This week’s best bet in fishing: snook in backcountry waters

BEST BET

Captain Nestor Alvisa of Hooked on Flamingo Charters reported his clients have had double-digit catches of snook recently. The snook are being caught on live pilchards up against the mangrove shorelines. All of the action has come in the backcountry waters.

MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD

Captain Jimbo Thomas from the charter boat Thomas Flyer out of Bayside Market Place in Miami reported high winds and dirty green water has slowed the offshore bite. Thomas’s fishermen are catching a few sailfish, a few dolphins, kingfish and blackfin tuna. Over the wrecks, almoco jacks and amberjacks are being caught. Captain Andy Roydhouse of FishingHeadquarters.com out of Fort Lauderdale reported his drift boats are catching a lot of snappers on the bottom and a few kingfish and groupers. The charter-boat fleet is having decent action on sailfish, scattered dolphins, a few wahoo, kingfish and blackfin tuna. All of this action took place offshore of Port Everglades.

KEYS

Brett Hogan out of the Holiday Inn in Key Largo reported the charter fleet out of Islamorada has been catching mutton snappers to 22 pounds on the bottom plus some big grouper and amberjacks. On the surface, it has been a mixed bag of dolphins, sailfish and blackfin tuna. In Florida Bay, anglers are catching snook, sea trout and snappers. Captain Chris Johnson of SeaSquared Charters out of Marathon reported he has been keeping his clients busy by catching a lot of mangrove snappers, a few big groupers, yellowjacks and large sharks. Most of this action is happening next to a few of the Marathon bridges. On the calmer days, he is going into the Gulf and catching a lot of Spanish mackerel.

TREASURE COAST

Captain Scott Collins of Getting Lucky Fishing Charters out of Jupiter reported offshore sailfishing has been fair but should get red hot soon. The sailfish are biting live baits under a kite. Trolling offshore is producing dolphins and wahoo. A few kingfish in the 40- to 50-pound range have been landed recently. On the bottom, there are plenty of trigger fish, vermillion, mutton and yellowtail snappers. Fishermen inshore fishermen have been catching pompano, ladyfish, jack crevalles and snapper. Troung Tran from the Juno Fishing Pier reported pier fishermen have been catching whiting, a few pompano, croakers, sand perch and an occasional Spanish mackerel.

FLORIDA BAY

Captain Jim Hobales of Caught Lookin Charters reported doing well on snook, sea trout, jacks and ladyfish. His action has come in the passes outside of Shark River using Rapala Twitchin Raps. Local anglers Steven Isicoff and his daughter Allyson and son Felix fished the shorelines outside of Shark River, and landed four slot redfish, seven out of 13 snook to 28 inches, more than 20 sea trout plus a bunch of jacks and ladyfish. Their guide was captain Alan Sherman of Get Em Sportfishing Charters.

SOUTHWEST COAST

Captain Jon Fetter of Catching the Cure Charters reported the redfish bite has been best on the higher water along the oyster bars and mangrove shorelines. Jigs tipped with shrimp and cut ladyfish seemed to be getting the most redfish strikes. Sheepshead and mangrove snappers have been plentiful along the mangrove shorelines and have been eating pieces of shrimp. In the passes, snapper, silver trout, jacks and ladyfish have been plentiful and eating jigs head tipped with shrimp. Sea trout continue to be in good numbers over the backcountry grass flats. Captain Steve Sewell of Hawgwild Charters reported the offshore bite has been very good when the wind has not been blowing. Working the bottom in 40 to 60 feet of water, his clients have been catching grouper, snapper and big porgies. On the nearshore reefs, cobia, permit, kingfish and tarpon are being caught.

FRESHWATER

Jim Crego from Slim’s Fishing Camp in Belle Glade reported the nighttime speckled perch fishing has really taken off the past few days. Spec fishermen are limiting out in less than four hours. The specs are being caught in the Rim Canal and Dynamite holes and the best bait has been a live Missouri minnow. Most amateur largemouth bass fishermen are catching bass in the 2 to 4-pound class and the fishermen fishing with guides are catching largemouth bass in the 6 to 8-pound range. The bass are eating live wild shiners in the inside grass lines of the Lake. Lake Okeechobee’s water level is at 14.8 inches.

This story was originally published December 31, 2015 at 12:17 AM with the headline "This week’s best bet in fishing: snook in backcountry waters."