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With the water temperature in the mid 70s this week, the snook bite has been as good as it gets this time of year.
Although the majority of fish are 22 to 30 inches, catches of 15 or more are common on each trip. Stable weather has spurred the fish to feed aggressively on large amounts of bait on the flats.
With its cuts and feeder creeks, Dunedin's St. Joseph Sound is prime territory for snook to stage before moving into the backcountry for the rest of winter.
The shallows from Clearwater to Tarpon Springs are rich with turtle and eel grass that make the water crystal clear. But the water clarity can make it difficult to get a bite at midday. Downsizing terminal tackle will help fool these gamefish. Twenty-five pound fluorocarbon leader, at least 3 feet in length with number 1 or 1/0 hooks, will help disguise your presentation and produce more hookups. Freeline your baits if possible so they swim naturally.
On morning low tides, approach fishing holes carefully so as not to disrupt the water flow. Doing so at a sandbar or cut can scare fish and cause them to not feed. Use the lower water to find small schools of fish holed up in depressions.
Jim Huddleston charters out of Tampa, Palm Harbor and Clearwater and can be reached at 727 439-9017 or at jim@captainhud.com