Most inshore fishing charters in our area are out of towners who are not here to harvest a snook. They just want to catch 1.The guides, and there organizations are the ones who have pushed for the stiff regs. we have in place today. Maybe you do not agree, but what do you know, or have to say about the snook numbers. All I am saying is I have seen plenty of fish this summer, and had no trouble catching any in the Tampa bay area. I do not by the B.S. on why they want to keep it closed. It is just another decision being made with out any science behind it.
Neither one of us or any one else this earth is capable of getting a 100% accurate total of snook numbers but saying that you've caught alot of snook since the freeze doesn't mean they're numbers were not affected. I'm not trying to argue with you and I would hate to see the season close. But I know for a fact that the snook fishing up in Pasco sucked this year and I have not seen near the numbers of fish as I have in years past.
Some of the reason is Pasco is at the far reaches of the snooks northern habitat. They do not even have a real fishery the next county north of you. I just happen to know several guides. There take on snook for years has been. They think there is no reason to harvest 1 at all. That if you want to catch fish to eat catch pompano, trout,or redfish. They claim all of these are better tasting fish any way. Maybe Pasco needs a closure. If you want to see large numbers of snook right now. Go to Gators at Johns Pass at night, or on the bridge, and look down in the lights. They have been stacked in there for months.
I can vouch that down south at Flamingo there were thousands of snook that didn't make it. That being said, I know 4 guys that caught a total of 95 snook over the weekend down south.
Could there be a reason that there are still a bunch of snook being caught?
Perhaps less bait to feed on due to the freeze affecting the species snook normally feed on? Are the snook in "overdrive" mode because they are way below the carrying capacity of the species?
Someone going out and having a good day of fishing doesn't imply anything other than you had a good time and perhaps you are a very good fisherman. It definitely is not a valid representation of the whole state's snook population.
Correlation does not imply causation. I love when people complain about bad science and support their argument with even worse science.
Nobody's denied that the snook population took a hit, but is it as bad as they are making it out to be? Maybe in some areas, but there's evidence in many areas that there is still a healthy bunch of snook, especially here on the west coast. The article mentioned that west coast snook tend to stay within a few square mile area, not much migration, so if there's a good population in Charlotte Harbor or down around Naples, how is extending the closed season statewide going to help Tampa Bay or Pasco county?
Right now with a 5" slot, it's hard to catch a legal-to-keep snook anyway, and the reason they set that slot and the closed summer months was to keep folks from catching the breeders. So if the season is opened again, the spawn is over, and folks can only keep one hard-to-find fish, what more damage could it do to the overall population?
