The common snook, or centropomus undecimalis, is a gamefish generally found along the lower east and west coasts of Florida and throughout Central America. Their long, sleek bodies and exaggerated underbite combine for a menacing profile that suits their aggressive nature. Their distinguishing feature is a black line that runs laterally along both flanks. Most snook caught fall between 18 and 30 inches, but large specimens have pushed well beyond the 52-inch mark and weighed in at over 50 pounds. They're generally olive in color with silver sides and belly, though ocean-going snook tend to be more silver, and backwater snook more dark. Their diet consists primarily of small fish and crustaceans. Snook prefer waters of no more than about 60 feet, and they tend to gravitate toward shallow lagoons and estuaries where warm saltwater mixes with fresh water, brackish creeks (especially in winter) and beaches. They are highly sensitive to water temperatures, preferring very warm waters; they can't survive for long in water temperatures below 60 degrees. For this reason, they are generally found in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans throughout tropical America, including Central America and parts of South America, as well large and small Caribbean islands, including the Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola. In the U.S., they tend to be found in Florida below Tampa on the state's west coast and below Cape Canaveral on its east coast, though catches are reported in northern Florida and even Texas from time to time.

Snook congregate offshore and around Florida's inlets and passes in the summer months to spawn, and that's when they're easiest to catch. It's also the time of year that season is closed, meaning they can't be kept, regardless of size. (See harvesting info. below). Spawning usually begins in mid-April and lasts into October, with peak activity during new and full moon phases.

An interesting fact: Snook are protandric hermaphrodites, meaning that many change sex from male to female at some point in their lives. This transition usually occurs between two and seven years of age or when they reach a fork length of 17-30 inches. For this reason, most very large fish are females.

Understanding the reproductive cycle and movement patterns of snook can help anglers predict where good fishing will be. In Florida during the fall, snook are found in inlets, passes, and along the beaches. After the first cold fronts in winter, snook usually move inland to deep-water areas that have more stable water temperatures. In winter months, typical snook habitat includes areas under bridges, and in ship channels, turning basins, warm-water outflows near power plants, and the upper reaches of estuaries. Some snook can still be caught in shallow water during winter if the water stays warm. As spring approaches and water temperatures increase, snook begin to move towards spawning grounds - at this time they are found near the mouths of bays, rivers, creeks, and canals. In late spring, snook move to shallow water as they prepare to spawn. Summer fishing can be exciting because snook are actively feeding and breeding. When spawning, snook often aggregate and can be caught in inlets/passes and along the beaches. Snook tend to "hold" at openings, bends, points and jetties that create eddies in the current. Also, underwater structure provides protection, orientation, and ambush points where they will congregate in numbers.

centropomus undecimalis, or "Common snook"

There are 12 known species of snook, four of them native to Florida, but Centropomus Undecimalis, or common snook, is the by far the most abundant, has the widest range and is the species taken almost exclusively by recreational fishermen in the Florida. Centropomus Ensiferus, the sword-spined snook, is the smallest species in Florida waters, reaching only about twelve inches in length. It is the rarest species and has been reported only in the freshwater canals of the Miami area. Its common name is derived from the elongated second anal spine. Centropomus Pectinatus, the tarpon snook, is so called because of the tarpon-like upturn of the jaw. Its body is more compressed than the other species. Centropomus Parallelus is sometimes called the fat snook. It is the second largest species occurring in Florida, attaining a length of approximately 18 inches. It is found from the Lake Okeechobee drainage southward, including the Keys. Only three species of snook commonly grow to over 10 pounds: Centropomus Undecimalis, or the common snook; Centropomus Nigrescens, or black snook; and Centropomus Viridis, or white snook. The IGFA record book lists the largest snook ever caught as a 57 pound, 12-ounce Pacific black snook landed in Quepos, Costa Rica. However, reputable reports of 70+ pound snook sightings occur from time to time (including one by noted Florida Sportsman writer Vic Dunaway, who saw the monster in a Panamanian fish market), and scientific authorities on snook claim that 90 pounders occasionally exist in both the Atlantic and Pacific.

Snook can be a fickle creatures - hard to coax into a strike one moment, blasting everything in sight the next. Unpredictable as they may be, the energy one puts into locating and hanging one is well worth the effort, because they sure can fight. In this angler's humble opinion, snook are the most challenging gamefish on the planet. Sure, there are bigger, more celebrated species, but none offer the challenges created by a motivated snook. When they feel the hook, they'll do just about everything you don't expect. Their bag of tricks includes skyrocketing jumps, thumb-scalding runs and sulking stalemates. But that's not their best trick. The tactic that elevates the snook above other gamefish is their ability to use cover, or "structure", to their advantage. As many a novice snook fisherman has learned to their dismay, a hooked "linesider" will invariably head for the nearest structure at mind-numbing speed, and if you're not quick or strong enough to stop him, break your line around a submerged root or tree limb. As if that's not enough, they have razor sharp plates called "gill rakers" which can part monofilament line like scissors on thread. Like I said, they're a formidable opponent.

Snook are a ball to catch on everything from live bait to artificial lures. Fishing for these tough characters can easily become a lifelong passion. But becoming a skilled "snooker" isn't easy - it takes time. If you're interested in catching snook, you've picked a good place to start.

Florida Regulations: Plan on keeping a snook? Make sure it's not less than 26 inches long and no more than 34 inches. Snook season is closed from December 15 through January 31, and (since January 1, 2002) in May, June, July and August (spawning season). You're allowed to keep one snook per person per day, but you must have a Florida saltwater license and a snook stamp to do so. Keeping snook is allowed by law, and I indulge in a fish or two a year myself. But the more you fish for these great gamesters, the tougher time you'll have killing one. That's been my experience, anyway. At the very least, consider putting back any fish over 30 inches. Larger snook carry the burden of perpetuating the species, and you can help them by taking a quick photo and letting them swim free.

- select portions of the preceding were taken from the Division of Marine Resources newsletter, "Fishing Lines", and from the United States EPA website