Mangroves provide the ultimate starting spot for snook fishing. (Photo by David A. Brown)
December 11, 2024
By David A. Brown
Sleek powerful predators with jaws built for snapping up mobile meals—you’d think snook spend their days aggressively chasing down their prey. But while that does occasionally happen, most of the time the snook’s strategy comprises strategic feeding and energy conservation.
That means positioning on particular areas where they can leverage natural forces for maximum success. Current plays a huge role here, as does wind, waves and sky conditions.
Essentially, clear, calm conditions afford optimal feeding visibility, but it also makes snook keenly alert to their vulnerability. Low-light (clouds or shadows) tend to amplify the opportunities, while a light wind puts just enough chop on the surface to relax the fish and keep things dynamic. Whether you’re live baiting or throwing artificials, consider these snook sweet spots.
Photo by David A. Brown 1. Mangroves Sure, this is the ultimate starting spot to which you can fairly direct any beginner, but consistency comes through understanding that it’s not one homogeneous mass. The characteristically exposed mangrove roots offer vast shelter that’s nearly impenetrable—unless you sneak up close on high tide and pitch Texas-rigged craws or jigs with craw trailers into the gaps.
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Most mangrove efforts involve sitting back and casting to the prime real estate. Common targets include inlets, cuts and small creeks where snook can back into cover and dash out to grab passing meals.
You’ll certainly find snook roaming the straightaways of mangrove shorelines, but when in doubt, fish the points. That could be the actual island tip where tidal action has scoured deeper troughs where snook lay and wait for water-born meals, or points and jut-outs that influence baitfish movement and offer textbook ambush spots.
Points are terrific spots to find a hungry snook. (Photo by David A. Brown) 2. Docks Approach the manmade structures the same as you would the mangroves and it all become clear and simple. Look for the inlets—the boat stalls, the corners where walkways meet piers, etc.—and expect to see your live chummers blasted in frothy boils the farther they push into the danger zone.
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If you’re working artificials such as topwaters, jerkbaits, soft body swimbaits, or synthetic shrimp, trace the edges and pay close attention to corners. Note: Stay alert for dangling ropes or blown-in debris, as these lure-catchers will steal your tackle.
Warm season dock action is governed by the tide, so take note of when/how the water impacts the structure and present baits in the most natural manner. Shade matters much during the dog days of summer, so you may have to play a dicey game or skipping baits beneath, but expect the nighttime action to ignite—especially on lighted docks where illumination presents a radar screen for snook to spot drifting baitfish and crustaceans.
During winter’s chill, snook huddle in deep, protected waters where they hunker down to survive the cold. Docks in residential canals offer your best opportunities and you’ll often find snook stacked like cordwood.
The fish will be hungry, but they simply will not chase a fleet-footed bait, because energy expended on chasing down prey is energy they could use to keep warm. Sunny warming trends may find the fish venturing out for a feeding run, but those bitterly cold days require patient, persistent presentations with life shrimp or pinfish under corks.
Photo by David A. Brown 3. Potholes Distinguished from darker surrounding grassy bottom, these deeper sandy indentions provide handy hiding spots where snook can belly down and wait for tide-borne meals. Depending on depth and clarity, you might spot dark shadows lurking, but diligent prospecting often ends up being your best strategy.
Case in point: My personal best 38-inch linesider bit a green glitter DOA Shrimp in an Indian River pothole and nearly turned my wading effort into swimming lessons. I was targeting giant trout and when I saw a stout form resting in the sandy depression, I thought I’d found the man.
Firing a long cast across the pothole, I crept my shrimp off the grassy perimeter and let it free fall into the danger zone. A sharp pop told me it was game on, but when the tug-of-war brought the fish in my direction, the spots I’d expected turned into black lateral lines. The snook dashed between my knees and only a rare moment of aquatic agility allowed me to pass the rod between my legs and spin around to finish the fight.
It’s not always such a rodeo, but whether you’re on foot, or in a boat, pay attention to potholes, when depth and tidal movement favor feeding.
4. Beaches Summertime brings the snook spawn and the fish typically stage in the passes or the deep drops-offs near barrier islands before full moons pull them to the beach faces for reproductive rituals. As go-time approaches, you’ll spot groups running the first trough where beach walkers and waders target the fish with live sardines, jigs, swimbaits and flies.
Stealthy boaters get their shots at these fish too, but low-profile wading brings you close to the action without spooking the fish. Just remember, if you’re standing waist deep, the fish are probably behind you.
5. Spillways Stormwater flowing into coastal areas created concentrated feeding opportunities that savvy snook will not miss. These food tubes are best after heavy rains, but the potential remains even between flows. Snook become accustomed to utilizing these pipes as lairs—safely tucked away from external threats and concealed in the dimness where hapless prey may fatefully wander.
Forget fancy, forget finesse. Rig a big live bait—mullet, giant pinfish, jumbo mojarra—on a circle hook with 80-pound leader and stout tackle and lob it as far as you can reach. Watch for your line to snap tight, but in most cases, you’ll hear the cannonball strike echoing from deep within.
Then hang on.