Snook Hot Spots are easy to find: In summer, head to any Gulf pass or Atlantic inlet, starting from Honeymoon Island south on the Gulf side, and Sebastian south on the Atlantic side. It’s all catch-and-release during the closed spawning months of summer, but in places like Sebastian Inlet, Jupiter Inlet, Lostmans River, Caxambas Pass, Redfish Pass and Big Sarasota Pass (just a tiny, tiny sampling, of course), it’s downright easy to catch a snook over 10 pounds--maybe a dozen or more of that size.

During open seasons, when fish are roaming inshore waters in search of food and shelter, some top bets include the Indian River on the Atlantic coast, the mangrove-fringed bays on the Gulf side, and the deep backcountry of the Florida Everglades.