Here’s the latest message about the season for harvesting Snook in Gulf and adjacent
waters:
“Snook will close to all harvest in Gulf state, federal and inland waters, including all of
Monroe County and Everglades National Park, starting May 1. Seasonal harvest closures
conserve Florida’s valuable snook populations and help sustain and improve the fishery
for the future.
Snook is open to harvest in Atlantic state, federal and inland waters, including Lake
Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River, through May 31, closing June 1. Both the Atlantic and Gulf will reopen for recreational harvest Sept. 1.
Snook are one of the many reasons Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World. Snook
may be caught and released during the closed season. The Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages anglers to handle their catch carefully to
help the fish survive upon release. Proper handling methods can help ensure the species’
abundance for anglers today and generations to come. “
That reported, there are other good reasons for booking Good Time Charter this summer.
Among them are the same reasons “camera safaris” are so popular. There is much see
and photograph from the deck of our charter boat. In shallower waters, there are anhingas, the birds that swim – underwater. They dive below the surface and spend long submerged stays swimming around in pursuit of fish to eat. You will usually first see them perching on a piling or dock, wings outspread to catch the air currents and dry their feathers after spells beneath the water’s surface.
Then, there are raptors: ospreys and occasionally even eagles. They perch in trees or rooftops where they can look down into the water below them. When a fish appears close to the surface, they will swoop down to the water, with talons extended, to capture a meal and fly off. Sometimes they miss. But it is amazing to those of us who drop a line in the water to catch a fish, only to come up empty, how often they succeed. They carry their capture back to the nest to feed their offspring or to another elevated perch for a snack of their own.
Wildlife is so plentiful in the Fort Myers Beach area, you’re sure to see something that will catch your eye while you’re on one of our tours!
