How to catch a snook fishing Florida (The Complete Guide)
The best way to catch a snook with a lure is with a 3 to 5 inch white paddle tail and a 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jig head. The best way to catch snook with live bait is with a shrimp, pin fish or mullet coupled with a 4/0 circle hook and at least a 30 lb. leader.
We will cover many different scenarios covering how to catch a snook in Florida waters. Snook are one of the most popular inshore saltwater species in Florida. Fishermen come from all over the world to learn how to catch a snook either for sport or for the dinner plate.
They very are delicious. There are many different species of snook to target in Florida waters. The various species are; the common snook; the fat snook; the swordspine snook; and the tarpon snook.
All of the different species are known for their amazing initial runs once they figure out that they have been hooked. They will often lift their heads out of the water for a vicious head shake to dislodge your hook. If there is any structure around they will often do whatever it takes to run straight for the structure to cut the line.
I am an INSHORE FISHING GUIDE on the Treasure Coast of Florida. I have been fishing the mangroves, oyster bars, beaches and grass flats all around Florida for over 40 years.
In this article, I will tell you everything that I know about how to catch a snook fishing in Florida.
Watch this video to learn how to catch more snook with dead bait.
The best way to catch a snook with a lure is with a 3 to 5 inch white paddle tail and a 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jig head. The best way to catch snook with live bait is with a shrimp, pin fish or mullet coupled with a 4/0 circle hook and at least a 30 lb. leader.
We will cover many different scenarios covering how to catch a snook in Florida waters. Snook are one of the most popular inshore saltwater species in Florida. Fishermen come from all over the world to learn how to catch a snook either for sport or for the dinner plate.
They very are delicious. There are many different species of snook to target in Florida waters. The various species are; the common snook; the fat snook; the swordspine snook; and the tarpon snook.
All of the different species are known for their amazing initial runs once they figure out that they have been hooked. They will often lift their heads out of the water for a vicious head shake to dislodge your hook. If there is any structure around they will often do whatever it takes to run straight for the structure to cut the line.
I am an INSHORE FISHING GUIDE on the Treasure Coast of Florida. I have been fishing the mangroves, oyster bars, beaches and grass flats all around Florida for over 40 years.
In this article, I will tell you everything that I know about how to catch a snook fishing in Florida.
Watch this video to learn how to catch more snook with dead bait.
Where can fishermen go to fish for and catch a snook in Florida?
Snook can be found in freshwater canals and rivers. Snook can be targeted at the beach; on the shallow grass flats; around mangrove roots; near docks and inlets; they love spillways when the locks are opened; near bridge pilings; the bottom line is that snook can be found just about anywhere near salt water in Florida.
They can live in brackish, saltwater and freshwater environments. They are not cold water tolerant so they can't stay in the Northern parts of the state in the Winter.
How to catch a snook in freshwater and brackish water
Freshwater canals and rivers will often have resident populations of snook hunting in their waters. Some rivers have been dammed up over the years and have trapped many snook in 100% fresh water. The Loxahatchee River in Jupiter has enormous snook hunting in its tannic acid filled waters.
They are living life as if they were an oversize large mouth bass on steroids. Snook can live anywhere there is enough forage to support them and the water temperatures do not get excessively cold.
Most canals in Florida eventually empty into the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. Snook in these environments will move in and out of fresh water based on water temperatures and available food supplies. In the Winter months, many snook will head up the canals and rivers to stay warm as the dark muddy bottoms will collect the heat energy from the sun more quickly than light sandy bottoms.
They will act just like a bass while living up in the freshwater creeks. They will feed on crawdads, frogs, mice and bluegills just like a large mouth bass will. Once Spring arrives the majority of these snook will eventually make their way out of the rivers and creeks to the inlets around Florida to spawn in the Summer months of June and July.
You can see the smaller males and the large females congregate by the hundreds around the rock piles and sea walls of the inlets all around Florida in the Summer. Snook have a very interesting adult life because all of the small snook (under about 21 inches is a male).
Once they grow larger than 21 inches or so they go through a sex change and become females. So if you catch a legal snook in Florida waters (currently 28 to 32 inches) then you have just caught a female snook.
FUN FACT: There are 12 kinds of snook around the planet and you can catch 5 of those species right here in Florida.
Freshwater canals and rivers will often have resident populations of snook hunting in their waters. Some rivers have been dammed up over the years and have trapped many snook in 100% fresh water. The Loxahatchee River in Jupiter has enormous snook hunting in its tannic acid filled waters.
They are living life as if they were an oversize large mouth bass on steroids. Snook can live anywhere there is enough forage to support them and the water temperatures do not get excessively cold.
Most canals in Florida eventually empty into the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. Snook in these environments will move in and out of fresh water based on water temperatures and available food supplies. In the Winter months, many snook will head up the canals and rivers to stay warm as the dark muddy bottoms will collect the heat energy from the sun more quickly than light sandy bottoms.
They will act just like a bass while living up in the freshwater creeks. They will feed on crawdads, frogs, mice and bluegills just like a large mouth bass will. Once Spring arrives the majority of these snook will eventually make their way out of the rivers and creeks to the inlets around Florida to spawn in the Summer months of June and July.
You can see the smaller males and the large females congregate by the hundreds around the rock piles and sea walls of the inlets all around Florida in the Summer. Snook have a very interesting adult life because all of the small snook (under about 21 inches is a male).
Once they grow larger than 21 inches or so they go through a sex change and become females. So if you catch a legal snook in Florida waters (currently 28 to 32 inches) then you have just caught a female snook.
FUN FACT: There are 12 kinds of snook around the planet and you can catch 5 of those species right here in Florida.
The video above explains how to catch a snook fishing in Florida waters.
How to catch a snook off of the beach
I like to walk the beach at first light when snook fishing. They like to hang out in the trough just a few feet from shore. There they will ambush croakers, whiting, small pompano and any other fish that fits in their huge mouths.
I find the beach to be especially productive when the waves have turned the waters a milky blueish-white color. Snook will hit just about anything that you throw at them when the water is like that on the beach.
They are feeding with their sense of smell and their lateral more than their eyes. Just cast your bait or lure parallel to the shore and slowly work it back towards you. You might just hook a monster.
I wrote another article all about fishing off of the beach for snook. You can find that article on this website by clicking right here.
The Perfect Tackle Combo (Big snook Off of the Beach)
In my opinion, the perfect rod and reel combo for large snook off of the beach (15 pounds or larger) is a 4500 series reel and a 7 foot medium or medium/heavy strength, fast action rod. You can go with a smaller series reel because the snook don't have structure on the beaches to cut your off on.
Fill the spool with 20 pound braid and have a 30 to 40 pound leader depending upon the size of the snook in the area. That is the perfect tackle for large snook off of the beach.
I have had many different rods and reels over the last 40 years of inshore fishing around Florida. The include brands like Diawa, Shimano, and Penn.
My favorite line of reels to date is the Penn Spinfisher series of reels. They are extremely smooth, made of tough corrosion resistant metals, haves great drag systems and best of all they have a sealed body so sand and water won't get inside the reel.
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.
PRO TIP--A 3 to 5 inch white paddle tail with a 1/8 or 1/4 ounce jig head is a great way to walk the beach and cover a lot of trough to figure out where the snook are. Some mornings you might walk a mile and other times the first or second cast will get a snook. You just never know.
Another great lure for catching those snook in the trough is a walk the dog top water type of lure. It is amazing to see a big snook slam a top water lure just a few feet from shore. You really need the surface to be calm for this type of lure to work the best. So wait for those calm mornings and give it a go.
A lot of snook will be running the beaches in the summer months as they journey to the inlets around the state to spawn. Snook spawn from June through September and are out of season during those months. If you keep a snook in the summer you will get in a lot of trouble.
We need those fish to spawn and make a bunch of babies so that there will plenty of snook around the next year or two.
I created a complete snook fishing course covering all aspects of snook fishing. You will get it for FREE by getting on our email list. You will not be spammed.
I like to walk the beach at first light when snook fishing. They like to hang out in the trough just a few feet from shore. There they will ambush croakers, whiting, small pompano and any other fish that fits in their huge mouths.
I find the beach to be especially productive when the waves have turned the waters a milky blueish-white color. Snook will hit just about anything that you throw at them when the water is like that on the beach.
They are feeding with their sense of smell and their lateral more than their eyes. Just cast your bait or lure parallel to the shore and slowly work it back towards you. You might just hook a monster.
I wrote another article all about fishing off of the beach for snook. You can find that article on this website by clicking right here.
The Perfect Tackle Combo (Big snook Off of the Beach)
In my opinion, the perfect rod and reel combo for large snook off of the beach (15 pounds or larger) is a 4500 series reel and a 7 foot medium or medium/heavy strength, fast action rod. You can go with a smaller series reel because the snook don't have structure on the beaches to cut your off on.
Fill the spool with 20 pound braid and have a 30 to 40 pound leader depending upon the size of the snook in the area. That is the perfect tackle for large snook off of the beach.
I have had many different rods and reels over the last 40 years of inshore fishing around Florida. The include brands like Diawa, Shimano, and Penn.
My favorite line of reels to date is the Penn Spinfisher series of reels. They are extremely smooth, made of tough corrosion resistant metals, haves great drag systems and best of all they have a sealed body so sand and water won't get inside the reel.
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.
PRO TIP--A 3 to 5 inch white paddle tail with a 1/8 or 1/4 ounce jig head is a great way to walk the beach and cover a lot of trough to figure out where the snook are. Some mornings you might walk a mile and other times the first or second cast will get a snook. You just never know.
Another great lure for catching those snook in the trough is a walk the dog top water type of lure. It is amazing to see a big snook slam a top water lure just a few feet from shore. You really need the surface to be calm for this type of lure to work the best. So wait for those calm mornings and give it a go.
A lot of snook will be running the beaches in the summer months as they journey to the inlets around the state to spawn. Snook spawn from June through September and are out of season during those months. If you keep a snook in the summer you will get in a lot of trouble.
We need those fish to spawn and make a bunch of babies so that there will plenty of snook around the next year or two.
I created a complete snook fishing course covering all aspects of snook fishing. You will get it for FREE by getting on our email list. You will not be spammed.
How to catch a snook on the grass flats
Shallow grass flats are one of my favorite places to catch snook. They will often hide in the sandy potholes that are surrounded by grass waiting to pounce on any unsuspecting fish or shrimp that comes their way. Snook like to face into the current so make sure to cast up current from the pothole to maximize your chances of scoring a snook bite.
If your bait comes at them from behind it will often spook them and you will miss your shot at them. They will sometimes sit in extremely shallow water waiting to ambush their prey so a stealthy approach my you is a must if you want to catch them.
A great way to catch snook on the grass flats is to use a search bait like the white paddle tail with a jig head. White is the best color when the water is clear or slightly stained. When it is murky and dirty the root beer colored paddle tails seem to work better.
If you are in a boat and can drift the grass flat you will be able to cover a lot of water. The key to inshore fishing is to figure out where all of the feeding fish will be.
Most of the fish will be in one area for many reasons.
- Maybe the water temperatures are just right.
- Maybe there is food for them their.
- Maybe there is the right amount of current.
- Maybe there are no predators like dolphin and sharks around.
You just never know where the fish will be from one day to the next so you have to keep moving until you find the types of fish that you are targeting. Once you find them stay put until the bite stops because it will stop at some point and the fish will move to another spot.
Watch this video to see monster snook caught off of the beach with paddle tails.
How to catch a snook in the mangroves
Another great snook fishing spot is around mangrove roots during high tide. The snook will move in and out of tidal creeks and canals hunting for small fish, shrimp and crabs among the mangrove roots. You will need to beef up your gear; your leaders and your pound test to fish around the mangroves for snook. They have the uncanny ability to take your right into the roots and cut your line once they figure out that they are hooked.
One of my favorite techniques around mangrove roots is to pitch a mullet head just under the roots. You might have to wait a while but a hungry snook is not likely to turn down a fresh dead mullet head offering. This technique is for patient anglers. You might just sit and wait for a couple of hours before a decent snook swims by.
Most anglers pitch a live bait up the mangroves and keep moving until they find the snook. This is an effective technique and lets you cover a lot of area but you need to have lively live baits which are not always available.
Another great way to fish the mangroves is with a white paddle tail 3 to 5 inches long rigged weed less. I like to get the 3/0 to 5/0 bass worm hooks with the wide gap. Those hooks will withstand some very big snook pulling on them and they will rust out quickly in case of a break off. I don't want to harm the snook any more than I have to.
Snook in the mangroves will also hit a weed less gold or silver spoon. Spoons catch a lot of different species of fish in the mangroves like redfish, speckled trout, snappers, groupers and of course snook. You want to get the spoon into the roots as far as you can to give yourself the best chance to catch a snook but you will lose a whole bunch of lures that way.
How to catch a snook around docks and inlets
Docks and inlets are probably the best place to fish for snook. Snook are extremely structure oriented and love to hang out around dock pilings. As usual they will be facing into the current waiting for an unwitting victim to come near enough to pounce.
Snook are just about everywhere. You will need to know how to catch a snook fishing in Florida whether they are in saltwater or freshwater; deep water or shallow water; inlets or docks; grass flats or mangroves; off the beach or on a nearshore reef; and on and on.
The Perfect Tackle Combo (Big Snook Around Docks and Inlets)
In my opinion, the perfect rod and reel combo for big snook around docks and inlets (15 pounds or larger) is a 5500 series reel and a 7 1/2 foot medium/heavy strength, fast action rod.
Fill the spool with 50 pound braid and have a 50 to 60 pound leader depending upon the size of the snook in the area. That is the perfect tackle for large snook around structure or inlets.
I like to wade or stealth mode up in my fishing kayak to target these fish. This is another instance that will require heavier tackle to battle a big snook from the barnacle covered dock pilings.
A little bit of chop on the surface of the water definitely helps getting close enough to these fish without spooking them. Clouds are another fishermen's friend obscuring the view of the snook as you approach them.
Inlets are full of snook in the Summer because of the spawn but the snook season is not open in Summer months. BUT they are always in and around the inlets that time of year so you can target them there all year round just for the fun of it depending on what part of Florida you are in.
The key to inlet fishing is getting the bait down to the bottom with a natural presentation. This can be hard because these fish will be facing into the current so your bait or lure will have to be cast up current to get into the strike zone.
The key to inlet fishing is getting the bait down to the bottom with a natural presentation. This can be hard because these fish will be facing into the current so your bait or lure will have to be cast up current to get into the strike zone.
Night fishing the lights around bridge pilings is a snook fishermen's dream come true. Most of the humongous snook caught around Florida are caught at night near underwater pilings or sea walls of some sort.
This is when the flair hawk style of jigs are the major lure of choice. The jig is cast up current past the light shine line and slowly bounced along the bottom through the light shine back into the dark water.
The big snook will be closest to the bottom and usually sit in the dark waiting for their prey to be illuminated. The smaller snook are usually higher in the water column so you want your jig to get down to the bottom fast.
Another great night time snook hang out is docks with lights. The dock lights will attract small bait fish and shrimp. This in turn attracts predators to come and eat them. I like to use my fishing kayak to hunt the well lit docks for snook, trout and red fish at night. You will often have to decrease your leader weight in the lights because snook have excellent vision.
The video below covers how to catch a snook with top water lures.
WANT TO CATCH A SNOOK? BOOK YOUR FISHING CHARTER TODAY!
How to catch a snook with fishing lures
I get asked all of the time, "What is your favorite lure for snook?" My answer: The FREE ones that I find tangled in the mangrove branches. That's the truth. I do not buy hard baits for snook because I find so many. However, they all have one thing in common. They are always mullet mimics.
You just can't go wrong with a top water, suspending or sinking hard bait as long as it looks like a mullet. My favorite is a MirroLure Suspending Mullet. You will probably want one that is smaller for the finger mullet run. You will probably want one that is bigger for when the larger mullet work their way through.
AND you will probably want a white one and a natural one because you never know what they want. Visit the Pro Fishing Tips page to learn more about getting the right tackle to maximize your fishing fun.
I have found that snook will hit just about any bait that is properly presented to them when they are in feeding mode. Try a spinner bait around a sea wall or dock some time. You will be pleasantly surprised. BUT if I was only allowed to bring one bait with me to go on a snook fishing trip, I would bring a DOA CAL 3 inch white shad bodied plastic with a paddle tail and a 1/8 red jig head. If you can find scented ones like "Berkley Gulps" they will work even better. That bait seems to produce the most fish for me.
You can read the article that I wrote about snook fishing with lures in more detail here.
If I wasn't allowed to bring a plastic shad I would probably grab some silver spoons. Silver spoons catch just about every predatory fish that swims in the sea. They are easy to use too.
Just cast out and reel back at different speeds until you figure out what the fish want that day. Get some regular and some weedless ones for grass and fishing around places that have a lot of snags.
The video below will teach you how to catch more snook with paddle tail lures.
Learn How to get the best gear for snook fishing:
If you are going to be fishing for the common snook all day you will definitely need to protect your eyes and skin from the sun's harmful rays. Polarized sunglasses are very important for snook sight 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.
Expensive sunglasses are built with extremely sturdy frames usually. They also have scratch resistant glass polarized lenses as well. You have to decide it they are worth the price or not.
I have a pair of the $250 polarized glasses and they are definitely better for seeing into the water. I wouldn't say that they are 10 times better than the cheap ones for seeing into the water BUT they are definitely better.
There is nothing better than sight fishing a monster snook under a dock or under a mangrove branch.
Whatever price range you decide to go with you must wear polarized sunglasses or you can not sight fish for snook on the flats or around the docks. 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.
My company has a high quality UV performance shirts that you can buy online. We have hats too. Check out our store link below.
Learn how water temperature affects snook fishing in Florida:
What is the best water temperature to catch a snook in? Snook are cold blooded just like a snake or a gator. This means that they have to find the optimal water temperature to cool or heat their bodies to live.
Your job is to find these optimal temperatures for snook because if it is too hot or too cold where you are, you ain't catchin' any snook. When it is super cold in the Winter months, then you will have to fish later in the day as the water warms up enough for the snook to move around and get comfortable.
In the HOT Summer months it is better to fish early before the water gets too hot.
The problem with boat and kayak thermometers is that they only measure the water temperature on the surface. What is the temperature 15 feet down? What is the best place to find the optimal temperature for a snook early or late in the day?
A great way to know the water temperatures where you are is to buy a waterproof thermometer and tie it to a long string with a float attached to it. This way you can lower your thermometer down into the water column and know what the fish are feeling.
You will definitely want to add the float to the end of your string so you don't lose your thermometer if you drop it into the water.
These are the types of questions that you need to answer to get really good a catching snook during the different seasons.
The video below will teach you the optimal water temperatures for snook fishing.
Learn how to use smell to fish for and catch more snook.
In my opinion, a snook's sense of smell is often overlooked by many fishermen. Snook can smell very well and they use that sense of smell to find their prey items.
Imagine a pin fish hiding on the bottom of some dark and murky tidal creek. It is not moving so the snook can't feel/hear it with its lateral line. It is covered in grass so the snook cannot see it. BUT all of a sudden the snook snatches it right out of its hiding place. BURP!
How did the snook find the pin fish? It used its amazing sense of smell to find it. That's how. You can use that sense of smell to catch a hell of a lot more snook. Snook have very evolved senses of smell so use that to catch more of them.
Let's say that your favorite snook lure is a suspending mullet imitation and you are fishing a dark and murky tidal creek. The vibrations of the lure will allow the snook to feel/hear your lure for sure. It probably can't see the bait very well and it certainly can't smell the bait. So you are only using one of the snook's senses to trigger a bite.
Why not add another sense to increase your odds of a bite? There is a product called Pro Cure that is a sticky and stinky liquid that you can add to any kind of lure. It comes in many different smells but the shrimp and mullet will probably be the ones that you will want to try.
*I am not sponsored by Pro Cure, Mirrolure, Zara Spook, DOA lures or any of the other products that I recommend. Those are products that I like and I know that their products help fishermen catch more fish.
Watch the video to catch more fish.
Watch the video below and catch more snook in the Winter.
Conclusion:
I hope that this article about how to catch a snook taught you a few things about snook fishing. They are one of the premiere game fish in Florida and are highly protected by the state. Snook are one of the most sought after inshore fish in Florida. They are very abundant in the southern and central parts of the state but many fishermen just can't seem to catch them.
They are very protected by the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) because they are such an important species for our estuaries, bays, beaches and grass flats. You will probably get in less trouble with cocaine on your boat than you would if you have an undersized snook on board. DO NOT POACH A SNOOK! It is not worth it.
Go to the best baits and lures for snook article that I wrote and pick a few lures that you like.
Then perfect the technique that catches the most snook. Pick a top water lure, a mid water lure and a deep water lure and perfect your technique for using them. Find your three go to lures and you will not need a whole tackle box full of stuff.
If you are one of those fishermen that can't seem to catch a snook, keep trying. The best bait is a mullet like one. A real mullet is best but a soft plastic or hard plastic imitation will work just fine too. Fish the early mornings and right before dark and you will eventually catch a snook. I guarantee it.
If you are ever down in the Treasure Coast of Florida, then book a Flats Boat Charter with me. Our main target species are snook, tarpon, sea trout and redfish. The best snook fishing is usually between April and December in our area.
I hope that this article helps you catch more snook or at least have more fun trying. Let's get some lines wet, Florida.
About the author: The author of this article insists upon being referred to as the Sultan of Snook Slaying. But everyone just ignores him and he is referred to 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.
I also created a Free Online Snook Fishing Course. You can get it below.