The Best Tasting Snook Money Can Buy

by Tom Moch
(Winter Park, FL USA)

I got you babe (or you got me)

Lee Lobban and I headed out before sunrise on the Indian River this morning at 6am. It was the perfect day to cruise over to one of our favorite fishing spots. We were in the midst of a feeding frenzy by 6:30am. The bait was scattering like crazy at all cast points around as predators actively fed. We were ready for action and cast top water plugs, soft baits, spoons, jigs and no results. At 7:30am I pulled out my trusty "secret weapon #99" and cast it twice. On the second cast I landed a nice Snook! It gave me a great battle complete with aerial tactics, jumping, running and thrashing. After the battle I landed and brought it into the boat. Everything was cool, so it seemed... I reached over for my hook removal tool, and then it started flipping, flopping and thrashing again! The Snook brushed up against my lower left leg and BINGO! I was then on the receiving end of "secret weapon #99"... The hook was embedded so deep into my tissue there was no way it was coming out without some sort of numbing means. I wanted to continue fishing (sure…) but Lee insisted we cruise back to the dock and get admitted to Parrish Hospital ER. The staff had me in and out in 1.5 hours. They did a fabulous job removing the treble hook. Okay, 9/1 Snook Season opened, the Snook was 28" overall length so it was a keeper. Tonight, it will be in my stomach. I plan to savor every teeny bitty bite because this will be the best tasting $500 Snook money can buy!

BTW, look very closely near my left shoe, you will see the embedded lure and I’m really not smiling, that’s a pain induced grimace!

Wishing you all the best fishing,

Tom Moch