Florida fishing: Snook action should start hot Sept. 1; mullet run starting
Hurricane Idalia didn't impact the Treasure Coast, and the full moon Wednesday will still be impacting tides through Sunday.
Snook harvest season opens Sept. 1 and it could not come soon enough for avid anglers. Snook are one of those catches that rewards every angler with the combination of what happens after the fish takes the bait or lure and what happens if the fish makes it to the dinner table.
I know many anglers who release all their snook, even when in the slot, and that's great. But for those of us who like to take a couple home each harvest season, they're fantastic fried with cheese grits and green beans, or baked with buttered red potatoes and cauliflower.
In any case, the mullet run is beginning with this week's blue supermoon and by next full moon, Sept. 29, it will certainly be well underway along beaches and in the Indian River Lagoon. Good luck out there!
Florida fishing regulations and fishing season opening and closing dates:
Snook: Harvest reopens Sept. 1. One fish bag limit, 28-32 inches, snook stamp required.
Blueline tilefish: Harvest closes Sept. 1 in Atlantic state and federal waters. Season re-opens for harvest May 1, 2024.
Golden tilefish: Harvest closed July 17. Harvest opens Jan. 1, 2024.
Lobster: Regular season opens Aug. 6-March 31, 2024. No egg bearers, 3-inch minimum carapace length. Lobster stamp required.
Alligator: Hunt season opens Aug. 15-Nov. 1. Permits required.
Flounder: Harvest closes Oct. 15 to Nov. 30. Size limit: 14 inches. Bag limit: 5 fish per person.
Hogfish: Harvest closes from Nov. 1 to April 30.
Spotted seatrout: Harvest closes November and December in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties. Harvest reopens Jan. 1.
Grouper: Harvest opened May 1. Includes gag grouper, red grouper, black grouper, scamp, yellowfin grouper, yellowmouth, coney, graysby, red hind and rock hind. Harvest closes Jan. 1.
Cobia: New bag and size limits for state waters. Bag limit: Two fish per vessel. Size limit: 36 inches fork length.
Redfish: Harvest of redfish has been banned in the Indian River Lagoon and Mosquito Lagoon since Sept. 1, 2022. FWC will reevaluate in the future.
Dolphin: Bag limit is 5 fish per day per angler. Vessel limit is 30 fish per day. Captain and crew may not be included in limit. These fishing regulations began on May 1, 2022, for state waters.
Bass: Bass at Headwaters Lake will soon become all catch-and-release.
For complete fishing regulations in Florida go to MyFWC.com.
Snook regulations workshop
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering new fishing regulations to protect snook from environmental and human factors. The agency has proposed 10 management regions with different regulations instead of the current two. A virtual meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 7 to discuss:
Making snook catch-and-release only in the Tampa Bay region beginning 2024
Adding September to the closed season for the Southwest region
A statewide two-fish vessel limit
To participate in the workshop, go to MyFWC.com/Marine and click on "Saltwater Fishing."
Indian River County
Offshore: The marine weather forecast for the next few days isn't very nice. Friday is probably the only day offshore fishing in a small boat can even take place due to onshore winds forecast for Saturday and Sunday. Trolling will most likely be the easiest option. Look for dolphin and blackfin tuna, possibly cobia and kingfish in 100 feet of water on ballyhoo.
Inshore: Snook will be biting around the north jetty all weekend. The rough waves may make it unfishable by boat, opening it up for jetty anglers fishing with stout tackle, weights and live croaker. Use a sliding sinker rig to get in the right position and hang on. Be prepared to release overslot fish.
Freshwater: Bass fishing is picking up with cooler temperatures from shorter days and northeast winds. Use crank baits or spinnerbaits to get bites along drop-offs or along areas with thick vegetation.
St. Lucie County
Offshore: With rough seas in the weekend forecast, it means the fishing patterns offshore will begin to transition. Bottom fishing, which has been hot, will probably take a back seat to trolling on days when the wind allows. Typically, September and October can be windy, but along the mullet migration, other fish migrate like bluefish, Spanish mackerel, dolphin and tuna.
Inshore: Snook fishing is going to be good around the inlet, at the beach, in the Turning Basin and in Taylor Creek. Use live mullet, if available, or flair hawk jigs, Windcheaters and Bombers to get bites. Jacks, sharks and grouper will be other catches anglers will have.
Surf: Rough waters along the surf for the next few days mean anglers might be better served finding inshore spots to fish until seas calm down, Then whiting and snook will be available.
Martin County
Offshore: Trolling around the wrecks in 180 feet of water can be productive this time of year. Snapper fishing is a little tricky with wind waves and ground swell from faraway storms. Hurricane Idalia will generate wave action for the Space Coast and Treasure Coast after it pushes seaward.
Inshore: Snook fishing will be steady the next few days. Look for bites on live bait or jigs around bridges, docks, along seawalls or mangrove shorelines. Fish will slowly begin pushing back upriver where it has been quiet for the past two weeks.
Lake Okeechobee
Algae seems to be a thing of the past, so bass fishing is opening up in the northern and western areas of the lake. Sportsman's Channel is a good place to put in and work the shorelines and hyacinth mats with topwater frogs.
Ed Killer is the outdoors writer for TCPalm. Email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida fishing: Snook open should start great; fall mullet run begins
