Took a Skunkin' today

[Bass & BBQ]

Got skunked but it was an interesting trip anyway. Overall I probably had 10 big blow ups on topwater baits but landed nothing. Actually only hooked up one time for about 5 seconds. They just seemed to be hitting it without biting.

That's not the interesting part. A few different times, I saw something swimming that was making a big wake. And it would swim like that for 50 or 60 yards. One time, it was swimming right at me and I thought I might try to throw in front of it. I got a little over zealous and he was swimming faster than i thought so it basically landed right on it's head so it freaked out and went away.

Later on, I saw the same thing in a different area so I started paddling parallel to it. I chased it for about 100 yards and it turned toward me so I just stopped paddling. It was going to cross right in front of me so I was going to let it get past this time and cast in front. Plus I really wanted to see what it was. It was pushing a big, bulge of water. I was assuming it was the fish's head making the wake. Well, it crossed in front of me and it was actually a fin making the wake. not a shark fin. It actually looked like an amberjack but I guess it could have been an enormous jack crevalle. I'm going to have to look at some pictures later to be sure. But this thing was HUGE and swimming in about 3 feet of water. That time I watched him swim at least 300 yards like that.

Between all of that, I had eased up to an island where I had caught a snook before and immediately got a hit. The water was really moving so I was having a hard time keeping the yak still so I just got out and shoved it in some trees. I'm standing in about a foot of water fishing and see something really big chasing a mullet from about 50 yards out. And they were hauling ass right at me. So, I'm looking for an escape route just in case because I dont know what this thing is. I immediately thought shark or cuda. Well, the mullet gets to about 15 feet from me and makes a hard right into the mangroves and this fish tries to follow, cant, and turns 180 degrees and swims back out at a high rate of speed. SNOOK!! And I am not exaggerating when I say this thing was a 40lb class fish. Freakin enormous.

I just happened to have a rod in my hand with a mullet colored swim bait and somehow, even though I thought I was about to be eaten by something, I tossed my bait where the fish was headed. She was swimming right at it. I just knew my line was about to start screaming............................... nothing.

So for a skunk day, it was fairly exciting.

[pepi]

That's as good as it gets without catching a fish!

[Linc]

Post a pic of the fin if you have one. That snook probably saw you when she turned around, otherwise it would have been game on!

[Bass & BBQ]

Post a pic of the fin if you have one. That snook probably saw you when she turned around, otherwise it would have been game on!

I didnt get any pictures. I couldnt decide if I wanted to get the camera out and turned on or get ready to cast. Plus I was trying to be very still so it would keep coming.

And yeah, I think the snook saw me as I twitched the bait. It was really close to me. I was just amazed at how fast it moved in and turned for how big it was.

It was very interesting to be able to see what the fish were doing though. This type of fishing is new to me so I am learning on the fly. I havent had time to fish with other guys much so I am having to really pay attention. Yesterday was funny because there wasnt a lot of bait or birds or activity but the fish I did see were all big and very aggressive. And judging from the marks on my plug, at least some of it was cuda.

[lconn4]

Ditch the topwater...I know you love em and I do too, but lots of times something just under the surface will get those fish, especially for snook on days with no wind. Catch 2000 jr, D.O.A. Baitbuster (Deep Runner model even in shallow water), and my favorite of all the D.O.A. Shad tail on lightest weight CAL jighead you can use depending on current (I know its a tiny bait but big snook will eat em up). Expecting to see large snook in your next salt report!

Never tried them on snook but I'll bet those Bass Magics would work as well.

[Bass & BBQ]

Man, I threw everything at them. I did have a little trouble with the smaller baits though. The water was really ripping at this corner, which made it a place for the big fish to hide. It was just difficult to get the smaller baits where I wanted them. Kind of a swirling current.

The other thing is I need to fish some better spots. This place isnt exactly known as a great producer. I saw first hand there are some big fish back there but I dont think the numbers are great.

Or maybe that's just an excuse and I need to work a little harder.

[lconn4]

Some of those large resident snook have seen every trick in the book...make a trip to Chokoloskee when you get a chance. The fish there aren't so gun shy.