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RE: Beach Snook Fishing - Tips

KenT — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:43:48 GMT

You bet Jeff! :D

I've got some new lure colors to try out. Just hope the wind stops blowing out of the West and the red algae clears up along our area beaches!

Tight Lines,

RE: Beach Snook Fishing - Tips

Angler Systems — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:40:17 GMT

KT,

I WILL be fishing with you very soon my friend......

RE: Beach Snook Fishing - Tips

KenT — Sun, 11 May 2008 11:33:45 GMT

No. I live in Sarasota County and mostly fish our county beaches which are just loaded with snook in the surf during the summer!

Hard to fish anywhere else except if there is red tide or red algae around. A stirred up surf also negates the sightfishing game.

As soon as we get into a summertime pattern with light easterly winds in the morning, the snook beach fishing should really pick-up! Right now, I'm doing very well on spotted seatrout! :)

Tight Lines,

RE: Beach Snook Fishing - Tips

shimanoMan08 — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:52:07 GMT

hey are you from the tight lines tackle shop in tampa????

RE: Beach Snook Fishing - Tips

KenT — Sat, 03 May 2008 22:33:56 GMT

This shrimp is unbelievable - # 382 Silver Holographic - DOA 1/4 oz - 3" shrimp - tricked out.

Rigging Tips - "Tricking out the DOA - 3" - 1/4 oz. shrimp":

What really has been working in spite of the weedy and windy conditions along the beach is the DOA # 382 Holographic shrimp. It has been a real go to lure when the conditions get tough. The fish really hit it hard and when I'm not fishing in tournaments which restrict modifying lures; I trick my DOA shrimp out to give me a huge advantage.

I start by putting an Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp 3/0 or 4/0 Worm Hook (LO95XBLG) which has the plastic holding barbs on it in the 1/4 oz sized shrimp as this creates a wider gap than the standard 2/0 hook which comes with the lure. I think the wider gap helps me stick more fish especially when using braided lines in the 10 - 14 lb range. I like the fact that the hook is very sharp and the black color of the hook just blends in with the lure. I use 25 - 30 lb Gamma Fluorocarbon leader tied to the shrimp via the Canoeman's loop knot, although with the turbidity of the water lately, standard mono should also work.

Finally, I slip a Woody's elongated plastic worm rattle in the cavity on the bottom of the shrimp below the hook as this creates a little rattling sound when I pop the lure. You can use some super glue if needed to seat the shrimp (I use Loctite Super Glue - Reorder # 01-30380) if needed. This super glue comes in a 4 gram bottle (gel) that you squeeze along the sides. It's the only one I've found that does not dry out after you use it!

Snook and especially seatrout are crushing this color along Manasota Key but it will work anywhere along the beach and on the flats. Give it a try and I'm sure you'll be impressed! :)

[img]http://render-2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6RKKt%3Axxr%3D0-qpDPfRt7Pf7mrPfrj7t%3DzrRfDUX%3AeQaQxg%3Dr%3F87KR6xqpxQQGexon0xneoxv8uOc5xQQQGn0GQo0lGoqpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gX0QPll%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442[/img]

[img]http://render-2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6RKKt%3Axxr%3D0-qpDPfRt7Pf7mrPfrj7t%3DzrRfDUX%3AeQaQxg%3Dr%3F87KR6xqpxQQGexon0xneoxv8uOc5xQQQGn0GQ0Qe00qpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gX0QPlG%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442[/img]

[img]http://render-2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6RKKt%3Axxr%3D0-qpDPfRt7Pf7mrPfrj7t%3DzrRfDUX%3AeQaQxg%3Dr%3F87KR6xqpxQQGexon0xneoxv8uOc5xQQQGn0GQo0lGJqpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gX0QPll%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442[/img]

[img]http://render-2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6RKKt%3Axxr%3D0-qpDPfRt7Pf7mrPfrj7t%3DzrRfDUX%3AeQaQxg%3Dr%3F87KR6xqpxQQGexon0xneoxv8uOc5xQQQGn0GQo0lG0qpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gX0QPGn%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442[/img]

Tight Lines,

RE: Beach Snook Fishing - Tips

Chasin tails — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:29:23 GMT

[quote][b]KenT (4/22/2008)[/b][hr]The beach is Manasota Key

KT[/quote]

I was close:D

RE: Beach Snook Fishing - Tips

Vlap — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:54:01 GMT

Thanks for sharing your knowledge on these beach snook. I looked for them yesterday and found only ladyfish:hehe:

Look forward to seeing you at the DOA tourny!

RE: Beach Snook Fishing - Tips

MoganHunter — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:08:33 GMT

Thanks for the pic. and the informative report, looks like I'm going to have to sneak over to the tackle shop and add some more to the arsenal..

RE: Beach Snook Fishing - Tips

midnightrider17 — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:04:25 GMT

I'm going to Naples on Friday...i think you added another stop to my list:D
the snook over here in the central east don't get on the beaches until late may threw September so ill get a good head start this year:P (the red tide messed the surf snookin up last year:crazy: ) awesome post man...and some nice pics to go along with it ;)

RE: Beach Snook Fishing - Tips

KenT — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:37:12 GMT

The beach is Manasota Key but beaches from Longboat Key south to Ft. Myers - Sanibel are excellent beaches to fish.

I also really like Honeymoon Island......BIG Snook in this area during the summer!

Tight Lines,

RE: Beach Snook Fishing - Tips

Chasin tails — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:49:39 GMT

Kinda looks like the gaspirilla area but I could be wrong

RE: Beach Snook Fishing - Tips

saiya-jin — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:09:44 GMT

What beach is that ?

RE: Beach Snook Fishing - Tips

Chasin tails — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:38:50 GMT

well it sure looks like their already out there, I was gonna wait a little longer to look for them, time to unleash the fly rod:smooooth:

Beach Snook Fishing - Tips

KenT — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:21:35 GMT

BEACH SNOOK FISHING

Here are a couple pics from this past Saturday:

Sebile Stick Shad - White Lady Color - lure debarbed - Fish released.

DOA CAL Swimmer Tailed Jig - Nite Glow/Gold Rush - 1/4 oz chartreuse CAL jighead - Fish released.

DOA CAL Swimmer Tailed Jig - Nite Glow/Gold Rush - 1/4 oz chartreuse CAL jighead- Fish released.

I love to sight fish for snook along our SW Florida beaches. They will readily take artificial lures and flies when prowling the surf. You will need a good quality pair of polarized sunglasses in order to see into the surf and make your casts to swimming fish. A surf temperature of approx 75 degrees and above is what is needed for the snook to be active and feeding comfortably. DOA shrimp, bucktailed jigs, soft plastics, spoons, and hardbaits will all works at times. When using hardbaits with treble hooks, either debarb or change to single hooks for an easier catch and release and less stress on the fish. Try not to keep the fish out of the water too long and revive them quickly. Also for your lure selection - imitate the bait and fish it according to surf conditions. The bait along our beaches is usually small but larger sized lures will work depending on what the snook are feeding on (like whiting instead of glass minnows). Put your cast well in front of a swimming snook and then pull it away from the fish as it swims up to it and many times, you'll get a reaction strike as the fish will hit the lure as the lure tries to "escape" from being eaten. Also, do not wade into the water but stand ankle deep in the surf and cast perpendicular to the fish swimming in the trough and pull the lure away from the snook at an angle. If your wading in the surf, the snook will be behind you. If they are cruising the beach, they are usually in the eating mode either pre or post spawn. If they are hungry, they'll eat, if not they will avoid your lures like the plague. That's just the nature of beach snook fishing. The new DOA shrimp in Nite Glow / Gold Flash and in their CAL series of soft plastics looks like it is going to be an excellent color to use for beach snook this year since it combines my favorite two colors: Nite Glow and a Gold Glitter - which will work in clear or turbid conditions. Just remember to use proper catch and release tactics and don't beach them in the dry sand. I also like the DOA CAL grub tail in a nite glow or gold glitter color as I like the action of the tail and think it imitates a small white bait or sand flea and the flash from the tail as it is hopped along the bottom will draw a viscious strike many times.

My favorite colors are: Nite-Glo, Gold Glitter, White and White Chartreuse combinations, Silver Glitter, Avocado Green and Red Glitter, Rootbeer Gold Glitter, Silver holgraphic (flash) and Chrome - depending on surf conditions - Water turbidity and what lures I'm fishing with.

Hopefully, you'll get a chance to see a snook like this attack your lure and burn line off your drag as you fight it along the beach :

This experience will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck and will keep your coming back for more beach snook battles. It has for me for over 20 years now! I've caught and released many, many, snook over 10 lbs and 20 lb fish can be a possibility although the majority you catch are in the 20 - 25 inch range - (smaller more aggressive males).

In 2000, I won a catch and release snook tournament with a 36" fish while fishing off a beach to win my first kayak! That fish was caught and released on a DOA Baitbuster - Deep Runner which is an excellent lure to use when fishing beaches located along passes! Fish it early am or at night and put some glass worm rattles in it by making a hole in the bottom / belly of the bait with a nail and inserting the rattles inside the hole made in the plastic. I've also done well with it during the day in a choppy surf.

Good Beach Snooking,

IGFA 25LB Snook Club Member