There is no wonder why so many anglers target Snook every year. These bait-busting beauties are a thrill to target and a challenge to land.
How To Catch Snook
Snook are caught by casting live bait or artificial lures into shallow water structures, including docks, mangroves, and oyster bars. Once hooked, Snook dart into surrounding structures, so keep your drag tight and attempt to guide the fish away from the structure as best as possible.
The Common Snook is a challenging fish to catch which is one of the reasons why so many anglers covet Snook. Snook are most commonly found in areas with strong tidal flow, structure, and a significant presence of baitfish. Snook are opportunistic feeders typically becoming most active when the tides start to move. One of the best ways to target Snook is to let the current take a free-lined bait back into some structure, whether a dock or a mangrove island. Once your bait is drifting back in the shadows, prepare yourself for a dramatic hookup. The moment Snook are hooked, they quickly attempt to dart back into the closest structure. It is best to keep your drag as tight as possible without exceeding the strength capacity of your line. Tightening your drag will help ensure that you can turn these fish around before they can break off on a pilling or bed of oysters.
Snook are also frequently caught using artificial lures which add an additional challenge to present your lure just right. If Snook is heavily grouped in one area, you will typically hear a “popping” sound deep in the structure. This sound is the Snook coming up to the surface of the water and dramatically gulping down their prey. When they are feeding on the surface of the water, an artificial topwater lure typically works best. Try to cast your lure a couple of feet past where you notice the Snook “popping” and work your bait back at varying speeds to see what sparks their interest. Once you figure out the lure presentation they are looking for, hold on, because you are in for a solid fight.
Pro Fishing Tips for Catching Snook
- Find the deep pockets: If you are fishing for Snook during winter months, especially during cold snaps, find deep pockets with moving water. Snook will congregate in these deep pockets in an attempt to stay warm.
- Slow down: Work your baits at a slower pace when fishing in the winter months. As the water temperature decreases, Snook becomes more lethargic, making them less aggressive eaters.
- Fish the dock lights: Snook congregate in large schools at night. If you are fishing in the evening hours, work your way around the back bay to locate dock lights. Once located, keep your distance and cast your bait as close to the dock as possible, and wait. If they are hungry, you will be in for a great night fishing. I have personally observed 100’s of Snook under one dock light that are preying on anything and everything that floats by them.
- Keep your distance: Snook are easily spooked, so making a long cast to your targeted area will significantly increase your overall chances of hooking up to some nice fish. Keeping your distance is particularly true when it comes to targeting larger Snook.
- Let the current do the work: If you are fishing an inshore structure that is holding Snook let the current do the work of drifting your bait back into the strike zone—letting the current move your bait will do three things. First, it will allow you to get back into hard-to-reach areas that may be difficult to reach with a cast. Two, it will reduce the chance of spooking the fish that you are targeting. And third but certainly not least, it will give you the best natural bait presentation.
- Leave when the Dolphins show up: Once you have hooked a dozen or so Snook, it is typical that Dolphins start to show up. Once the Dolphins are at your spot, the fishing immediately shuts down. Even if you are still catching fish, you should relocate so the Dolphin doesn’t prey on the fatigued Snook that you just let go of.
- Fish the changes in the tide: Before you go fishing, check the local tide chart to see when your high and low tides are. These are great times to target Snook in the backwater. Snook are the most active feeding when there is a moving tide, whether incoming or outgoing. The in-between time when the water is stagnant is the least productive time to target Snook.
Let’s take an in-depth look at how to catch Snook by learning more about the species as a whole.
What Are Snook?
The Common Snook, often shortened to Snook, is a prized fish amongst anglers around the world. The Snook is known by many names, including sergeant fish, robalo & linesider. Anglers target five species of Snook; common Snook, small scale fat snook, large scale fat snook, tarpon snook, and sword spine snook. Snook are protandric hermaphrodites meaning they change sexes after maturation. Snook have distinct features, including slender bodies, sloping heads, and most notable, their dark black lateral line that runs from the start of the gill pate back towards their tail. Snook can adapt to varying salinity levels allowing them to live in freshwater, brackish & the open ocean.
Where Can You Catch Snook?
Snook are hyper-local fish known for only minor migration during seasonal changes. Snook tend to head deep into the back bay/estuaries during winter months. Snook are hypersensitive to changes in temperature and often congregate in large schools in deep estuary pockets during cold snaps. Snook make their way out to the ocean in the summer months, typically congregating heavily at inlets to feast upon pockets of baitfish. Juvenile Snook are often prey to birds, porpoises, and larger predator fish, including snapper, sharks, mackerel, and even larger Snook. Snook are Euralhine fish, meaning they can adapt to significant variances in salinity. The juveniles gravitate towards lower salinity levels in their early stages in life and slowly work their way out towards the ocean. Snook can often be found around inshore structures, including mangrove islands, docks, large docked boats, and oyster beds.
Best Time Of Day To Catch Snook
Snook are opportunistic feeders always looking for their next meal and chasing different biomasses, including greenbacks, google eyes, shrimp, mullet, and other baitfish. Though Snook will feed all day, the best time to target them is first thing in the morning, sunset, and at night. Snook love to feed and congregate when the tidal flow is at the highest point of the day. If you can combine optimal tidal flow with sunrise, sunset, or late-night fishing, you will most likely get into a heavy school of Snook ready to eat.
Best Time Of Year To Catch Snook
Though Snook can be caught year-round, the summer bite from April to October is typically the hottest time to target them due to the rising water temperatures and the onset of the spawning season. As the waters heat up, Snook becomes increasingly active, increasing their overall feeding regime.
What Do Snook Eat?
Snook’s Natural Diet
- Finger Mullet
- Sardines
- Shrimp
- Bay Crabs
- Pinfish
- Greenbacks
- Pilchards
- Ladyfish
Here Are The Top 3 Lures For Catching Snook
1.) Spooltek Fatty 4″
The Spooltek Fatty 4″ is the Rolls Royce of the artificial lure world. The Spooltek brand has a large assortment of baits with a reusable body and a replaceable tail. The large paddle tail on the Fatty 4″ makes for a dramatic bait retrieval even when reeled in smoothly. What makes the Spooltek stand out from other artificial lures on the market is the concealable wire leader. This leader is not deployed until the lure is stricken. This technology allows you to use a lighter leader, resulting in a stealthier presentation and better body action. I was sold the first time fishing the 4″ sinking silver digger, landing over 30 large snooks without having to retie.
Retrieval Speed: 2-4 mph (smooth/jigging/jerk motion)
Maximum Casting Distance: 250’+/- (dependant on size)
Species Bite: Snook, Trout, Redfish, Mackerel, Jack
Cost: $15+/-
Pros: attracts large predator fish, replaceable tail, deploying wire leader
Cons: Expensive
2.) Sebile Stick Shadd
The Sebile Stick Shadd is one of my favorite twitch baits on the market. The belly of this lure is outfitted with a keel that creates the perfect erratic movement that closely resembles a wounded baitfish. The Sebile comes in many different sizes and weights, so you are sure to find the best lure for your fishing application.
Retrieval Speed: 2-4 mph (jigging/jerk motion)
Maximum Casting Distance: 200’+/- (dependant on size)
Species Bite: Snook, Trout, Redfish, Mackerel, Jack
Cost: $6.99 +/-
Pros: Great casting distance
Cons: None
3.) Rapala Skitter Walk
The Rapala Skitter Walk is the perfect topwater bait when Snook are busting baitfish on the top of the water. The rhythmic back and forth movement of the skitter walk is a lure presentation Snook can not resist. It is important to note that the smaller the leader diameter, the better movement you will get out of the skitter walk. I have had the best luck with the chrome color.
Retrieval Speed: 2-3 mph (jigging/jerk motion)
Maximum Casting Distance: 200’+/- (dependant on size)
Species Bite: Snook, Trout, Mackerel, Jack
Cost: $10.29 +/-
Pros: Great casting distance
Cons: None
Is Snook Good To Eat?
Snook are great to eat. Their meat is moderately soft and flaky with a mild flavor profile.
Are Snook Safe To Eat?
Although Snook is moderately high in mercury, they are safe to eat on occasion if you monitor your overall mercury consumption.
Is Snook High In Mercury?
According to the EPA, Snook is moderately high in mercury, coming in around .41 PPM. To put that in perspective, Spanish Mackerel, which is well known for its high mercury content, comes in at .516.
Do Snook Have Scales?
Snook have large scales that start from their gill plate and end at the base of their tail.
Are All Snooks Born Male?
All Snook are born male and transition to female at around 22″- 24″ inches in length. Depending on the health of the Snook, this transformation may take 6 to 7 years in total.
Are All Slot Snook Female?
Typically all Slot Snook are female.
Why Is Snook Season So Short?
Snook’s harvesting window is kept short to protect them from being over-harvested, especially during spawning seasons.
Do Snook Have Teeth?
Snook have teeth, but not the long sharp teeth you typically see in other fish. Snook teeth are small and resemble light sandpaper when handled. Because of the lack of sharp predator-like teeth, Snook are often “lipped,” a technique of grabbing the Snook by the mouth with your thumb and forefinger.
Import Note: Reframe from grabbing the gill plate of a snook, they are razor-sharp.
Do Cold Fronts Kill Snook?
Snook is highly sensitive to low water temperatures. As water temperature decreases, Snook become lethargic, eventually killing them as temperatures drop below 54 degrees. Thankfully the juvenile fish typically survive these dramatic temperature changes, but the mature females do not.
How Long Do Snook live?
The average Common Snook live approximately 15 years.
Is Snook related to Bass?
Snook is not related to Bass. Snook is in the Centropomidae family, where is Bass is in the Centrarchidae.
Is Snook Related to Barramundi?
Though Snook and Barramundi share many physical characteristics, these fish are not in the same family. Snook is in the Centropomidae family, where is Barramundi is in the Latidae family.
Do Snook Eat Catfish?
Snook are known to eat catfish in late fall when there are fewer baitfish available for consumption.
Do Snook Eat Crabs?
Snook do eat crabs. Though it is a less frequently used bait when targeting Snook, you can use them.
Do Snook Swim In Schools?
Snook congregate in large schools to spawn and hunt for biomasses. Snook also use school/herd camouflage to protect themselves from other preying marine animals, including sharks and porpoises.
Best Fishing Rod Size for Snook
When Targeting Snook, fishing with a 7′ to 7’6” medium-heavy rod is ideal. Having a little bit of a backbone on your rod is essential to turn them around when they are trying to dart back into structures and break you off.
Best Fishing Reel Size for Snook
A 4000 sized fishing reel with at least 15lb of drag is optimal when targeting Snook. A reel of this size will fit around 225 yards of 30lb braid.
Best Fishing Line For Snook
The best fishing line for Snook is a 30lb to 40lb braid specially designed for optimal casting and are abrasion-resistant. We recommend PowerPro’s SuperSlick V2 Braid.
Best Fishing Leader For Snook
The best fishing leader for Snook is a 20lb to 50lb fluorocarbon leader. When targeting smaller Snook away from sharp structures, using a 20lb test will be most productive. If you target larger Snook by pilings, a heavier leader, approximately 40lb to 50lb, would be best.
Best Fishing Hook Size For Snook
The best hook size for Snook is a 5/0 circle hook. If you are specifically targeting juvenile Snook, a 3/0 will work great, if you are targeting large mature Snook, a 6/0 hook is recommended.