Florida snook season opens: 20 best spots and best bait, lures to use

The long wait is over. It's time to break out your snook rods and favorite bait, lure or fly. Snook season opens Sept. 1, a date some Florida east coast anglers have had circled on their calendars since the season closed May 31.

Snook have spent the warm summer months gathered in large schools of more than a hundred fish inshore and just offshore between Port Canaveral and Miami. A slot fish is closer than you think.

Here's what you need to know if you plan to target one of Florida's most popular gamefish this fall.

Snook are nearly apex predators in virtually every ecosystem where they live. I've caught them shorter than 12 inches and longer than 40 inches across the Treasure Coast. But more on that later.

In this section, let's talk about what a snook will eat. The shorter list is probably what a snook won't eat. We'll start with natural baits, live and dead, move into lures and jigs and finish with popular flies. Here are some suggestions:

"You should have been here yesterday." How many times have you heard that one? Here is a brief list of popular Treasure Coast locations for great action on slot-sized snook to take home for dinner:

If I've listed your favorite secret snook spot here, don't get mad. There are no "secret" spots anymore.

Atlantic Coast from Florida-Georgia state line to Biscayne National Park, including Lake Okeechobee and Kissimmee River:

No representation:As toxic algae, Lake Okeechobee discharges loom, Martin County has no voice on SFWMD board

Idalia:Live updates: Hurricane Idalia storm surges up to 15 feet now forecast for part of Florida Big Bend

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering new fishing regulations to protect snook from environmental and human factors. The agency has proposed 10 management regions with different regulations instead of the current two. A virtual meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 7 to discuss:

To participate in the workshop, go to MyFWC.com/Marine and click on "Rulemaking: Submit a Comment/Attend a Workshop" to find the meeting or call 850-487-0554 to find out more.

Ed Killer is the fishing writer for TCPalm. Email him at [email protected].