JK with his snook. Yeaaaa....finally!
O ur pal and regular fishwithjd reader Jay Kennedy risked life, limb and several layers of epidermis for this Costa Rican snook taken in the surf. Here’s his tale…
I woke up at 3 am on Thursday and headed to the mouth of Rio Baru and fished util about 10 am, changing lures like crazy,” says Jay. “And finally, I saw a beast chasing a school of mullet. My steelheader instinct took over and I threw on a gold and orange 3/4 oz Little Cleo. After about 5 casts…WHAAAAAAAM!!! Snook!! Well, these fish get pissed in the surf and it rolled, clearing a good 3 feet out of the the water before taking off and burning my thumb!
“I played it slow and after about 5-10 minutes, I thought to myself ‘this is a done deal I need to put the pressure on the fish.’ So, I got it about 15 feet in front of me in foot of water and the beast rolled for the 5th time and all I saw was and orange lure drop in the water without the fish. It got off! I looked at my hook and it was thrashed from hitting the rocks earlier in the day. Thats what I get, right? It was easily 25 to 30 pounds! So, then I was feeling crazy, so I stayed until about 1 pm, burning the flesh on my legs till I could’nt take it no more.”
So, then Jay had some honey-dos and family obligations to do over the weekend but that fish continued to haunt him.
“I made a deal with my wife to go back for a few hours on Monday ( we had ton of stuff going on and a raging 3-year-old to control, so I was pushing some luck here). I showed up around 6 am and the tide was so rough that it looked like a waste of time and dangerous. Well fishing is about the only activity worth risking my life for so I hit it hard for about 2 1/2 hours and didn’t see anything.
“The surf was only getting rougher on the incoming tide, I was just about to call it but I thought for good measure I would move up about 50 feet closer to the mouth and cast into the river a few times. My buddy was standing behind me all packed up. And there it was Robalo!! This one was maybe 1/3 of the size as the one I lost but most important I landed it!!
I thanked the fishing Gods for this one — the trip ended with a full stomach and a calm fisherman!!! Like you said JD, thats why you play the game!!!”
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Fred Contaoi says
That is a great story! Reminds me of my whole life, risking it all for a pea brain. watch out for le shark!
jay k. says
risking it all for a warm Beer! thanks Fred
jay k. says
Hey Fishbird…Snook are super good eating especially this size…go read and learn.. or go catch one and eat it
fishbird says
Caught some last Nov. in Fla. but regs. required release because of cold weather kill-off a couple years ago so numbers are still recovering in the Gulf.I did however Blacken a Manatee and it was Tasty!!! he he
Lou G says
One of the most delicious dishes I ever ate anywhere was a snook in a red garlic sauce. I found this meal in a rickety old beach restuarant in Montezuma, Costa Rica in ’92.
It was so good that I did not even mind when I chipped a tooth on a tiny pebble in the sauce. I cared about it later though.
What a country for beach lovers.
Josh 100lbs club Jordan says
There are a million snook out there and after a fight and agonizing release on the first day I see a snook mount in jk’s future.
fishbird says
Why not release that snook JK?? Cant see eating a bone fish,must be hungry down there.
jay k. says
Hey Fishbird…Snook are super good eating especially this size…go read and learn.. or go catch one and eat it