Flair Hawk Snook Jig Fishing Tips (The Complete Guide) 


The flair hawk style of snook jig is the undisputed king of lures for night time snook fishermen. The great thing about the flair hawk jig is its simplicity and ease of use. Just bounce the jig off of the bottom or swim the jig within a foot of the bottom and wait for the snook to hit it.

​This jig is designed to fish the deeper part of the water column around bridge pilings and along inlets for night time snook. There are many different brands of snook jigs but they all have one thing in common, the flair.

The flair is just a protrusion right where the hook exits the lead. This protrusion flairs the nylon hairs outward increasing the profile of the jig.

You can see the flair hawk snook jig still hanging out of the mouth of this beautiful Indian River Lagoon snook.

In the article below we will talk in more detail about how to fish this style of snook lure effectively. We will also talk about where to fish this style of lure to maximize your results.

I am an INSHORE FISHING GUIDE on the Treasure Coast of Florida and have been fishing the flats in South and Central Florida for more than 40 years. In the article below I will give you all of the tips and techniques that I know about fishing with snook jigs.

Let's get started.

Watch the video below to see the best tips and techniques for snook fishing.

---

Flair Hawk Snook Jig Fishing--Inlets

One of the best ways to fish an inlet with their strong currents and deep waters is with a jig. You want a lure that can get down to the bottom where the snook are. They will be facing the current and hugging the bottom or taking advantage of an eddy in the water. You will want to cast your jig as far up current as you can and bounce it back to you.

If you ask 10 different snook jig fishermen what the best color and size of a snook jig is, you will probably get at least 5 different answers. I think that you only need 3 different colors and sizes of snook jigs.

The three colors that I use are white, chartreuse and pink. The white seems to work better in clear water. The pink and the chartreuse seem to work better in murky water. It is as simple as that.

The three sizes that I use are 1 ounce, 1 1/2 ounce and 2 ounces. For the most part those sizes will work for all of Florida in all kinds of depths and current conditions. AND those are the only 3 sizes that came with my flair hawk jig mold that I use to pour my own jigs.

​**See the video at the bottom of this page to learn more about DIY snook jig making.


BEST ALL AROUND ROD AND REEL COMBO FOR SNOOK JIGGING

In my opinion, the perfect all around rod and reel combo for snook jigging is a 4500 series reel and a 7 foot medium or medium/heavy strength, fast action rod. Fill the spool with 30 pound braided line and use a 30 pound leader.

I have used many different rods and reels over the last 40 years of fishing like Diawa, Shimano and Penn. 

My favorite line of reels that are out now is the Penn Spinfisher series reels. They are smooth, tough; have great drag systems; and best of all a sealed body so sand and water don't get inside the reels.

They are perfect for surf fishing, wade fishing and kayak fishing. (Any fishing technique that makes it likely for water or sand to get in them)

You can expect to pay $150 plus for these reels. BUT they are worth it.

My second favorite non-sealed reels are the Diawa BG reels.

They are the reels that I use on my flats boat because I know that they are unlikely to get dunked in the water or to get beach sand in them.

You can expect to pay $100 plus for these reels. They are a great bargain in my opinion.


Jigging Continued---

This technique works great during the day in murky water BUT it is especially effective at night. The lights around the inlets attract bait fish and shrimp. That bait attracts snook who will usually hide in the shadows waiting to pounce on any unsuspecting baits that show themselves in the lights.

You have to keep in mind where the shadow line is in the deeper parts of the water column. Many fishermen make the mistake of casting to the shadow line on the top part of the water column that they see.

Twenty feet down where the snook are that shadow line might be 15 or 20 feet further away. So when your lure gets to the bottom it is already in the light. That is a rookie mistake and will cost you lots of monster snook hook ups.

I wrote another article all about how to catch a snook. You can read this article by clicking here.

The best way to fish a snook jig is to bounce it about the same speed as the current on the bottom. You don't necessarily have to bounce it but you should keep the jig within 2 or 3 feet of the bottom. The bigger snook are often in the deepest part of the water column.

​The smaller ones are usually higher in the water column, so if the guy next to you is pulling up monster snook and you are not he is probably fishing deeper than you are.

The video below explains how to fish a snook jig.

Flair Hawk Snook Jig Fishing--Bridges

Bridges are a fantastic place to fish for snook with jigs. I like to fish bridges better than the inlets because there are usually tons of other fishermen fighting for a spot at the inlets. If I can find a little bridge with lights and some decent current, I know that I can jig up some snook.

​I look for a bridge whose pilings are at least in 10 feet of water with lots of light shining down into the water. Visit the Pro Fishing Tips page to learn more about getting the right tackle to maximize your fishing fun.

The fishing technique for bridge pilings is the same as for the inlet. Send your jig as far up current as you can and work it about as fast as the current is moving back to you and repeat. Keep your lure either bouncing off of the bottom or within a few feet of the bottom if there are too many snags.

The color and size of the jig that I use depend upon the conditions. If the water is clear and the tide is not a strong one I will be using a white jig that is either 1 ounce or 1 1/2 ounces. If the tide is a strong one I will use a 1 1/2 or a 2 ounce jig.

I wrote another article all about the best lures for snook fishing. You can read that article by clicking right here.

If the water is murky and the tide is not a strong one the pink or chartreuse 1 or 1 1/2 ounce jig will be tied onto my line. If the tide is a strong one I will have a 1 1/2 or 2 ounce jig tied on. It all depends upon the moon and the tides.

The video below teaches you what you need to pour your own snook jigs. 
​

WANT TO CATCH SNOOK?  BOOK YOUR FISHING CHARTER TODAY!


​
Flair Hawk Snook Jig Fishing--Spillways

The spillways in the Summer and Fall are great places to use flair hawk snook jigs for MONSTER snook. When the rains begin to flood the rivers and canals around the state of Florida, the spillways are opened.

When the spillways are opened up it flushes bluegills, shiners, crawdads, shrimp and all kind of other freshwater species into brackish and saltwater environments. The predators like snook and tarpon will rush to the opened spillways to feed upon the freshwater food sources.

You can fish these spillways all day and catch fish but the early morning and late afternoon are the best for the ones that are not lighted. If they are lighted, then night time is the right time to catch some huge snook with flair hawk snook jigs.

The technique is pretty simple which is why this type of jig has been catching big snook for 50 years. All that you have to do is cast into the outflow and swim the jig just off of the bottom. OR if there are not lots of snags, then you can bounce your jig off of the bottom to get big snook to bite.

The bottom line is that you can catch a ton of BIG snook when the spillways are opened up. The flair hawk snook jig is one of the best snook lures that exists.

I created the complete video fishing course to help you catch more snook. Sign up below and get it right away.
​

Best gear for daytime snook fishing:

If you are going to be fishing for snook all day you will definitely need to protect your eyes and skin from the sun's harmful rays. Polarized sunglasses are a must for snook fishing. A high end pair of sunglasses will run about $250 and a lower end pair will run you about $25 with glass lenses. You can find them with plastic lenses for about $5 at Walmart.

I got a pair of the $250 pair of sunglasses for my birthday and there is definitely a quality difference between the expensive sunglasses and the cheap ones. The polarization performance is definitely better. The expensive sunglasses are also much more sturdy in design.

My problem is that I tend to break stuff so I don't use mine a lot. I'm afraid to use them on hardcore fishing trips.

Whatever price range you decide to go with you must wear polarized sunglasses or you can not sight fish for snook off of the beach or in an inlet. The polarized lenses eliminate the glare on the surface of the water so that you can see under the surface.

The best color lenses for inshore and dirtier water scenarios are amber, rose and copper. If you are fishing super clean and clear water or you are fishing offshore a blue or a gray lens is best.

You will also want to stock up on UV performance fishing shirts to protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays. These shirts have built in sunscreen and are moisture wicking which means they evaporate your perspiration more efficiently keeping you cool on those hot days on the water.

Best water temperatures for snook fishing:

Temperature is a very important factor for snook fishermen. People often forget that snook are cold blooded just like a snake or an alligator. This means that they cannot regulate their body temperatures like a mammal can. They have to use the surrounding waters to do that. So make sure that you know what the water temperatures are where you are fishing.

If they can't get away from water that is too hot or too cold they will die. A few years ago Florida had a huge fish kill when a freak cold front came in very quickly and stalled over the state for almost a full week. This decimated the snook populations along the tarpon and redfish.

Snook are a tropical species and can only wander up into the waters of Northern Florida in the hot months. They have to migrate back down to southern waters when Winter comes or they will die.

PRO TIP: When there is an approaching cold front the snook bite is incredible about 6 hours before the front hits. The snook will sense the barometric pressure change and feed like crazy because they don't know how long the front will stay. When the cold front is here they don't feed and just try to stay warm.

The video below will teach you the optimal water temperatures for snook fishing.

Use smell to catch more snook.

In my opinion, too many lure fishermen forget about the importance of smell when targeting predatory fish like a snook. Snook have excellent senses of smell and you can use that knowledge to catch more of them.

Think about how a snook perceives its underwater environment. It uses its eyes to see what's going on around it. It uses its lateral line to feel/hear what's going on around it. AND it uses its olfactory system to smell/taste what is going on around it.

Most of the larger snook that I ever catch are caught on dead bait on the bottom. I like to chunk a mullet head or a lady fish head up by the mangroves during the higher tides.

Now think about that technique. The snook can't see the bait. It can't feel the bait. It can only smell the bait. AND believe me a snook never says no to a fresh mullet head. This tells me that snook rely heavily upon their sense of smell to find food. 

I wrote another article on this website that covers in great detail the scents that attract and repel fish. You can read that article by clicking right here.


Why not incorporate more of the snook's senses into your lures?

There is a product called Pro Cure. It is a sticky liquid that comes in lots of delicious scents that fish love. I recommend the mullet for flair hawk snook fishermen. Just put a drop in the nylon threads and you will love the results.

I am not sponsored by Pro Cure, Mirro Lure, Zara Spook or any other brand that I mention in my fishing articles. I only tell you about them because they work.

Watch this video and catch more snook.

Conclusion:

Snook are one of the most popular fish in Florida. Fishermen come from all over the world to catch the snook that we have in our backyards. A big snook is definitely a bucket list fish for most fishermen. It is definitely a good idea to perfect your flair hawk jig fishing technique if you want to catch those big snook down in deeper waters.

If you are in the Treasure Coast of Florida book a Flats Boat Charter with me. Snook is one of the main target species that we catch along with tarpon, redfish and spottted sea trout.

I hope that this article helps you catch a lot more snook. Good luck and tight lines.

About the author: The author of this article claims that if he was a dinosaur, he would be called a Snookasaurus Rex. Of course everyone ignores him. We refer to him as Mike, the co-owner of FYAO Saltwater Media Group, Inc.

I also created a Free Online Snook Fishing Course. You can get it below.
​