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It’s all about structure and current.
The unmistakable sound of a hefty snook slurping down shrimp under
overhanging mangroves is music to most anglers’ ears. Snook are
unquestionably masters of ambush. Along with their magnificent hunting
skills, these fantastic fish provide blistering runs, spectacular tail
walking jumps, and have the magical ability to mysteriously vanish from
an angler’s line, all making them a favored inshore game fish.
Though there are varying patterns of snook fishing that correspond to each season of the year, to cover them all in detail would certainly fill up this publication, so I’m going to concentrate on the late season fall fishery. I’ll discuss techniques, baits, lures, tackle, and most importantly, the staging habits of this much sought after species. By staging, I’m talking about snook movements and feeding habits as they make their yearly trek back into many of the coastal bays, rivers and canals.
Completing their annual summer spawn, snook generally hang out on the beaches and passes of Boca Grande, Redfish and Captiva on the west coast and Ft. Pierce, Sebastian and Jupiter inlets on the east coast. As the summer season fades into fall, the snook begin taking up residency in the adjacent bays, flats, and outer islands. Some will decide to extend their visit and are referred to as residents.
Basically snook are lazy, even though you may find that impossible to believe by the way they fight and abuse your tackle. These fish have mastered hiding, lurking and patiently waiting for prey. They are skillful killers. Snook will hover undetected for hours under a ledge, emerging only to consume unsuspecting passerbys. Therefore to find any number of snook, you need to find their lairs, for they are the ultimate ambush artists.
The optimum time to locate features of promising terrain and attractive points is low water. You can count on snook congregating in areas featuring distinct drop-offs. Scout your territory and look closely at the mangrove islands, oyster bars, creek mouths and outer sand bars. Familiarize yourself with the lay-of-the-land. Snook will tend to hang on the outskirts of edges and in the deeper protected pockets. It would also be wise to study local bridges, docks and piers. On the flats, search for potholes that are a few feet deeper than the surrounding grass beds. Look closely at the edges of the flats. Consider it a must to wear quality polarized sunglasses when searching these areas. It’s also less damaging on your eyes after a long sunny day on the reflective water.
Along with well defined structure, for successful snook fishing you need to have current, regardless if it’s a flowing creek or tidal movement. In order for a snook’s hunting tactics to be effective, moving water is crucial to flushing baitfish and crustaceans by their haunts. One of the longest running debates among snook fanatics is which tide is best, low incoming or high outgoing? I have caught fish on both, but if I had to make a choice it would be high outgoing. Either way, I can’t stress enough you have to have moving water to achieve successful results.
As the tide floods, the drop-offs and sharp edges you located on low water come to life. Once the incoming tide has pushed in enough water, snook will move in tight to the overhanging mangrove shorelines. We call this ‘fishing the bushes,’ but I’ll cover that later.
One of the most important aspects of consistently catching snook is quality tackle and equipment. It all needs to be in top shape, from your reel and line right down to your hook or lure. Snook are too strong and too smart to be caught with poor equipment. Having all your gear fully ready and rigged the night before will make the next day’s fishing trip much more productive.
Equipment for snook fishing ranges from medium conventional tackle for bridge and pier applications to ultra light spinning and fly outfits for fishing the flats. Despite differences, each class of gear has its place for each specific application. I’m from the school of thought that using the lightest tackle you can get away will provide the most action. However, be sure your tackle is not too light because an extended fight lowers the fish’s chance of survival after release.
My basic set up is a top name graphite, medium fast action seven and a half foot rod coupled to a Shimano 400 Sustain reel. Line selection varies from mono to super lines. Personally, I’ve been using the newer braided lines. Like most things in life, braided line has its good and bad traits, but overall the good far outweighs the bad. It’s super strong and you can use a higher pound test with a much smaller diameter, which is advantageous for longer, more accurate casts. It’s also much more sensitive and abrasion resistant, which pays off big when angry fish head for cover in the unforgiving mangrove roots.
I use 30 pound fluorocarbon leader, about two feet long, tied directly to the main running line via a modified uni-knot. This allows me to reel my bait or lure within inches of my rod tip and greatly improves casting accuracy when trying to skip baits under overhanging branches. I use a loop knot to tie the leader to the hook because it allows the most natural movement of the bait. An Owner #1 Mutu circle hook is a good choice when fishing white bait or pinfish, though for delicate shrimp a Mutu circle lite is the way to go. With circle hooks, snook are rarely gut hooked, allowing for a healthy release every time.
If you prefer exciting topwater action, some of the most productive artificial baits include the Zara Spook, Zara TopDog, and Spittin’ Image. These lures produce outstanding results in calm early morning and evening hours. Topwater plugs seem to invite the savageness out of snook, enticing explosive strikes along seawalls and docks in the endless maze of residential canals. For sub-surface running lures, lipped Mavericks, Bombers, and MirroLures produce excellent results. I think it goes without saying that soft plastics have also earned their place in snook fishing. The most effective soft baits include D.O.A. and Exude shrimp, as well as multitudes of other plastic jerkbaits.
The live bait of choice, especially in my home port of Charlotte Harbor, is the scaled sardine; commonly known as white bait. Spanish sardines, threadfins, and chubs work as well, but there’s nothing like flipping white bait into a dark depression. All these baits have to be caught by cast net, so to save some time, inquire at local tackle shops and boat ramps to find out where the majority of the bait is held. As a last resort, a number of shops carry live pinfish as well as the old standby of extra large hand-picked shrimp. It’s not very often you’ll see a big snook turn down either of these baits.
Let’s now go over some tactics and techniques. First and foremost, your approach must be as stealthy as possible. Snook have the uncanny ability to detect even the slightest noise or vibration, so stealth is critical. Secondly, stay as far away from your fishing zone as you can while still within casting range. Fail to follow these rules and snook will sense your presence, and more often than not, they spook. As a rule of thumb, if you can see them, they can see you!
On the flats, properly fishing deeper potholes and the well defined edges outlining many grassy flats requires that you make long casts past the intended target. With topwater lures, let the bait sit for 10 - 15 seconds before ‘walking’ it back. Scour the area and if you come up short, switch to a soft plastic shrimp. Again, cast the shrimp past the hole or edge. Let the bait settle before slowly twitching it back, letting it sit between jerks.
If fishing white bait, cast beyond the pothole and drag the bait back into the depression so as not to snag any grass. Let the bait settle and do its thing. Sometimes I’ll use a popping cork to keep white bait a foot or so above the bottom, but it’s not required.
When fishing creeks on an incoming tide, focus on the edges around well defined corners. These areas are usually deeper and incur stronger tidal flow. At the mouth of a creek there will usually be a sandbar caused by the washout of sediment. Cast along the deeper edges of the bar. Use this same tactic when fishing around oyster bars. As a rule, stay as far back as possible. I have seen too many people put their boats right on top of the fish. Instead, make long casts to the ledges while keeping your distance.
Finally, let’s talk about fishing the bushes. The time to fish the bushes is when the water level rises high enough to submerge the mangrove roots. You want to skip your bait right into the shadows under the overhanging branches. You may think the water may not be deep enough or the snook aren’t there, but don’t be mistaken, they’re there! Fishing the bushes can be done from a boat or by wading. It requires a little finesse, but with practice can be accomplished quite easily. When fishing the bushes you’ll need to prepare extra leaders and hooks and some extra lures for the inevitable break-offs.
When you hook a snook, you can bet money on an initial telltale run. 90 percent of the time the fish will head straight for the cover of the bushes and 75 percent of the time, he’s going to win the battle right there and then. However there are a few things you can do to help even the odds. One is to keep your drag set relatively tight, but not so tight where it doesn’t flow from the spool and cause you to pull the hook. If the fish is pulling too much drag you can slow him down by palming the spool. This simple move allows you to instantly adjust drag pressure with your hand. Expect to get busted off a couple of times until you refine how much pressure you can apply. When fighting a fish, keep your rod tip low to prevent your line from snarling in overhanging branches; sometimes you may even have to stick the rod tip in the water. Just keep even, steady pressure on the fish and hopefully, he’ll come out.
Once the fish is away from the edge, you’re still not out of the woods. He’ll probably make a solid second run. If you manage to get him out again, the odds are now in your favor. But remember, snook are the magicians of the shallow water world. Until you boat him, he’s apt to disappear without a trace. As the tide begins to recede, return to the drop-offs and creek mouths.
By trying all of these areas and using different methods, you can usually find a pattern of how the fish are staging and feeding in any given area on any given day. Always keep the closed season and slot limit in mind and take the necessary measures to release fish unharmed.
Remember to try different strategies and always be versatile. Not every technique will be productive every day, so try alternative tactics and see what works when all else fails. Make mental notes. Over time you’ll see patterns of success emerge. I’ve heard lots of anglers talk about luck, but when it comes to snook fishing, it seems that the more you’re out on the water learning, the luckier you get!
Bio: Capt. Mike ‘Weaz’ Wedell
Capt. Mike is a true Floridian and has lived in Charlotte County for 54 years, most of those spent fishing Charlotte Harbor and the surrounding areas. Starting out commercial fishing at the age of 12, Capt Mike now owns and operates EBB TIDE CHARTERS. Capt. Mike Wedell fishes out of Port Charlotte, is licensed and insured, and is an active member of the Burnt Store Flats Fishing Guides Association. Capt. Mike specializes in flats and backcountry fishing while targeting all the popular inshore species. For a true backwater experience, along with half and full day charters, EBB TIDE offers continuous two day backcountry adventures including meals and accommodations at an authentic fish shack!
Contact EBB TIDE CHARTERS at 941-743-2372 or 941-815-1693
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