by John Kumiski
You want to catch snook in the Everglades. Great idea! Snook are one of Florida's most sought-after gamefish, with a mystique surrounding them that few other fish can match.
This special report discusses how to catch snook in the Everglades area around Flamingo. It covers some basics of snook biology, tackle selection for snook, effective lures and flies, proven techniques used to take snook, and some where-to information. Also included is the current legalese for snook- size and bag limits, open and closed seasons, and licensing requirements.
Snook inhabit shallow coastal waters, estuaries, and brackish lagoons; they may range into fresh water, especially during the winter months. They can be caught by both sightfishing and blindcasting along beaches, off beaches by chumming with live bait, in passes and river mouths, along mangrove shorelines, blindcasting, sightfishing, or chumming on flats, in creeks, around oyster bars, etc. They have many of the same habits as the black bass, will take many of the same lures, and can be caught with the same tackle.
BIOLOGY
Snook spawn during the high tides of the new and full moons during the summer months. They congregate at river mouths and passes during this time, making them rather easy to find. The eggs hatch a day or two later, and the fry then use the incoming tides to move into the backcountry areas which serve as nurseries for them for the first three years of life.
All snook are born males. Some stay males until they die. Others change sex and become females (and this without a trip to Sweden!), usually in their fifth year. These snook are the larger animals. If you catch a decent snook, it's most likely a female. If you get a trophy, it definitely is.
The males are sexually mature at the age of three years, at which time they're roughly fourteen inches long. Mature females will weigh at least six or seven pounds. Female snook will live for about 18-20 years under optimum conditions, and may reach weights of over 50 pounds.
Snook feed primarily on smaller fish, shrimp, crabs, and other crustaceans. They are frequently cannibalistic. Many of the exotic species of cichlids now found in the Everglades are favorite snook foods, along with the more traditional snook live baits- live finger mullet, small ladyfish, giant shrimp, pinfish, mojarras, and pilchards. Snook have big mouths and are seldom averse to taking a large bait.
Mature snook usually exhibit seasonal movements. They travel to passes and river mouths to spawn during the summer months, and then search the backcountry for thermal refuges in which they can comfortably spend the winter. Being tropical animals, they quickly die if exposed to water less than around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of this seasonal movement snook (especially those in the Everglades backcountry) are often hard to locate, particularly in the late fall and spring.
Tackle
Snook feed on a wide variety of foods, and a wide variety of tackle is used to catch them. What you use depends greatly on how you intend to fish. Most anglers associate Everglades snooking with casting to mangrove shorelines. If this is your intent, standard plugging tackle is preferred, since it gives you better control over hooked fish. Spool up with fairly heavy line somewhere between 14 and 20 pound test. When a big fish is hooked and heads for the roots, you'll need some serious stopping power. Although they'll seldom take a long screaming run, snook have tremendous brute strength and lunging ability. Don't use wimpy hooks or they'll straighten before the line breaks.
Fly fishers need a fairly heavy rod that can throw bulky poppers and streamers. A nine-weight works well. Many 'glades snook experts overload the rod with a line one or two weights heavier than the rod was designed for so they can throw short, accurate casts back into the mangrove roots with a minimum of effort. If you intend to do nothing but cast into the trees for snook this is a good idea.
If you choose to use spinning tackle you want to once again use heavier line on your snooking outfit than you normally would. A big snook in the roots is no place to be delicate.
Since snook have abrasive lips and a very sharp cutter in their gill covers you need to use a shock leader. A few folks use thin single strand wire, but most opt for monofilament in the 30-40 pound test range. Tie a Bimini twist in the business end of your line, then attach the shock to the doubled line by using an Albright special. Tie your plug/fly to the shock leader with a loop knot for maximum action.
Lures and Baits for Snook
Many, many lures are effective on snook. Fishing being what it is, on some days nothing will work. Below are some ideas on which lures/baits/ flies to use to catch snook.
One thing to keep in mind when selecting lures for snooking is that when handled correctly, snook released after being caught on hook and line have a survival rate of about 95 percent. Since snook season is closed a good part of the year, lots of snook fishing will of necessity be catch and release. Lures with single hooks should be chosen for fishing during closed seasons to facilitate fast handling and quick release of caught snook.
Silver spoons like the Drone spoon were used to catch snook for a lot of years. Although they have fallen out of favor with most snook fishermen, snook still hit them quite well. Other effective spoons include the Acetta spoon and the Johnson minnow. All these lures have only one hook.
The DOA Bait Buster, a soft plastic minnow imitation, is a killer snook lure. It comes in a wide variety of colors in both a shallow running version which can be fished right on top, and a deep running version which can be bumped along the bottom. This lure is also equipped with but a single hook. DOA also produces a plastic shrimp which is also very effective on a wide variety of gamefish, including snook. The DOA TerrorEyz is an extremely effective snook bait in deeper water.
Another family of soft plastic baits which are very effective on most saltwater gamefish including snook are the Sluggo/Jerk Bait type plastics. These are basically big plastic worms which are rigged Texas style and fished around mangroves, weeds, stumps, and other structure where a weedless lure is a huge help.
Jigs catch a bunch of snook. Effective tail materials includes feathers, bucktail, and soft plastics. The Mr. Wiffle is an excellent bait, as are the baits from RipTide. Jigs with hair or feather tails can be tipped with a piece of shrimp to add a little taste appeal.
Mirrolure models 7M and 52M are perhaps the single most thought of lures when it comes to snook fishing. These plugs both come equipped with three sets of gang hooks, not good for any fish to be released. All the Mirrolure models also come in versions equipped with rattles, an excellent idea for muddy or stained water.
When it comes to making noise to attract and anger fish into striking, the Rat-L-Trap is at the top of the field. These are superb snook baits. They come in floating, sinking, and suspending models. Be sure to get the saltwater version. The hooks and hardware on the standard model are substandard when it comes to stopping a determined snook.
Another excellent snook plug is the Bagley's Finger Mullet. These come in deep running, shallow running, and floating models.
Floater diver plugs like the Rebel, Rapala, or the Bomber Long A can be very effective, especially for work around oyster bars. They're all good for trolling off the beaches. Their biggest drawback is they're hard to cast because of their wind resistance.
Surface plugs provide spectacular visuals. The Rebel Jumping Minnow, the Zara Spook, and the Devil's Horse are only three of the many effective surface plugs for snook.
The best live baits have all been mentioned. Fishing these is usually quite straight-forward. Liveline them, or fish them under a float, or weight them down with lead, or drift them with the current. It helps to fish in a place where you know or strongly suspect fish lie.
Fly fishers can use a variety of different flies. A general rule is large and noisy for blind casting, smaller and more subdued when sight fishing. Hair bugs or other types of poppers can be spectacular around mangroves. Divers work well, too. Large bulky streamers like the Deceivers, Seaducers, Siliclones, slab flies, and rabbit strip flies will all be effective. I like using big flies with rattles tied into them, and believe the noise helps provoke otherwise reluctant fish into striking. The Clouser minnow can be effective, too, especially in deeper areas. A double mono loop or single strand wire weedguard is a must for working around mangroves or oysters.
Techniques for Snook
As stated earlier, snook move around quite a bit, often making them hard to find. This problem peaks in the late fall and spring, when the fish are in transition anyway. Before you can catch any, you must first hunt them down.
Start the search by moving fairly rapidly, looking for any signs of life, especially bait. An area showing obvious signs of life is much more likely to hold fish than a location which otherwise looks good, but has no bait. Sharks, rays, and redfish are other good indicators of snook.
I've observed a strong correlation between the presence of sharks and snook. Many times, especially on backcountry flats, I see sharks cruising around locations where I catch snook. Furthermore, there have been several times that I've been battling a snook when lively resistance gave way to dead weight. When I pulled the snook's head in, the shark was right behind it, my fish's body already sliding down his throat.
By the way, a surface plug cast to a sighted shark will oftentimes elicit a strike, which can be quite spectacular in its own right! Don't do this if you value your plugs, though, unless you're using a section of single strand wire as a leader.
In the Everglades almost everywhere looks great. Most places aren't. Work different types of habitats until fish are found. Concentrate on points with water movement, especially if there are fallen trees there, creek mouths, passes, and pockets or coves. You can also use the windy side of bays, the sheltered side of bays, deep bays, shallow bays, drop-offs, channels, and oyster bars, as locations that could further help you to locate fish. Work them all in succession, using common sense to guide your search.
For example, don't try the windy side of a bay if the wind is from the north and the temperature is in the fifties. A more likely location on a day like this would be a mud-bottomed, wind-sheltered shoreline with sunshine warming the shallows. The fish sun themselves in places like this, maintaining a comfortable body temperature, and could be persuaded to eat a well-presented lure. The windy side of a bay might be good on a warm day. The wave action oxygenates the water as well as blowing baitfish against the windward shoreline.
As a general rule, work creek mouths when water is flowing out of, rather than into, them. The current carries bait, and believe me, the snook know that.
Try around oyster bars or mangrove shorelines on the rising tide, again concentrating on points, passes, and river mouths. The fish like to hunt in these areas which were inaccessible to them when the tide was low. Both the oysters and the mangroves hold small baitfish as well as shrimp and crabs, all of which Mr. Snook holds in high esteem as edibles.
Be aggressive in your search! If you don't find the fish holding on a particular habitat type, for example oysters, don't waste time fishing around other oyster bars unless you actually see fish working there. If you have a bay to yourself, cruise along the shoreline, trying to flush fish out. Don't be concerned about spooking a few fish spook like this if it helps you to figure out the type of habitat they're using. The best boat for this type of work is a small aluminum job. High powered boats move too fast to be effective at this, and would be too dangerous to run in the shallows anyway. I use my "Bang-O-Craft", a jonboat with a 10 HP motor, to do this kind of searching. Never do this if other boats are around- it's terrible manners.
During the winter the snook often move way up backcountry creeks. It's not unusual to catch snook and largemouths in the same places. Anglers who specialize in this backcountry creek fishing often bring extra gasoline and an extra day or two's supply of food and water in case they get "confused" and don't make it out the same day.
Locations
Where can you find snook out of Flamingo? Everywhere! But allow me to be a little more specific, first discussing the outside, and then discussing the backcountry.
You can sometimes catch snook right at the entrance to the Flamingo Marina, at the end of the "No Wake" zone. Toward Snake Bight, Christian Point sometimes produces snook, as do all the finger channels draining the Snake Bight flats. All the keys directly south or east of the Marina also produce snook- Oyster Key, Murray Key, Frank Key, and Palm Key.
If you head west from Flamingo, you'll find snook at the mouths of all the canals, especially the East Cape Canal. Fish at the mouth of this canal, on the east side, on a falling tide, with a shrimp tipped-jig, right on the bottom. Rat-L-Traps will work here, too.
If you head up into the canal, you'll notice many creeks which drain into the canal. On a falling tide the mouths of any of the creeks can produce fish, although you may find the numerous tarpon a distraction. The entrance to Lake Ingraham is an excellent spot, especially on the south side.
The beach at Cape Sable produces a lot of snook. You can beach your boat here on a rising tide and cast along the beach for snook. If you look carefully, you'll sometimes see fish cruising along the beach, looking for a meal. Present your offering and he's probably yours.
The rip at Middle Cape is a great place for snook. They could be right in the rip, or 100 yards off to either side of it. It pays to prospect.
A technique which isn't that popular but which is quite effective is to troll along the beach for snook. Use a Drone spoon or a large floating/diving plug. Go just fast enough to give your lure action.
The Mid-Cape Canal is another excellent snook spot. On the Gulfside are lots of fallen trees. Cast among this debris at either half-tide. The snook hide in the wood waiting for a meal to pass. The creek feeding into the canal, and the inside end of the canal, also produce a lot of snook.
On the inside, the Coot Bay end of the Buttonwood Canal is a good place to start. The shorelines of Coot Bay have been productive the past couple of years, too. On the east shore the creek leading to Coot Bay Pond is a definite place to look. Actually, the entire trough running along the east side of Coot Bay can produce fish. On the south side the creek leading to Mud Lake is another good place to look. And finally, the shoreline at the north end of Coot Bay is another. Don't forget to work the mouth of Tarpon Creek!
If Coot Bay doesn't produce, try the Whitewater Bay end of Tarpon Creek. Quite a few snook are caught from the creek itself, but there's so much boat traffic through here that I personally never fish it.
The eastern side of Whitewater Bay gives up a lot of snook. Use the cruising technique mentioned earlier to find the type of places the fish are using. Concentrate on the points. Taste the water from time to time. If you can find the salinity gradient, that place where the salt and freshwater meet, you could have a career day.
During the winter the more adventurous could work way up the creeks into the Lane Bay/Hell's Bay area. Bring extra food, water, and fuel.
Folks with small boats can find snook in West Lake. With more features, the north shore is usually more productive. The vicinity of the creek leading to Long Lake can be good, too. No boats powered with more than a six HP motor are allowed here.
Canoeists can sometimes find excellent fishing for snook among the snags in Bear Lake. The eastern and northern sides are usually most productive. No motorized craft of any kind are allowed back here, so fishing pressure is very light. Consequently, the fish tend to be easier than the harder-hit fish elsewhere, at least until they're hooked!
Handling Snook
Mentioned earlier was the cutter on a snook's gill plate. This can slice the careless angler's hand right open- be forewarned. To safely handle a snook, wear a glove and liplock the fish just like you would a largemouth bass. Watch out for the hook(s)!
Try not to remove a fish to be released from the water. Keeping it from breathing only increases the stress it has to contend with. If you must take it from the water, return as quickly as you can. If the fish is tired from the battle, revive it before release. Using barbless hooks is better for the fish, and safer for the angler. If you try them you'll see no difference in the number of fish hooked, or lost.
You may want to keep the smaller sized legal fish for a meal. Snook are excellent on the table, and the best-eating fish range from 5 to about 8 pounds. Be sure to skin the filets! The larger fish, mature females, should really be released to spawn again. In my opinion, killing a big fish like that just to eat it is a very poor use of the resource.
If you want a mount of your fish, get its length and girth and some good photos. Bring this information to the taxidermist and he can make you a fiberglass mount better than the real thing. You can have your mount and release the fish besides.
Good luck fishing. May you use this information to catch the snook of your dreams!
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This article was written by John Kumiski of John Kumiski Outdoors and Travel. Contact him at his website www.johnkumiski.com or via email at john@spottedtail.com. Copyright 2007 John Kumiski.
John Kumiski 's most recent fishing guidebooks are How and Where to Catch Redfish in the Indian River Lagoon System (Argonaut Publishing Company), and Fishing Florida's Space Coast (Argonaut Publishing Company).
John Kumiski's newest book is Redfish on the Fly- A Comprehensive Guide.
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