Growing up, two of my favorite things in life were fishing and spending time on the beach. The fishing was in the trout stream behind my parents’ home in Pennsylvania and the beach was Ocean City, Maryland. Today, I am fortunate to be able to combine both of my passions. Most mornings, from May through September, I can be found walking along the Manasota Beach surf line in search of hungry linesiders. Sight casting once the sun is up is my favorite way to pursue the silver beauties, but there are several effective ways to land a snook on the beach.
The most important tool to me, while beach fishing, is my pair of Hobie Polarized Seascape sunglasses. Being able to spot an almost white fish from the extremely light bottom is essential. I would rather try my luck with a Snoopy rod and reel combo than try to fish without a high quality pair of polarized glasses. When it comes to tackle, simple is better. My choice is a medium class 7’3” TFO Spinning rod paired with a 3000 Diawa Ballistic reel. The reel is spooled with 20lb. Invisabraid line with a three foot section of Berkley ProSpec fluorocarbon leader. My go to bait is the DOA 3” shrimp in the glow color. The shrimp’s neutral balance makes it the perfect choice when it comes to provoking a reaction strike from the sometimes finicky snook. Make sure to attach the DOA with a loop knot to ensure maximum action. While this method of fishing works best for me, there are several other proven methods of bagging a snook. Fly anglers do very well sight fishing with small white baitfish patterns. If you want to get the family involved, live bait is usually the best option. Cast net some white bait or pinfish put them on a 3/0 circle hook and the kids can usually experience nonstop action. If you are not proficient with a net, some store bought live shrimp will do the trick, but just remember anything that swims may end up on the end of your line when using shrimp.
When scouting for productive spots to fish, try to avoid the busy public beaches. Walk away from the crowds and you will find fish that are a lot more relaxed and more willing to eat. When fishing during low light conditions concentrate on areas where the bait will congregate. Beaches with structure like Caspersen or Point of Rocks are great starting points. In this situation blind cast in and around the bait. Once the sun gets high, you can concentrate on the fish hanging out in the first trough. Stay back on the sand as you make your way down the beach. If you get into the water, you will be right on top of the fish, if not out past them. Look for fish cruising and bounce the shrimp diagonally right by their elongated snouts. Keep working the DOA all the way up to the surf line. Snook will often chase their prey right up onto the sand. If the bait is thick, you will notice voids in the middle of the bait. These voids are home to hungry snook waiting to strike. The bait actually gives the gamefish a buffer zone. Bouncing your bait through the void will often illicit a strike. One of the great things about beach fishing is that if you only have an hour or so, there is hardly any preparation or clean up required. Just make sure you keep checking your leader for fray. There is nothing worse than having a trophy fish break off due to laziness.
Even if the bite is not hot, there is so much more than just catching fish. A beach stroll is the perfect start to any day. Just open your eyes to more than the snook and watch the whole world come to life. Whether you like watching tarpon roll or are more like me and enjoy hanging out with a pet great blue heron, like my buddy Wilson, now is the perfect time to do it.
Those I come across fishing the beaches seem a lot more casual and share more camaraderie than their bay angler counterparts. If you are looking for a break from the competition on the bays or are just a casual angler yourself, the beach is the perfect spot. It provides an awesome backdrop to bond with dear old dad or to start teaching the youngsters the angling skills and passion for the sport that they can carry through life.
As the day heats up and you are not sure if you want to sweat it out, it is the perfect time to go for a swim, refresh and resume.
Enjoy the great sport of beach snookin’, but make sure you are releasing those precious linesiders in a timely and gentle fashion. This will ensure that the species as a whole will continue on their road to recovery.
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