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© St. Petersburg Times, published February 11, 2003
It used to be a summer affair. But with snook season closed May-August and Dec.15-Jan.31, snooking now is a fall and late winter event.
It is a bit harder to catch linesiders at this time of year. It's not because the fish are hard to find. It's getting them to bite as often as during warmer months.
Most know you can find snook in residential canals. The worst aspect about fishing canals is the structure that goes with it. But rivers offer just as many fish without the dock lines, pilings, and nightmares of canal fishing.
Rivers such as the Palm, Hillsborough, Manatee, Little Manatee and Braden offer excellent snooking without the headaches. There is a dock here or there but nothing like a canal, where there is a dock every 20 feet.
Snook will hang where creeks flow into rivers and in river bends where the current sweeps unsuspecting prey by their noses.
Tail-hooked select and jumbo shrimp are hard for snook to pass up. Pinfish work, but don't forget to bring a pass crab or two. Shad-bodied jigs are great fakes. The lighter the better.
-- Capt. Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 510-4376 or by e-mail at captrick@luckydawg.com.