Getting into the first true month of spring and also a warm February, we on the Big Bend can expect a good start to our spring angling fun.

Snook have always been one fish that, as much as I’ve fished my whole life, I’ve yet to figure them out. When I was young the best anglers caught them at the headwaters of our spring fed rivers. using wild shiners bought at MacRae’s Bait House. The first snook I ever caught was in Mason Creek using a live shrimp when I was in my early teens off of a family friend’s dock. When I think back, this was in the 80’s and bass were the king of the rivers. Over time the snook have made a homestead in our region and north to Steinhatchee. 

The legal limit for snook is one per angler a day that measures between 28- and 33-inches. Our snook have one thing that protects them from cold weather: our spring fed rivers give the sanctuary from the occasional below-freezing temperatures.

Even during some blustery days in January, I saw some snook on the outside edge of the Gulf during low 60’s water temperature. It’s cool that we have a good population of line siders and again I’m not the expert at catching them but learning each day the way to possibly hook one. 

March snook will be on the outside edges of the keys. Deep pockets of water that run up to the south side of a key were the sun warms the water are good spots to target. My go-to bait is a D.O.A. 5.5 glow jerk bait with a nose hooked 3/0 Owner bait hook. A 30lb. leader will prevent cut-offs sometimes, and a slow twitching retrieve with get the strike.

High incoming tide will be mid-day this coming weekend. 

Homosassa Inshore Fishing Report from Captain William Toney

To schedule a fishing charter or shore lunch excursion with Captain Toney, visit his website. A third-generation fishing guide in the Homosassa area, a member of the Homosassa Guides Association, and author of the Homosassa Inshore Fishing Report each week in NatureCoaster.com.

To read about our Shore Lunch excursion with Captain Toney, click here.

If you want to learn more about how to catch Nature Coast fish from Captain Toney, subscribe to his videos at https://inthespread.com