The snook season for Florida ended Dec.15, marking the last day fishing anglers could take home a snook to eat, but those who miss dining on the tasty fish will be able to satisfy their appetites when the season reopens Saturday.

During the open season, fishing anglers that have a Florida saltwater fishing license and snook stamp may keep one fish per person a day, as long as the fish is between 28 and 32 inches in length, measured from the chin to the tip of the tail. This bag limit is one of the most important snook regulations in terms of preventing “overfishing,” which is defined as removing fish from populations faster than they can reproduce themselves.

“February isn’t too far away and it won’t be too long until I am back on the waters and catching keepers,” Zane Korfhage (10) said. “I hope to have better luck this season in catching one because they are a very hard fish to catch when first learning,” 

Snook, also known as the common snook, is a celebrity fish in Florida. In the waters of the United States, except for Texas, these aggressive, delicious fish almost exclusively inhabit the coastal ecosystems of the southern half of the Florida peninsula.

Lots of anglers are hoping for the chance to bring this fish home for a feast after a long day of fishing.

“Last season a couple friends and I went on the boat to attempt catching a snook for dinner at Sebastian Inlet, but it’s a lot harder than it looks,” Alex Spak (10) said. “Many people say learning the area and putting in time is very important in learning how to catch this fish, but it also depends on the day.” 

By Harry Carcieri