CURRENT MOON
Weather Reports
Buoy Data
Site Login
Brochures
-
Mariner's Market >> Towers, Outriggers, and Chairs
Flatline Booms are the only outrigger that requires no modifications to your boat. The Flatline Boom simply mounts to the existing…Read more...
-
Mariner's Market >> Bait and Tackle E-tailers
At Pacific Edge our goal is to make your time on the water more fun and productive. We will outfit your…Read more...
-
Mariner's Market >> Coolers, Live Wells, and Pumps
fiberglass dock deck box, center console, fish fillet cleaning station table, step box, boarding stair, bow pulpit, trash containers fiberglass dock…Read more...
- Mariner's Market >> Coolers, Live Wells, and Pumps Read more...
-
Mariner's Market >> Boat Insurance
Boat Insurance, On line quote boat insurance discount, 800 Carolina boat insurance, Coast Guard Power Squadron Discounts, Newer Boat insurance discount,…Read more...
-
Mariner's Market >> Knives, Pliers, Tools
The one and only deck plate opener. This Patented handy little tool makes opening your deck plates a snap. It's easy…Read more...
-
Mariner's Market >> Sport Fishing Boats
The Fitz 34 and 41 Sport Fisherman reflect years of design review and refinement, not only in hull form, but also…Read more...
-
Mariner's Market >> Yacht Deliveries & Surveys
When it Comes to Boat Lifts... We are ready for bigger boats! Come and see all the new upgrades. V&G Yachtworks…Read more...
-
Mariner's Market >> Towers, Outriggers, and Chairs
All Tigress(R) Aluminum Outriggers are constructed of cold drawn aluminum for maximum strength and durability. We then use a state of…Read more...
-
Mariner's Market >> Rods and Reels
We use a Black Magic Graphite/e-glass composite blank with a very fast taper. You still get the soft tip for sensitivity…Read more...
- Mariner's Market >> Sport Fishing Boats Read more...
-
Mariner's Market >> Trolling Lures
Premium Saltwater fishing lures. Complete description of our current products, dealers and new products. Specializing in proven trophy Striper, Flounder, Fluke…Read more...
-
Mariner's Market >> Sunglasses and Outdoor Apparel
Founded in 1938, Columbia Sportswear Company™ has grown from a small family-owned hat distributorship to one of the world's largest outerwear…Read more...
-
Mariner's Market >> Trolling Lures
Lures of intelligent design and craftmanshipRead more...
-
Mariner's Market >> Sport Fishing Boats
Century -- A Yamaha Boat CompanyRead more...
Port Everglades Snook! |
|
|
| Written by Captain Mark Cowart | |
|
From the dreams of early settlers more than 100 years ago, evolved what is now known as Port Everglades. This busy port first emerged as a means for local farmers to ship their produce while the visionaries of the late 1800s and early 1900s planted the seeds for what would some day develop into one of the nation s most vital trade and tourism centers. Port Everglades Inlet is located between Ft. Lauderdale and Dania Beach on the southeast coast of Florida. It is a very deep water inlet, which harbors vast numbers of cruise and cargo ships. To the north of the Inlet, most of the shoreline has been well developed but to the south lays John U. Lloyd state park. Although Port Everglades is well traveled during the day, it becomes much quieter at night, thus becoming one of my favorite east coast snook fisheries.Throughout most of the year, Port Everglades is actually teaming with fish. Decent numbers of snook can be found here year round but heavily congregate in the structure laden waters of the Port during the late spring and summer for their annual spawning rituals. The trick is to know when, where and how to get these fish to bite. Along with the snook, tarpon can also be taken here and both species really turn on during the late night hours. Under the cover of darkness, snook become aggressive feeders and will strike at a variety of artificial baits including both Rattle Traps and jigs, although my preferred method is live bait fishing. I charter on both the east and west coasts of Florida and there are some major differences in the way I fish for snook on each coast. When in Flamingo or Marco Island, fishing the shallows along the mangrove shorelines with live pilchards or pinfish, is like giving candy to a baby. However in Port Everglades, it s a different story all together. The deeper ledges and underwater structure, usually at depths of 10 to 40 feet are your primary targets. Flamingo and Marco Island also offer excellent sight fishing opportunities but here, relying on your depth finder to find the structure and the fish, is key.  The first thing on the agenda when heading out for a late afternoon or night of snook fishing, is catching live bait. I prefer pilchards that are at least 4 long. Remember, big snook eat big baits! The snook that reside in Port Everglades average 5 to 10 lbs. but do get as big 35 to 40 lbs. A giant 40 lb. snook will take the initiative to jump out and eat a jumbo pilchard over tiny baits any day of the week. There are plenty of areas you can catch your own pilchards including the Dania Fishing Pier during the day and the mooring buoys about a mile offshore, at night. I prefer the Dania Beach Pier, because it allows me to start catching bait a couple of hours before the trip and I can be ready to fish right at sundown. Having a solid supply of a hundred big pilchards in your well is a great way to start the night but keep in mind, small jacks, blue runners and gogs also do the trick. When trying to catch bait at the mooring buoys, throw over a chum bag and flip out a couple sabiki rigs. You should be making bait in short order. If pilchards are scarce another alternative is using jumbo live shrimp. They work extrememly well around lighted docks. Now that we ve discussed when, where and how, let s get into a little mroe detail. Throughout Port Everglades, the best time for catching snook is mid summer through mid fall, but it s definitely worth a shot across the board. This differs slightly from Flamingo where the end of March, April and May are red hot. The Port sees an average of 6,000 vessels a year and that s not including recreational boaters. Most of this traffic is during the day so regardless of the month, targeting your efforts at night when there is substantially less boat traffic is clearly the way to go. Locating structure, which is the key to finding the snook, is not all that difficult. Likely spots can be found throughout the entire Inlet, but some areas are definitely more productive than others. As mentioned, structure is crucial. An excellent spot to start the evening off would be the south side of the Inlet. Fish the shoreline from the tip of the jetties all the way down to the Coast Guard station. In between, you ll find a submerged seawall. This is an excellent location to drift, anchor or glide along with your trolling motor. Try free lining a fat pilchard toward the submerged seawall. Keep a close eye on your color machine. If you mark fish near the bottom, use a small egg sinker, 1/2 once is a good size to start. The added weight will keep your bait right in the strike zone. It is important to understand that snook are tidal feeders, which means that these fish will turn on with the flow of the tide. I have caught fish on every possible tide phase, including slack, but moving water is definitely best, with an outgoing tide being the most productive. Snook will position themselves at ambush points facing into the current and wait for baitfish, shrimp and crabs to swim into their strike zone. A solid strike will most likely feel like a simple tap and you will probably only feel it once. Quite often a snook will just sit there after inhaling your bait, so it is important to understand that their strike can be subtle. Once hooked, a snook will instinctively run toward the nearest structure in an attempt to cut you off, whether it s a mangrove branch, piling or some rock ledge on the bottom. It is very important to turn their head quickly and to control the battle. If a snook is running in a particular direction, use side pressure in the opposite direction to turn their head. Be aggressive; don t let the fish control you. Snook don t have big teeth but they do have razor sharp gill plates that can slice your leader like a hot knife through butter. Never lift a snook up by the gill plates. If you do, you will probably need stitches from the injury incurred. The best way to handle a snook is to place one hand under its belly and cradle the fish. Usually it will remain very calm until the hook is removed. Snook are also excellent eating, but numerous regulations do apply to size, bag limits and closed seasons. It is also illegal to buy or sell snook. These limits are in place to protect the snook populations which were once over fished in the 1980 s. The rebound has been excellent and luckily for us, continues to get better. Snook provide outstanding action on light tackle. 10 lb. line, tied to three or four feet of 30 lb. monofilament or fluorocarbon leader is a great set-up. I like to use a small circle hook, anywhere in size from #1 to a 4/0 depending on the size of the bait. Circle hooks work great as 99% of the hook-ups are in the corner of the mouth, causing no harm to the fish. A light leader and small hook will also keep your bait swimming more naturally. If you lose a few fish, try going up a size or two on the hook. The best place to hook a pilchard is through its nose although pinfish seem to produce better when hooked through the top of their mouths. The trick to getting solid bites, is identifying structure with moving water. Remember, snook are tidal feeders and the bite will turn on and off like a light switch. I typically find that fishing the beginning or the end of the tide produces the best results. Docks, pilings, jetties and submerged ledges will all hold concentrations of fish throughout the Port. Hop around from one spot to the next as there are multitudes of holes to fish in Port Everglades and you couldn t hit them all if you tried. Remember, snook are skilled hunters. They remain out of sight waiting for unsuspecting prey to cross their path. They use the strong currents and darkness to their advantage. Once a meal is spotted, they stalk the bait, dart out, grab the easy meal and immediately return to the comfort of their lair. A snook strike is not as vicious as a wahoo or big jack so don t expect a WHAM! Pay very close attention to your hooked baits every move and when you suspect a fish has inhaled the bait, lock up and get all the slack out of your line. With circle hooks there is no need for a classic Bass Masters hook set. Above all, when fishing Port Everglades Inlet, be very safe. Even in the wee hours of the morning the boat traffic can be hectic. Stay focused on what s going on around you and make sure your running lights are in working order. Maximize your efforts by focusing your time around key points of structure and try and couple that with a strong incoming or outgoing tide. Before you know it, you too will be hooked up to a slob snook!  About the Author: Capt. Mark Cowart was born and raised in south Florida. He began fishing at the early age of ten years old and has been hooked ever since. Backcountry fishing has always been Capt. Mark s forte. He is one of the captains who will actually travel over 100 miles to get to where the action is best. Captain Mark fishes out of a Ranger 2003 2180 Bay Ranger, which can fish 4 people comfortably. He is very patient and is a perfect guide for both novice and expert anglers. Captain Mark charters out of Port Everglades and Biscayne Bay on the east coast of Florida as well as Flamingo and Marco Island on the west coast. Species include snook, tarpon, redfish, cobia, grouper, permit, trout and more. Capt. Mark has been featured in a number of major fishing magazines and on the Outdoor Channel s All About Fishin. So for backcountry fishing at its finest, or some exciting night time snookin, contact Captain Mark Cowart at: www.backcountry-fishing.com Captaincowart@cs.com 954 893-9913 or 954 309-9112 |
| Next > |
|---|
