By Richard Matteson
Warmer days are here again, along with the time change, which allows more time for fishing!
Snook are cruising the beaches and moving into the shallows of the Indian River Lagoon. My goal is to catch a snook a dayâI donât always do it â but itâs my goal as a surf caster. My favorite lure is a 3/8-ounce chartreuse jig with a 4-inch pearl white D.O.A. Shad Tail. Run the jig hook through the paddletailâs head and out through its belly where D.O.A. is printed. The idea is to rig the soft plastic as straight as you can. This allows longer casts because the lure wonât twist in the air.
The two most important factors to consider in catching snook from the beach are time of day and location. Snook prefer to feed at night. On the beach, baitfish run the trough during the low-light periods at dawn and dusk. So, the best time to snook fish is 10 minutes before daybreak and the last 90 minutes before dark. This is when snook feed in the carved out area behind the closest breakers.
Remember, snook are less than 20 yards offshore when theyâre feeding in the trough. Casting out as far as you can means only the last part of your retrieve will be in the snook zone. Either make many short casts or cast almost parallel to the surf line. This keeps your bait in the strike zone most of the time. Snook will scoot under the breakers from the trough and grab your jig in 6 inches of wash. No water is too shallow for them, and from the back of the trough to the wash is where the snook point of attack is.
When a snook hits, be prepared. They are extremely fast and strong, so expect them to pull out 15 or 20 feet of line. If you use 10-pound braid, like I do, make sure your drag is set loose or theyâll break you off on the initial run.
The three main ways you lose snook are with a break-off on the first run, when their gill plates and rough mouths weaken the line, and when they jump and throw the hook. Start with the drag loose; you can tighten it during the fight. Use a 30- or 40-pound fluorocarbon leader, and keep your rod tip low during the fight. This discourages jumping. When youâre ready to beach your fish, wait for an incoming wave and walk the fish through the wash so itâs beached when the wave goes out.
Richard Matteson writes for Stuart Rod and Reel Club. Call him at (336) 414-3440.