Had a premonition this morning when I left the house, so I stopped by Walmart to pick up a pack of Storm Wild Eyed Shad 7/8oz.  Headed out to one of my favorite spots tied it on and tossed it out into a fierce incoming  high tide.  On my second cast I got nailed to what I thought was a tarpon, but after a minute I knew it was a snook, the battle ensued for what seemed like an eternity, finally I was able to bank the lady to a ledge at waters edge.  Now the problem was that it was about 5 am and no one around to hold my rod while I climbed down to waters edge, opened my bail as not to have the fish swim off with the rod and reel I then made my way down there to unhook this magnificent slob.  This fish was real tired and I wanted back in the water asp so without a foot measurement I released her, but my eye guesstimated her to be a tad less than 40 inches.

Without out doubt my best snook of the year...........so far!

A 40 inch Snook is very nice.  You better catch all you can before Sept. 1st.  The season opens then and we all know what happens when the season opens, Snook develop major Lock Jaw.

You must be pshycho...er, I mean psychic.

(congrats on the big fish)

Stating to slow up now, but if like last year the fall mullet run will turn them on.........then Dec-April..............dead dead dead.

I'm psycho.........thanks

40 in. snook = AWESOME!!!!!!

great catch

Nice catch. Some photos would be nice too.

Nice catch. Some photos would be nice too.

1. camera, kiss of death

2. my arms are too short to hold up 30"+ fish and snap the photo

3. no one around that speaks English let alone knows how snap a pic

4. 1 less piece of gear to carry

5. someone snaps pic on their camera and doesn't email photo

6. charging my batteries and taking my camera, bet I don't get a strike and I f I do won't be anything over 25", too small for a pic.

As I said the camera is the kiss of death, 2 hours and no strike.  Left and hit the beach, this time camera was left in the car and 45 minutes later zip................I said to myself " last cast " and boom I got nailed as soon as I hit the water with a silver spoon, nice 3# jack crevelle, had forgotten how awesome fighters they are, made my day.

i dont care who calls yellow tail jacks "crap fish"

i personally love to catch them as well,

those things put up epic battles, especially in larger sizes!!!

Mrlite,

Yes jacks are awesome and they go up to 45# and are great to eat.  Hard to imagine that a number of months ago some nameless individual, obviously with no knowledge (being a freshwater fisherman), called them a "trash" fish, my guess is he had heard that statement from another no knowledge fisherman.

I can tell you first hand pound for pound jacks outfight tarpon.

right on sir snook.

Congrats SirSnookalot!

I too have been tearing them up here in the Palm Beach Inlet.  Nothing as big yours though, this year.  Can't wait until fall mullet run.  

Although they are fun to catch and are great fighters,  Jacks are not Tarpon beaters!  

Also, I must be a no knowledge freshwater guy since I think Jack Crevalle are not very good....almost awful to eat! Although, a few of my fellow salt life friends would agree with me.

I have tried eating them year ago after seeing pier rats take them home regularly, but I had no luck making them taste good.  Do you have a good Jack Crevalle recipe you could share with us fellow Floridians, cause I can wreck them pretty good when all else fails ;D.  By the way if it involves smoking them, it doesn't count, I can make an old bloody sock taste good on the smoker  

Keep those soap fish coming!

Personally I eat very little fish, salmon or cod once in while, a dolphin or grouper if I catch one or flounder.  I fished out of the Palm Beach inlet today caught a nice mutton and yellowtail, but gave them away.  I never ate jack or cuda but everyone tells me how great they are.

Speaking about the Palm Beach inlet, a place I always wanted to fish.  I want to fish the beach or inlet from shore but parking seems to be a huge problem.  I have never seen too many people there so it seems there is little pressure.........After my outing I cruised the area and there is a public beach with free parking  just north of the bridge, sign only says for mall and beach use. I ask, is fishing not a beach use?

Mrlite,

Yes jacks are awesome and they go up to 45# and are great to eat. Hard to imagine that a number of months ago some nameless individual, obviously with no knowledge (being a freshwater fisherman), called them a "trash" fish, my guess is he had heard that statement from another no knowledge fisherman.

I can tell you first hand pound for pound jacks outfight tarpon.

I think we have had this conversation more than once.

Your attitude and arrogance is not appreciated. Have

you been ridiculed on saltwater forums for targeting

species that most saltwater fishermen consider bait?

I'll remind you again, this is a freshwater bass board.

BTW, the Florida state record Jack Crevalle is 57 lbs.,

Jupiter, 5-18-93, Gerald John Washburn. No one with

another option would eat this fish. It's primarily used

for chumming and as shark bait.

Other species board

crappie, walleye,trout,panfish and more

In my view I would consider any saltwater fish legal conversation under this heading and If I'm not mistaken you have told me to post them here and not under the outings forum, which I have complied with.

I've yet to see any negative response from any moderator regarding redfish, kingfish, sea trout or any other saltwater species on the other species board.  As far as being ridiculed, yes several futile attempts by only one individual.  Perhaps a ban regarding any saltwater fish should be instituted, that way I won't be the only one singled out.

For a fact people love to eat them and the people I fish with regard them as game fish, along with pompano and permit (same family) which are awesome as well and make great table fare.

Perhaps a few days on a saltwater board or better yet a few days on the surf may be a good learning experience for some to gain insight on the "gameness" of some other species.  

Personally I eat very little fish, salmon or cod once in while, a dolphin or grouper if I catch one or flounder. I fished out of the Palm Beach inlet today caught a nice mutton and yellowtail, but gave them away. I never ate jack or cuda but everyone tells me how great they are.

Speaking about the Palm Beach inlet, a place I always wanted to fish. I want to fish the beach or inlet from shore but parking seems to be a huge problem. I have never seen too many people there so it seems there is little pressure.........After my outing I cruised the area and there is a public beach with free parking just north of the bridge, sign only says for mall and beach use. I ask, is fishing not a beach use?

I would not and I repeat would NOT fish off the North end of the inlet.  Unless you want to get your car broken into or assaulted. You can fish the S. end, but its a heck of  long way up from the public access areas.  I fish by boat, putting in on the Blue Heron bridge and motoring over to the inlet.

Other species board

crappie, walleye,trout,panfish and more

In my view I would consider any saltwater fish legal conversation under this heading and If I'm not mistaken you have told me to post them here and not under the outings forum, which I have complied with.

I've yet to see any negative response from any moderator regarding redfish, kingfish, sea trout or any other saltwater species on the other species board. As far as being ridiculed, yes several futile attempts by only one individual. Perhaps a ban regarding any saltwater fish should be instituted, that way I won't be the only one singled out.

For a fact people love to eat them and the people I fish with regard them as game fish, along with pompano and permit (same family) which are awesome as well and make great table fare.

Perhaps a few days on a saltwater board or better yet a few days on the surf may be a good learning experience for some to gain insight on the "gameness" of some other species.  

I have fished both fresh and salt water.  From experience there can be little doubt that on average, salt water fish put up more of a fight pound for pound.

This is due in no small part to the fact that most of the salt water fish I have targeted are pelagic species, stripers, blue fish, bonito, etc.

They do much more swimming than their fresh water counterparts.  Some may challenge that salmon are a match for salt water fish, but most salmon are sea run fish.  Hatching, then heading to sea, and spending their lives there until they return to fresh water to spawn.

Largemouth, and pond or lake smallmouths do not move around a lot, compared to salt water pelagic species.  It is no wonder they lack the stamina of the salt water varieties.

So why do I prefer fishing the sweet water?  

After years of commercial lobster fishing, I've had enough of tides, currents, surf, waves, choppy conditions, etc.  I want something a bit more relaxing, while providing a measure of excitement.

I can secure my gear and canoe in the back of my truck and travel from north to south, east to west, and find plenty of places to fish, in almost any kind of weather.

At the moment, I have no desire to gear up for saltwater fishing.  Tomorrow?  Who knows?

I have had the urge to take my canoe down to the river just to play with some of the freshwater baits and try to catch some schoolie stripers.

The Rage Tail Anacondas are not unlike a rigged sea worm used for catching stripers.

I remember, when living on the Cape, seeing a guy haul in striper after striper on Pleasant Bay in Chatham/Orleans.  I worked my way closer to check out what he was using.

This was around 1970, and he was using something I had never seen before.  It was some type of plastic about five or six inches long, and had a tail that curled back about 180 degrees.

Could have been a Mr. Twister, or certainly passed for one today.  Whatever it was, it was one hot producer.

SouthFla, thanks for the heads up, although the beach and inlet look tempting.

I hear those stripers are awesome, would love to get up there one day, I know nothing about them.  I do fish with several retired men from Long Island who have told me much about them, they used a surgical tube supposed to resemble eels just like the ones we make down here for barracuda.