They key to successful snook fishing is to remember that snook are sight feeding ambush predators that use cover for predation. In addition, snook are more active at night and low light conditions in general with their feeding.
While live bait can catch them in the middle of the day, lure fishing for snook generally is better at night. Snook use current to position themselves to gobble tide-driven bait. While there are always multiple variables, the stronger currents of the new and full moon coupled with an outgoing tide is the paradigm to start with in places like coastal Florida.
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Fishing With the Bucktail The white bucktail — I use the Spro Prime 1/2 ounce — might possibly be the most universal snook lure over time. Many anglers like the bucktail dressed with some red hackle for the color contrast that makes a difference on some snook outings. The bucktail is your best go-to snook lure while sight fishing to cruising snook off Florida beaches and stacked up under dock lights or the shadow line of a bridge. Remember that bucktails need a jigging motion to allow for the life-like pulsing of the lure's skirt. |
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The emergence of soft plastic tails (instead of hair or nylon skirts) on jig heads was a game changer for snook fishing. Long ago, adding Cotee jigs with plastic shrimp tails as well as Salty Dog jigs to my arsenal gave the snook a shrimpy-looking lure with a life-like mouth feel that helped perhaps get a second strike if the fish missed on the first lunge. There are now hundreds of these offerings but made with soft plastics that seem indestructible. The Monster3XUSA plastic tails are such an example. Unlike bucktails, these jigs can be worked with less whipping of the rod and actually reeled just over or in slow bumps on the bottom, where many snook actually hold their position. |
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The lipped swimming plug is perhaps the finest search bait for snook and one that covers the most ground for discovering strike zones. Naturally, the size and design of the lip will determine how deep the plug will dig, as well as its operating depth. The lure is ideal to use on the uptide shadow line of lit bridges at night. The plug has built-in action and all the angler needs is a steady retrieve. It is absolutely essential for the plug to be strongly made and be outfitted with saltwater hooks. |
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The most famous example of this lure is the Flare Hawk or Offshore Angler's RedTail Hawk Jig. These jigs are best fished up and down, bouncing against the bottom. This lure is less used for sight fishing than it is for a probing bottom bait fished alongside the bases of bridge pilings and fenders. Since the snook strike will be a tug deeper in the water column, beef up your sensitivity by using graphite spinning rods and slower retrieve reels spooled with braided line. |
The Soft Plastic Fishing Jig
The Lipped Swimming Plug
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