fish before the sun comes up. The right bait has been grunts and pinfish 4-6 inches long. Catching these the morning you want to fish usually eats up the best time to catch a big snook, so buy a couple of pinfish traps, bait them with six or eight frozen sardines and put them out the day ahead. Now fresh bait is available without delay the next morning.

Consider anchoring close to the beach and wading out. This way you can cover a larger area without spooking your target the way boats do. It is not necessary to wade out very far because the fish are usually in channels close to the beach. When you catch one, release it without bringing it up on the beach, where the sand will stick to the fish and possibly cause problems.

A medium-size spinning outfit with 15-pound test line, a couple of feet of 30-pound fluorocarbon mono leader and a good quality hook around 3/0 to 5/0, depending on size of bait, will do the job. Even if you don't catch a snook, you will enjoy watching the sun come up on the water.

-- Capt. Wendell Akins charters the Drifter out of Crystal Beach (Palm Harbor). Call (727) 785-3018, or e-mail at drifterfishing@aol.com.

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