The season is finally changing and the water is getting warmer. Snook are going to be in abundance this time of year. Time to grab your gear and get paddling to those warm, sunny, skinny water mangrove coves where the big girls love to bask in the warmth. Catching and landing a nice snook can be a bit tricky. They run hard and are very acrobatic. They are a sight to see when breaching, and a pain when they run into the mangroves on instinct. If you find yourself in a situation where the fish is running into the mangroves, dip the tip of your rod into the water. That way you may have a better chance of landing the fish without getting cut off when your rod is high.
Soft plastic jigs and topwater lures are your go-to when fishing for snook. This is because you want to provoke a hungry reaction strike. Don’t get upset when you get tangled up while casting into the mangroves. If it doesn’t happen at least once, you’re not casting far enough! They love to hang in the holes and coves–it’s a necessary pain in the rear. There are many lure retrieval products out on the market to help you out.
A variety of colors for plastics and topwaters are important for your arsenal. For example, the baitfish that are abundant in our bay are often times dark. So, have a nice root beer or watermelon paddle tail ready on a jig head. In sandier clear water situations, a light color paddler is very effective for snook and a multitude of other species. Also, equip your other rod with a solid topwater lure that is bright, white or black with good treble hooks. These will pitch far into the mangroves and attract their attention, if and when they’re hungry. Patience and keeping a cool head is imperative to land your big snook this season. The only way to get her is to get out and fish hard!