There has been plenty of snook and tarpon around this week in most of all three lagoons. Due to seasonably hot temperatures it’s best 5:30-8 AM and again after the storms till 9 PM. No sooner than 5 PM if there hasn’t been any storms. I avoided the morning due to the full moon this past week, but it’s probably the best bet now. They will always hit a live mullet or small pogy, you just have to figure out what they’re eating. Both mullet around 6 inches and pogies around 3 inches have been easy to cast net. Leave your 12ft Tim Wade or other expensive net behind because there’s too many snags and catfish. I use a 6ft Walmart net and I can throw much further which is important.

The snook and tarpon can be found in the same backwater spots along with a few rat reds. I did get a 10lb red, but my GoPro didn’t record it. Fish light to medium spinning tackle with 10-15lb braid and 20-40lb leader. Match the hook size to the bait if you use bait. They will hit artificial when there isn’t dozens of boats targeting them and jet skis running around. Most of them don’t mean to interfere with fishing and are totally oblivious, so it’s usually best to keep your cool. If you can cast a fly very precisely in a narrow creek without getting snagged, you will get tarpon.

The water clarity has ranged from good to poor, but it’s very patchy. There’s been some drift algae too. I saw a little real seagrass (manatee grass) in water too shallow for the manatees to eat. They’re cute, but they are a big problem in the NIRL and ML. I strongly encourage catch and release for the future of our Lagoon and your safety. With the hot water temperatures, I suggest keeping them in the water as much as possible and taking the necessary time to revive your catch.