Chapter 4 “Seven Mile Bridge”

The lapping of the water stopped and that woke Stoney up from his tide ride in the bucket. He looked out of the pail and was some 40' feet in the air. He was being reeled up with a wide eyed crab fancier at the top of the Seven Mile Bridge fishing area. He quickly crawled to one side of the bucket and dropped into the slack tide at the Seven Mile Bridge in Marathon. Soon he was fast walking the columns and looking for Super Snook to warn him that the “Hole Sweet Hole” was in danger of being located as he spilled the beans a few days ago to a stone crab fisherman out in the Bay. When he finally reached the piling that was the “Hole Sweet Hole” he noticed that the place was inhabited with smaller snook and a few straggler mangrove snappers that darted off when he lumbered in. Super Snook left a note. It said that he suspected that something was wrong when Stoney didn’t show up so he left for a new “Hole Sweet Hole” where he could spend the winter in peace with little distractions. Leagues of snook fishermen gun slinging the newest fishing lures was not his idea of a swell wintering in the Florida Keys. He did not let Stoney know this time where he had gone, but only left a note that said," Good luck this winter and stay out of dark places", Super Snook. Once again Super Snook’s instinct and caution are one of the many reasons he remains the legend we now know as Super Snook. Super Snook Heads North

Super Snook has left the winter hole sweet hole and has headed to the western side of the state to enjoy a summer of finger mullet and mangrove roots. His early morning forays are filled with the terrifying screams of frantic finger mullet showering in the first rays of the morning sun. Snook are prime time feeders and early morning and late evening are top times to be on the water in the summer months. They also enjoy a nice swim in the surf and many a linesider has succumbed to a jig grub/shrimp cast parallel to the surf when the waves are behaving themselves. The new mirror lures that resemble pilchards are a huge hit in the Keys for the snook that stack in the passes in the back country and they will work equally as well went surf casting for them. The thing to do is be sure you use the lightest leader you can get away with as it really does enhance the bite when the water is clear and the surf is not roiled up. If the surf is heated up wave wise then use a heavier leader then but not as a rule. Use the least leader strength you can to land the fish. More times than not the surf has few places to snag up unlike "HOLE SWEET HOLE" that is loaded with line parting obstructions.

As Super Snook heads to the western beaches of the state it is up to you anglers to report and massive hook ups in shallow water and feel free to take a bar of soap with you for that impromptu shower of hot water should be used as a quick shower to conserve water at every opportunity. Cast long and Cast often.