Snook fish is one of the most popular and regulated game fishes among anglers, and you would find this water species in various fishing locations at different times of the year.
When I was young, I told my uncle to buy me a snook fish for dinner; however, he told me that I needed to catch one for myself if I want to eat them because buying and selling this type of fish is illegal. Hence, my uncle taught me how to catch snook.
You can only use hook and line when catching this challenging aquatic animal. Furthermore, the law only allows one catch per day, and the size or the total length must not be less than 28 inches and not be more than 32 inches.
If you also want to taste or catch snook fish, I suggest that you keep reading this article as I will teach you the basics of chasing them. But before we proceed to the steps, let me first identify the things that we need.
Materials Needed – Summary
- Fishing Rod And Reel
- Fishing Line
- Live Bait
- Hook
- Artificial Lures
- Fishing Permit And License
The Step-By-Step Process– Summary
- Identify Which Location You Can Catch A Snook
- Know The Season When You Can Find Snooks
- Approach Properly
- Cast The Right Way
- Play With The Fish And Tire It
Material Needed To Catch Snook
Here are the basic materials which need for fishing :
1. Fishing Rod And Reel
Apart from the fishing line, you cannot learn how to fish without this fishing tool. Manufacturers usually use fiberglass, wood, and bamboo when they produce fishing rods. These well-known fishing equipment are usually flexible and long. When you catch snooks, you should use a long, stiff rod.
Moreover, the reel is the tool attached to the fishing rod. The purpose of this fishing device is to wind and unwind the fishing leader. Modern fishing reels help fishers to gain more control over the amount of force that they will use, as fishing reels possess a complex adjustment system.
2. Fishing Line
The types of fishing leaders that you should use for this fishing guide are fluorocarbon and braided fishing line.
I suggest that you use a 10 to 15 pounds braided fishing leader that has 18 inches fluorocarbon line so you can increase your line protection during drag, as Snook fish are known for exhibiting strong fights when you are retrieving them
3. Live Bait
The best live baits for catching snook fish are grunts, sardines, shrimps, and mullets. In my case, I always use live shrimps when I catch snooks as I know how to bait shrimp, and I can attest that they are very effective with snooks.
You can try to buy any of these before you catch a snook.
4. Hook
This fishing tackle is for impaling the snook fish in their mouth and for holding various live bait. If you are using a live shrimp, I suggest that you use a circle hook, as this type of fishing tool has bait holding ability that is very effective.
5. Artificial Lures
If you don’t want to use live bait and prefer using a lure, what I can advise you is to utilize suspension lures. They can simulate and imitate fish actions because of their design, and I can attest that they are very effective to use when catching a snook.
6. Fishing Permit And License
When you fish for snooks, it is a must that you have the necessary license and permit so the law will not penalize you or put you in court for fishing illegally.
The Step-By-Step Process On How To Catch Snook
Here is the step-by-step process :
1. Identify Which Location You Can Catch A Snook
Usually, I catch this type of fish in places where there are plenty of huge marine species, such as river mouths and estuaries. In these locations, snook fish can easily find prey that is smaller than them.
You should also remember that the season of the year can also give you an idea of where you can catch a snook. Cold fronts force them to move or migrate to warm locations.
The perfect spots where you can capture snook fish are deep holes, bridge or dock pilings, residential canals, seawalls, flats, and beaches.
2. Know The Season When You Can Find Snooks
Keep in mind that summer and springtime, when there are strong water movements and powerful currents, are the best times to capture snooks. I suggest that you should not catch a snook from May 1 to August 31 and from December 15 to January 31 as these times are closed season for snooks.
3. Approach Properly
One fishing tip that I should advise you on is always to be sneaky when you are capturing snooks, as they may go away from the place near you or hide in the area. They can easily sense movements and noises, so you should keep in mind not to make them scared.
If you are fishing on a beach, I suggest that you are not riding on a boat and stand on the sand at waist-deep instead. Once you do this, you can make movements smoothly and freely when casting and retrieval.
4. Cast The Right Way
When fishing snooks, you should use a long stiff rod so that you can cast it farther while you are keeping your distance from the target fish. During drag and retrieval, it also provides gentle handling to hooked snook fish; hence, the effort and force you use are not too much.
You should master tide tables first before you cast because you might end up casting in the wrong place where your target fish is not facing. When snooks feed themselves, they face the flow of the water because the current or tide will bring them their prey for them to ambush.
5. Play With The Fish And Tire It
As an angler, snook fish is one of the fighter fishes that you may encounter on your fishing adventures. Once you hook them, they will do everything they can so they can escape.
Thus, you should be careful not to tighten your drag too much and play with the snook until it gets tired so that it can not jump and run anymore.
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Conclusion: How To Catch Snook
I reckon that you would also enjoy catching snooks, especially if you follow the steps that I discussed in this fishing tutorial.
Since the law helps snooks to continue their survival and existence, most anglers practice catch and release; however, snooks might die due to lack of oxygen, hook wounds, and exhaustion when you execute this way of fishing. Thus, it is advisable to be careful while doing it quickly.
If you have some ideas regarding this fishing topic, please do not hesitate to post your comments below. You may also share this fishing tutorial with your friends.
FAQ
The best bait to catch snook are live bait such as pinfish, mullet, and shrimp, or lures like plugs and soft plastics.
Catching snooks is tricky and challenging. Using live like little fish is a good idea. Using the right bait, lures, and techniques is essential to catch snooks successfully.
Snooks are more active in the morning and evening when they are feed. Fishing when tides are changing, especially incoming tides can increase your chances of success.
