Snook may be the perfect gamefish. It is a tremendous fighter, requires skill to land and is one of the best eating fish you'll ever taste. Primarily inshore fish, snook don't travel the vast distance that other species are noted for. Most snook, often referred to as linesiders, spawn from April to October in the offshore waters near passes and inlets.

Redfish are one of the top recreational saltwater gamefish in the state. Small live baitfish, just about any jig, gold and silver spoons, and even topwater plugs are potential meals if they are presented correctly. Of these, the topwater plug is an interesting bait to use when fishing the flats because the fish must come to the surface and rollover to get its mouth in position to strike the bait.

Spotted Seatrout spawn from spring through the summer in the estuaries along both coasts. A live shrimp or baitfish bait rigged to a line with a popping cork is the number one method for trout fishing. Jigs tipped with a small piece of shrimp and gold spoons are very effective artificial baits. Weedless varieties are desirable when you fish in the sea grass.

Growing to lengths of more than eight feet and weighing more than 280 pounds, it is easy to see why the tarpon is one of the most sought after saltwater gamefish in the world. Tarpon can be caught while using many types of tackle, rods, baits, lures and rigs either while fishing from a boat, canoe, kayak or walking and wading from the shoreline as the tarpon work up and down the beaches.

The Red Snapper is a tricky fish to land. Being primarily a 'nibbler', a soft touch is needed when trying to catch them. Favorite baits include squid, whole medium-sized fish and small strips of fish such as amberjack. In some situations the larger fish are caught on heavy jigs (artificial lures), often tipped with a strip of bait or by freelining baits at the proper upper level.

The Blacktip shark can be found in both inshore and offshore waters, but they tend to stay close to the coasts at depths of 30m or less. They are often seen near river mouths, bays, and mangroves, although they do not penetrate far into freshwater. Live mullet and squid are your golden ticket to catching this elusive shore predator.