The heaviest snook on the Atlantic coast weighed 37.5 pounds but was only 43 inches; the longest snook was 45 inches and weighed only 35.4 pounds. If Using Live Bait, Catch Your Bait Near Where You'll Be Fishing. So we’ve decided to make a point to formally answer many of them in posts like this going forward knowing that there are surely many others who are having the same questions or problem. Where it's found:During the winter and spring, snook are found around deepwater structure. Begin life as males, but between 18 and 22 inches long some become females. Pursuant to section 120.74, Florida Statutes, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has published its 2019 Agency Regulatory Plan. Some species are known to reach even larger sizes, such as the black snook which is the largest species. Snook jump clear of the water, and burst into long runs. Be sure to get a snook … Because scales are expensive, and it is human nature to want to know the weight of even nonlegal fish, anglers from all across Florida commonly request that we provide the weight of a snook larger than the legal maximum total length of 34 inches. Top Slob Snook Locations In addition to Jupiter and Boca Grande, Florida anglers mention Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Sanibel, and the Fort Myers area as premier Snook fishing destinations. Multiple species Snook belong to the family Centropomidae, which contains 12 closely related species that inhabit both the Atlantic and the Pacific. Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc. Cannot tolerate water temperatures below 60° F. State Record: 45 lbs 12 oz, caught near Sebastian. If the determined weight of the snook in question falls outside the limits, i.e., the minimum and maximum observed, this is understandable and highly likely because of the high variability associated with length, weigh, and age of common snook. Common snook live a long time and grow quickly, where a male might live 15 years and can grow up to a length of around 38 inches. Fishery managers at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) are protective of the snook and they should be. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission • Farris Bryant Building Some great questions have been getting submitted in the Comment feeds on our Fishing Tips articles.. That redfish weighed an amazing 94 pounds and 2 ounces. If enough snook anglers contribute known weight and length data, we will provide the fishing community with a more exact table. It's a major contributor to the fishing guide and charter industry, and you typically only find them in big numbers from the Tampa area south to the Keys. Largest scales of all snook; Color yellow-green to brown-green on back with a silver belly; Smallest of the snooks; Profile slightly concave; Prominent lateral line extends onto tail; Similar Species: Other snook species. Don't be fooled, though, big snook DO eat that little fly well! The coast-wise difference is the most important variable because common snook from the Atlantic coast are significantly heavier at a given length than are snook from the gulf coast. Use live pinfish, small mullet, shrimp, or sardines free-lined or fished off the bottom with a fish finder rig. They take a large variety of lures based on water conditions. Joe, our dad, and I went out exploring some nearshore reefs as a plan B a few months ago and we stumbled into some monster snook … How To: Cook Your Snook 101 See below for Great Snook Recipes to Choose from. The answer is 94 pounds and 2 ounces. 620 S. Meridian St. • Tallahassee, FL • (850) 488-4676 Anglers who care to contribute to the development of a more robust table, and even expand the size limits of the relationship, are invited to submit their length and weight data to snook biologists. The game gets even more complicated after a few big cold fronts rush down the peninsula. The average size Common Snook caught in Texas is 22 to 28 inches, but fish exceeding 30 inches are common and three-foot specimens are taken. The numbers in the table represent the known weights and lengths of snook measured by fishery biologists during the past 15 years. The largest redfish ever recorded was caught in the waters around Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Females live around 20 years and can reach to around 50 inches. Size: Up to 48 inches (50 pounds); grow much larger than other snook species Habitat Inshore in coastal waters, including mangrove shorelines, seagrass beds, beaches and around structure. Fishing Tips and Facts: They orient themselves to face moving water and wait for prey to be carried down the current. As the benefits of restrictive harvest regulations on this species begin to accrue, however, many lunker snook are currently reported in the catch from south Florida. To calculate the ounce equivalent of the number on the right side of the decimal point, multiply that number by 16. Thus, 10.4 pounds is ten pounds and four tenths of an additional pound. Obviously, we have to protect the most successful breeders. Prior to 2000, it was a rare event that any angler reported catching, or even seeing, a common snook much larger than 36 inches total length, especially on the gulf coast. The choice of season refines the estimated weight because snook have different weights during the winter and during the spawning season. The above listed reasons are only a sampling of what an inshore saltwater snook fishing angler will go up against when fishing for Southwest Florida snook . The fish are all born males, and a small minority of the males reverse sex to become females once they reach a certain age and/or size--somewhere around 22 inches. In many cases 12-15 mono does the trick for catching snook. Form schools during spawning season. The point of the matter is that snook fishing is unlike any other type of saltwater fishing that many anglers will ever get the opportunity to experience. So the moral of the story is DO NOT BE AFRAID TO THROW HUGE BAITS. I do the exact type of fishing that Jettypark is talking about. As cut bait, they are just as deadly on snook. If you like catching big fish, then you’re going to love this tip! See how to bag fatties. His name is Rob Conner, aka Slob Rob, @slobrob. You will learn things along the way. Though it takes really stout gear to horse big snook away from dock pilings and mangrove roots, things are generally not so demanding for beach fish. For example, there's a very limited snook fishing season that's closed roughly six months out of the year and bag limits of one fish daily. Florida is the only mainland state that has a snook population. The world record snook is a black snook that weighed a whopping 59.5 pounds Beware of the snook’s razor-sharp gill covers! The big ones didn't get that way being dumb. Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network, See a full list of our Social Media accounts, Jaw reaches below the rear portion of the eye. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission • Farris Bryant Building The sardines had one strike in a four hour period while the pigfish went four-for-four. Now, I believe this will be a good time to talk about baits and the gear required for lunker snook. The common snook is the largest member of the snook family and can grow as big as 60 pounds. This In The Spread jig fishing for snook video features a cat that has a real knack for catching monsters. Thus, you should be careful not to tighten your drag too much, just play with the snook until it gets tired that it can not jump and run anymore. 620 S. Meridian St. • Tallahassee, FL • (850) 488-4676 males get 20'' and females stay around 12'' they don't grow to fast i'd say around average 1''-2'' per month Florida experts reveal the best techniques and locations to make your next snook catch a big one. Catching Snook in the Summer on the Beaches. Additionally, because it is currently impossible to distinguish a female from a male snook, we have combined the weights of both sexes and merely output the weight of a sexually generic snook. Finally, the longest snook is not necessarily the heaviest snook. Florida snook are protandric hermaphrodites. Other than that, Snook Cichlids are easy to keep. Big snook fishing is one of the great game fishing experiences. Research and obey local snook fishing guidelines, which are typically strict, since snook are highly regulated. Pursuant to section 120.74, Florida Statutes, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has published its 2019 Agency Regulatory Plan. Thank you for your help and continued support! The common snook is a tropical fish and can be found from Florida to Texas and down through Central America, South America and throughout the Caribbean. How Do I find and Catch Snook? You will find out techniques that work better than others, or times of day that produce better results. A legal size female might be 4 or 5 years old, and a male a bit older. SIZE: Generally, the size range is from 3 to 15 pounds. Hence, the weight reported for a 33-inch snook is the mean of all weights for snook between 32½ and 33½ inches.There is no reason to interpolate! These fish are aggressive feeders, and the big Snook will gulp a 12-inch mullet with no abandon. The key is to learn the basics of snook fishing and then get started. They can also be pretty finicky in some areas and sometimes require specialized techniques. The common snook can reach sizes up to 48 inches in length and 50 lbs in weight. Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network, See a full list of our Social Media accounts, Observed Weights of Florida’s Common Snook From Known Length and Weight Data. Believe me, the 4/0 is often not enough. Snook don’t feed much, if at all, when water temps … Get The Braided Line Capacity For Your Specific Reel Or Reels Here. How To Catch Big Redfish & Snook. A number of Snook topping 40 pounds have been caught over the years on both coasts, and the maximum may be 60 or more.World record 53 pounds, 10 ounces; Florida record 44 pounds, 3 ounces Size: Common to 10 inches, but may reach 15 inches This dodgy species can be hell to catch. Snook are hard enough to catch even when they aren’t scarce. On the flip side, on the east coast I've thrown that same size with success, but often I'll step up to a bigger fly on about a size 1 or 1/0 since there's a lot of bigger baitfish and bigger snook over there. When targeting big snook around bridges and piers you may want to beef up your tackle to 50-65Lb braid. Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc. Size and weight vary in snook just like they do in humans-a six-foot man may weigh 200 pounds, while a five-foot man may weigh 250 pounds. Copyright 1999 - 2020 State of Florida. The reported weights are the means of all observed weights of common snook, plus or minus one half inch of the size category. Copyright 1999 - 2020 State of Florida. Snook make excellent table fare. Today, we’re talking nearshore reef fishing for snook, tarpon, grouper, and kingfish. Snook weighing 20 to 30 pounds are not unusual on either coast, especially around inlets and passes during the summer, when spawning takes place. On a recent June fishing trip in Tampa Bay with his niece and nephew, Captain Rieumont had a baitwell full of scaled sardines and another baitwell full of pigfish from his traps. I have a 4/0 with 50 lb test on a 50 lb class rod and a jigmaster with 30 lb on a 25 lb rod. Remember, the spawning season on the Atlantic coast occurs during May through October, while on the gulf coast it is during April through September. And those fish over 30 inches are not the best to eat either. Since we catch a ton of snook here at Salt Strong, we get the question "How do you cook Snook" and "What is the best way to cook Snook" all of the time. Common Snook get much larger. SNOOK TACKLE. The same movement and behavior the snook exhibit in the big passes applies to the beaches, too. Snook are one of … We all know snook are fun to catch. How Big Do Snook Get? Once you hooked them, they will they do everything they can so they can escape. Catching a lunker snook, though, is a challenge for even the most skilled angler. Snook fishing involves a lot of hunting and a fair amount of luck, which is why landing a big snook is considered a true feat. The ideal rig is a medium baitcaster, like the Ambassadeur 6000, or a spinning reel in the 2500-size. Snook from certain areas of southern Florida may not fit the table values at all because there were no snook from these areas in the data set, particularly the Broward-Dade-Monroe region and counties north of and including, Volusia County. Although not overly aggressive, the fish do get large, and need space, so a large, roomy tank with lots of filtration is a must. (Check out our article on snook fishing tips). As in catching big versions of any species, there's always some luck involved. Big fish equals big amounts of waste, and this is true of Petenia splendida. Size and weight vary in snook just like they do in humans-a six-foot man may weigh 200 pounds, while a five-foot man may weigh 250 pounds. As I write this, the slot limit for snook in Florida is between 26 inches and 34 inches, with two fish allowed per angler. The data consist of over 5,000 observations per coast that were taken during the snook life history study, the Fishery-Independent Monitoring seine project, the catch-and-release study, and from various red tide and cold kill events. What Monofilament Fishing Line Should I Use? Inshore in coastal waters, including mangrove shorelines, seagrass beds, beaches and around structure. The best way to learn how to catch a snook or any type of fish is to get out there and do it. Using the previous example, 0.4 multiplied by 16 is about 6 ounces, so the snook in the example weighs 10 pounds, 6 ounces. The formula that uses length times girth squared divided by 800 to calculate an estimated weight of a generalized fish does not fit the highly variable length-weight relationship for common snook, so we provide a table of mean observed weights of snook of known lengths. Understanding the TableIn the table below, the first variable to consider is the coast from which the snook was caught. How big do common snook get? As an angler, snook fish is one of the fighter fishes that you may encounter on your fishing adventures. Heads and middles will get the big guys. When the blitz is on, Snook often … Size: Up to 48 inches (50 pounds); grow much larger than other snook species. But as in many things, the smarter you are and the harder you work, the luckier you get. You can catch big snook all summer in any of the big passes, and a lot of the small ones, too. The observed weights are reported in pounds and tenths of pounds-not inches. That's true for catching truly big snook, according to most pros that specialize in the pursuit. A June Day of Catching Big Snook with Pigfish. As the numbers of lunker snook increase, there will be a greater need for information regarding the size-weight relationship of these fish. Pretty generous, but nobody needs to kill two snook a day. The heaviest snook on the Atlantic coast weighed 37.5 pounds but was only 43 inches; the longest snook was 45 inches and weighed only 35.4 pounds. If the length of your snook matches only a single choice in the table, there was but a single snook of that size in the data. The Florida state record for largest redfish was 52 pounds and 5 ounces. A 44" snook, though it os only 23% longer than a 34" snook could eat a bait that is nearly twice as big as the 34" fish could eat. You may submit your measured observations to snook biologists at the following e-mail addresses: alexis.trotter@myfwc.comjim.whittington@myfwc.com.