Snook on the move

With fall rapidly approaching, even though the afternoon temperatures don’t feel much different, it’s been cooling off late at night into the dawn hours. The snook have noticed and have begun making their way from the outside passes and deeper cuts of Cape Haze and Bull and Turtle Bay.  On the outside bar, I’ve seen fish as far west as Little Cape Haze at the bottom of Cayo Pelau and as far east as the Gallagher Keys at the bottom of Turtle Bay.  Over towards Cape Haze, there have been some good fish just inside Turtle Bay and around Cape Haze Point to the southern end of the West wall. As the weather and water temperature cools, more and more fish will begin moving up the wall. Right now, scaled sardines are still prevalent and are the live bait of choice. To match, I’ve been throwing a 2/0 white and silver Puglisi peanut Butter. A walk the dog style top water plug or three to four inch soft plastic jerk shad is a good choice on a spinning rod.  Whenever possible, work with the mullet as snook will hang within the schools as they’ll kick up shrimp and crustaceans from the bottom making for easy pickings.  They’ve been pretty thick along the West Wall.