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Snook season opens Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. The outgoing tide that starts around 4 a.m. will be the time to target.
Most of the action will be around the bridges closest to the beach. The fenders and pilings on the bridge and the docks that line the pass should have good numbers of snook that are keeper size. Snook will need to be 26 to 34 inches to be legal.
Tackle around the bridges needs to be on the heavy side. Line test should run 30 to 50 pounds. Leaders can run from 40- to 100-pound test.
The best baits are pinfish, small ladyfish and grunts.
Try working the baits close to the pilings during the start and end of the outgoing tide. Use enough weight to keep your bait on the bottom. Strong currants will cause the weight to sink into the sand. Lifting the sinker off the bottom every five minutes will keep the weight from getting snagged.
When fishing around the docks, cast the free-lined bait up current and let it drift back through the lights. Shrimp are one of the hottest dock baits you can use. Most of the snook are accustomed to feeding on the shrimp that get pulled past the dock during strong tidal flows.
Tackle in the 20- to 30-pound class will pull most of the keepers out of the dock. When the snook are hanging under the dock, tail hook the shrimp and skip it under the front of the dock. After a few seconds, you'll need to pull the bait out to keep it from getting snagged on a piling. Most snook that hang under the dock only need a few seconds to strike.
Doug Hemmer charters out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 347-1389.