Chasing Snook … And Sharks?

By BILLY NOBLES
Posted September 18, 2008 by The Tampa Tribune

Earlier this week, we fished with Big John and Judy Gresham, who wanted to catch big snook.

We were there and the big snook were there, but the fish only wanted to eat the chum we offered. Still, we caught a handful of fish just under slot size, and we hauled in a nice flounder. Nonetheless, we had a great time and they learned all of my “A” spots on Tampa Bay as we tried to get Judy her trophy snook.

Later, we took out longtime client and friend Chrystal Legg of Full Throttle Products and some of her clients from the Northeast. When they arrived at the marina, we asked what they wanted to catch. The answer was sharks.

Now, those of you who know me know I am not and avid shark charter captain, but I want my clients to be happy. So shark fishing it is. We went to a spot that is notorious for holding a lot of sharks this time of year, stopping along the way to net some live bait.

It took me a couple of times to get the boat anchored the way I wanted, but we finally deployed a bag of Pro-Chum. We got down the rods and I threw a handful of chum, and it was on.

Non-stop for three hours we were boating blacktip sharks, Spanish mackerel weighing up to 6 pounds and speckled trout up to 26 inches long. Then Chrystal asked about cobia and we were off again. We found several large cobia, but they wouldn’t take the white bait. Where’s a pinfish when you need one?

We quickly changed gears and went — you guessed it — big-snook fishing. These fish had embarrassed me earlier in the week with a no-show. We were at the spot for just a few minutes before we hooked one, but it shook the hook and took off into the mangroves.

A few minutes later, one of the men threw his line over a tree, and as the bait dangled in the water a monster snook hit and the line broke. I hated that we lost them, but it made me feel better that I wasn’t losing it.

Catch captains Billy Nobles and Mike Anderson on the “Reel Animals Fishing Show” on Saturdays from 6:30-7 a.m. on WFLA, Channel 8, and on Sundays from 8-10 a.m. on WHBO, 1470 AM. To book a charter, call 1-866-GAMEFISH or visit www.reelanimalsfishingshow.com.