by Capt. Matt Mitchell
Catch-and-release snook fishing during our summer months doesn’t get much better than in our passes. From Boca Grande Pass to the north all the way to Gordon Pass in the south, you can catch snook. Fast-moving current in these passes and spawning snook mean huge concentrations of hungry fish.
Every one of these passes has little sweet spots that these fish will stack up on. By moving around, you learn to read the water. Snook like rips and eddies which can be created by numerous things including jetties, docks, rocks, blowdowns, points and even just current rips. Once dialed in, it’s just a matter of getting a live bait to these fish, and it’s game on.
I’m a big fan of live bait fishing the passes, which includes using pinfish, grunts, and shiners. Depending on the depth, you can fish these baits free-lined anywhere, or use a 1/2oz sinker to keep it close to the bottom in deeper water. When drift fishing, just enough weight to touch bottom seems about right, or when anchored up, a free-line bait cast into the spot will be deadly.
Every pass is a little different, and some are better on an incoming tide while others light up on an outgoing tide. Some are better on higher water, while others are better on low water. One thing they all have in common is lots of water movement and tide flow, which is the key to catching snook. Think of these passes as feeding funnels for the fish with basically a never-ending supply of food passing through them.
This week I spent time in Captiva Pass, Redfish Pass, and Blind Pass, and all three produced great snook fishing. Free-lined shiners cast almost onto the beach and allowed to sweep with the tide seemed to be the best choice. Setting the boat up on power poles let us pinpoint where these snook were stacked up, and we caught them nonstop at times.
No matter which pass you choose, it will have snook all summer long. Getting it dialed in only comes with time served. Take care as you release these snook. If you do have to grab one, wet your hands; better yet, try not to touch them at all when possible. Hold the leader boat-side and use a hook-out tool. This is quick and easy and the best for the snook. Avoid using a landing net whenever possible, as it knocks the slime coating off these fish. If the dolphins show up, stop fishing or move, as hungry dolphins will eat these snook like popcorn. Protect this resource as much as you can.
