Snook Season AMI Fishing Charters for Kids

Want to introduce your young ones to the wonderful world of Anna Maria Island fishing? Or do you have an adolescent angler hungry for a new challenge (and some tasty protein to boot)? Now’s the time to book your AMI fishing charter Kid Trip with Reel Experience!

That’s because snook season for the Sarasota Bay region, which includes all of us Anna Maria Island fishing boat charters, started March 1, 2024 and will only run through the end of April. And if your kiddos haven’t yet experienced these awesome fighting fish, then they’re in for a real treat when we take them out on our boat!

AMI Snook Season 2024: March 1-April 30

Snook are super-fun to catch and they’re also great table fare (more on that below). They’re so popular that there are strict rules about who is allowed to fish for them and when you’re allowed to take them home with you.

In Florida, it’s illegal for commercial fishing operations to haul snook. Only recreational fishermen (with fishing licenses, of course) as well as licensed fishing charters like ours are allowed to bag snook in season.

It’s also illegal to sell them in markets or restaurants. So the only way to eat snook is to catch them yourselves. (News flash: They’re delicious, too.)

The upside to all these rules is that the local snook populations are healthy. And this time of year, they’re super active and hungry.

AMI Snook are Super-Fun to Catch

Everybody from newbies to experienced anglers loves to fish for snook. And that will include every single member of your family.

These fish put up a great fight, pound for pound. Your little ones will feel like they’re hauling marlin, for the fishing adventure of a lifetime. And even the most cynical teenagers can’t help but get into the fight when there’s a snook pulling on their line.

On top of that, springtime is when the snook are emerging from their freshwater winter homes. Back in Sarasota Bay and the surrounding areas, they’re in hunting mode. They’re hungry and aggressive. Which means, if you know where to fish for snook, and you have the right live bait on your line, you shouldn’t have to wait long for them to hit.

Any parent knows that when you want to entertain kids, you don’t want to make them wait around too long. You don’t have to worry about boredom on a kids fishing charter during snook season.

Where We Take Kid Trips to Fish for Snook

Of course, we all have our secret spots to find snook. Part of the challenge is to find good areas that aren’t already staked out by other boats. (And let’s face it, part of the fun of fishing is to get away from other people, too.)

Generally speaking (and depending on the tide), we look for snook around grass flats and mangrove shorelines. Snook are ambush predators, especially this time of year, so we’ll find them where they like to hide and then jump out at their prey. They also like places with strong currents, especially as the tide is changing.

Your Kids will Love Snook Season with Reel Experience Fishing Charters

Lots of companies around AMI offer fishing boat charters. But very few of them cater to kids and families the way that Reel Experience does. Showing kids the magic of fishing is one of the big reasons Capt. Donny got into this business more than 20 years ago. And we know that now is one of the most magical times of year.

When you take your kids out on an Anna Maria fishing boat charter during snook season, you not only give them a chance to experience seriously exciting fishing; you give them a chance to catch your family’s dinner! Talk about memories they’ll never forget.