Cold weather, poorly snook

Some record low temperatures in the waters around Anna Maria have hit fishing, but they have also had a really bad affect on the fish themselves.

Some island fishermen have been voicing some concern about snook as water temperatures have dropped to around 50 degrees in the canals and as low as 45 degrees on the flats. Do I really need to tell you how low that is?

Well, I will anyway. The coldest month ever in Florida was in January 1940, with a mean air temperature of 49.7 degrees Fahrenheit. And this month could come pretty close.

The Anna Maria Islander reminds anglers that if they see snook floating on the surface, 'it likely does not mean they’re dead. More likely, they are stunned from cold temperatures, and often snook can revive once warmer temperatures arrive. Even so, anglers cannot keep out-of-season snook.'

Perhaps the best advice is to leave the fish completely alone until the water temperature picks up a bit. The good news is that all the reports we are getting suggest it will soon. Check out this video of some fishermen in Brevard County. It makes for pretty distressing viewing.



Perhaps the best advice is to leave the poor snook alone completely until the temperature picks up. You could always go after the trout, who seem not to mind the cold so much...

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