The Snook is a large fish similar to a Pike with a protruding lower jaw and a prominent lateral stripe that runs just behind the gills to the tail. The Snook is mostly a silvery-green color with fins that can be bright yellow.
The Snook is a sleek strong fish. They can grow up 48″ and 50 pounds. The record Snook ever caught in Florida weighed in at 44 lbs. 11 ounces. Snook are found from the Western Atlantic from South Carolina clear down to Brazil, South America. Snook are highly tolerant to a wide range of water salinity from freshwater to saltwater. They are however, very sensitive to temperature changes particularly in cold weather. Water temperatures below 60 degrees can cause Snook to go into shock or even die. In colder areas, Snook can be found congregating in warm water discharged by power plants. They normally gather near shorelines, inlets and estuaries. They also prefer structures for shelter such as mangroves, rock formations and a variety of reef structures.
The Snook is a stong fish and thrilling to catch, much like the Largemouth Bass. That is one of the many reasons why it is one of the most sought after d gamefish to catch. Once hooked it’s strength and speed is hard to compare to other game fish of its size.
Fishing Basics:
Live shrimp – Once you’ve found where Snook has been located, fish live shrimp using a 10 to 20 pound line with 30 inches of 40# shock leader tied to a 1/0 or 2/0 hook. Use only enough split shot or sinker to get it to the bottom.
Live bait fish – We’ve seen good success with Mullet, menhaden, pinfish,etc. Use the same outfit as above but using a larger hook to match the bait.
Lures – Many types of lures and jigs can be used to catch snook. Some of the better ones include the Red Tailed Hawk jigs and Mirrolures.
Tides:
Snook fishin is best from one hour before high tide through the following three hours of the falling tide.
Location:
Most Snook caught by recreational fisherman are taken during the summer months. The best Snook fishing spots are Tampa Bay on the central west coast of Florida and Jupiter, Lake Worth, and Sebastian Inlets on the central Florida Coast.
