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Tampa Bay Snook Fishing

Charles Reich with a nice upper Tampa Bay snook Snook fishing in St. Petersburg/Tampa Bay with Captain Wade Osborne is a drag screaming experience. People travel from all over the world to tangle with this highly acrobatic and prized Florida species. Snook can be pursued year-round when fish weighing between 5 to 14 pounds are common. Captain Wade Osborne prefers snook fishing March through November when the fish are most active and especially during May, June, July and August when the largest of the “linesiders” are spawning. During this spawn, snook fishing reaches its peak because of the huge concentrations of hungry fish. During the spawn, charters producing 30 plus snook are not uncommon with fish weighing 15 to 25 pounds possible.

Fly fishing catch-n-release Charter fishing methods for snook are spin casting with live bait, plug or jig fishing and fly fishing. Nothing is more exciting than watching a snook inhale a fly, plug or live bait. Afishionado Guide Services targets mangrove shorelines, grass flats with sandy potholes and oyster beds when plug, jig or fly fishing for snook for a perfect shot at an unsuspecting fish that is laying in wait to ambush bait. When using live scaled sardines, some of the same areas are targeted, but with a live chumming technique. Baits are squeezed by hand and broadcast in an area with fish to trigger them to feed. Then hooked baits are presented in the same spots for a solid hook-up. During the spawn, passes along the beaches and deep water drop-offs inside Tampa Bay are the preferred areas to target.

Landing a snook is often a battle of wits. You have to take into account you’re fighting this fish in its own home. They know where every oyster and mangrove root is located and will use it to their advantage to cut themselves free. The initial run is often the deciding factor in landing a snook, but once free of all the hidden obstacles the leader could still be severed by the snook’s razor sharp gill plates.

Spawning season snook Snook: Robalo
Season: Year-Round. Closed to harvest May through August and December through February on the west coast of Florida.
Bag Limit: One fish per person, per day on Florida’s gulf coast.
Slot Size: 28 – 33 inches.

The St. Petersburg / Clearwater / Tampa Bay area of Florida is one of the greatest fishing areas in the United States. The primary reason for this is the idyllic weather. The sub-tropical climate allows fishing charters year round, and the pleasant temperatures make it enjoyable to be out on the water any time of the year.

Highs usually stay between 65 and 95 °F (18 and 33 °C) year round, and lows rarely go below 32°F (0°C). Summer can be humid with afternoon storms, which typically last a very short time. Spring and Fall are perhaps the nicest times of the year, but winter months are generally very pleasant also.

While the fishing certainly varies with the time of year and the weather, a good Tampa Bay fishing guide should be able to put you in fish just about any time of the year. That's the beauty of the St. Petersburg / Clearwater / Tampa Bay area.
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