By Capt. Mike Smith
Finally, September is here and everyone’s favorite inshore fish is back on the menu. This article will cover the best bait and tackle to hunt down slot-sized linesiders. Check your local rules and regulations before keeping any snook. You can do jail time and get heavy fines by harvesting under- and over-slot snook.
What tackle do you need to catch a keeper snook?
It really depends upon where you are fishing for them. If you are out on the flats or on the beach, then you can get away with lighter tackle. You can land a slot snook with a medium-action rod, a 2500 series reel spooled with 10 pound braid and a 30 pound leader. You don’t need heavy tackle when there is no structure around to get cut off on.
If you are fishing for snook around docks, bridges, rocks, mangroves or oyster bars, then you might want to use heavier tackle. A medium/heavy rod with a 4000 series reel spooled with 20 pound braid and a 40 pound leader will usually do the trick.
What are the best baits for catching snook?
Natural baits usually work the best for snook. Snook love croakers, pinfish, mullet, shrimp and white baits like threadfin herring. The key to using natural baits is using the correct sized hook for the bait that you are using.
You wouldn’t want to use a 5/0 hook with a shrimp or a white bait because it’s too heavy to allow the bait to swim. You would want to use a 1/0 or 2/0 hook for those smaller baits. Conversely, you would not want to use a small hook for a large, 10-inch mullet. The small hook would most likely not set properly once the snook ate it. You would want to use a 5/0 or larger hook for a large mullet. You want to match your hook to the bait size, not the size of the fish that you are trying to catch.
What are the best lures for September snook?
The best thing about September is the mullet run typically begins about then. Millions of mullet will flood the inshore and offshore waters of Florida; a little later for Georgia and the Carolinas. Every marine predator will be gorging themselves on these delicious baits. Mullet imitations of varying sizes will be a good bet when the schools are passing through. The key is to match the size of the mullet in your area. Mullet within the schools might range from 15 inches down to 4-inch finger mullet.
Large topwater lures work great around the outer parts of the schools. My personal favorites are Heddon’s Super Zara Spooks in pearl white, but oftentimes they will hit any color that mimics the size and profile of the fish they are feeding on correctly. Another great choice is the D.O.A. Bait Buster Shallow Runner. This is a soft plastic topwater/ subsurface lure that perfectly matches 4- to 5-inch mullet.
Go get ’em.
Capt. Mike Smith, owner of Fish Your Ass Off Charters,
has been fishing the inshore waters, oyster bars and grass flats of
Florida for more than 40 years. Reach him at (561) 339-2317,
email: contact fishyourassoff.com or visit fishyourassoff.com.