Steve's First

I put the hand sized pigfish on the hook and pitched him in the water where I knew the snook were holding. I could feel him wiggling as normal and then came the feeling I love: that moment when the baitfish sees the giant snook and tries to get away. The baitfish kicks and pulls like crazy but that only triggers Mr. Snook’s feeding instincts and … BAM! Fish on. In this case I handed Steve the rod just before the BAM! and boy was he surprised. The fish sizzled the stiff drag and went every which way to earn its freedom but Steve stuck with him and worked him: away from the piling; under the motor; around the boat and was patient as he ripped 100 yards of line from the real. Not bad for his first Snook!

Sam had his own technique of presenting his bait. With lighter leader and a heavier sinker he patiently fished right under the boat as we drifted. This allowed him to keep his bait near the bottom without getting snagged in the rocks. He was rewarded for his expertise with a sweet snook that put up a great fight. I like it when fisherman try different techniques and then score. That’s one of the cool and satisfying things about fishing.