By Captain George Hastick
July 13, 2015
Snook snook and more snook. The snook bite is on fire right now. Yes we have been catching some reds, mackerel and plenty of mangrove snapper but the snook bite has been on the hook!!!
Live scaled sardines have been the bait of choice. You can catch them during slack tide but once the tide starts moving the feed bags go on and the hookups have been consistent.
I prefer an outgoing tide in most spots for snook but there are some areas that will produce good on both the incoming and the outgoing. When the tide first starts to move good, it will flush bait across grass flats, mangrove passes, island points, bridges and passes that lead to the beach, which can make the bite be phenomenal. They will usually feed good until the current stops moving. Look for your better days for tidal movement to be on or around a full or new moon.
Try to use no weight or as little as possible depending on the area you are fishing. When fishing the grass flats or mangroves free line your baits so that they can be presented in a natural way and let the current move your bait across the flat or under the mangrove to cover ground and get the most bites.
The typical set up I use is a 7’6″ TFO 6-12lb rod (8-17lb using large baits),Quantum Cabo 40 spooled with 10-15lb braid, 3-4 feet of 25-30lb fluorocarbon leader and a 1/0-2/0 owner circle hook.
Areas that have been holding a good snook bite are the South Shore, Cockroach Bay area, Picnic Island, 4th st and weedon island. Here is a couple of happy clients that fished with me aboard the Fish Hunter
Capt. George Hastick
The Fish Hunter Fihing Charters
Phone: 727-525-1005
Email: captgeorge@tampabay.rr.com
Website: fishtampa.com
- Soft Plastic Baits - December 18, 2011
- Native Watercraft Ultimate with Propel - December 18, 2011
- Native Watercraft Ultimate - December 18, 2011
