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| 26 May 2009
The time to go beach snook fishing is now!! 'Beachsnooker,' Ken Taylor, shares a few tips to make your beach fishing trips exciting and productive.
Tips for summer beach fishing
I love to sight fish for snook along our Southwest Florida beaches. Snook will readily take artificial lures and flies when prowling the surf. You’ll need a good quality pair of amber based polarized sunglasses in order to see fish in the surf in order to make proper presentations to active swimming snook.
A surf temperature of approximately 75 degrees and above is what is needed for the snook to become active and feed comfortably. DOA shrimp, white buck-tailed jigs, soft plastics with various tails, spoons, and twitchbaits will all work at times. When using lures with treble hooks, either de-barb or change to single hooks for an easier catch and release which is of far less stress on the fish.
A gentle release is even more important during snook summer spawning season. To help them conserve energy, land and release quickly, use de-barbed hooks
Try not to keep a fish out of the water too long and always try to land and revive them quickly. As for lure selection – I have coined the phrase, “Imitate the Bait” and fish lures of similar appearance and size to what may be found in the surf for the fish to feed on. The bait along our beaches is usually small but larger sized lures or flies will also work depending on the available forage (like whiting or ladyfish instead of tiny glass minnows).
Fishing from the beach or ankle deep in the surf (not wading) is usually all that's need to get you close enough to cast to fish swimming in the trough
fish will hit the lure or fly as it tries to "escape" from being eaten.
Do not wade into the water but instead stand ankle deep in the surf or farther up on the beach in order to cast perpendicular to fish swimming in the trough which is generally 3 to 6 feet from where the waves meet the sand. If you wade into the surf, the snook will be behind you.
When snook are swimming in the trough along the beach, they are usually in an eating mode either pre or post spawn. If they are hungry they'll usually eat; if not they will simply avoid your offerings and swim around or away from them. If this happens, don’t get discouraged; that’s just how it is some days when fishing the beach for snook.
Favorite lure colors for the beach include white and white chartreuse combinations, lighter colors for clean water and darker colors for cloudy or dirty water. photo credit: Steve Gibson
The best tide phase to fish is an incoming one that extends later into the morning. When sight fishing Southwest Florida beaches, you’ll need to wait until the sun is high enough in the eastern sky to cast enough light into the surf. This usually occurs during the summer around 8:30 a.m. most mornings. It also helps to see into the surf if it is not too overcast so bright sunny days are optimal for sight fishing opportunities. (editor's note: so on east coast beaches, you can get started earlier).
My favorite lure colors for the beach are: Nite-Glo, Gold Glitter, White and White Chartreuse combinations, Silver Glitter, Avocado Green and Red Glitter, Rootbeer Gold Glitter, Silver Holgraphic (flash) and Chrome. Color depends again on water color. Use lighter colors for clean water and darker colors for cloudy or dirty water.
I have fished for beach snook for over 20 years now. I've caught and released many, many, snook over 10 lbs and 20 lb fish can be a possibility although the majority you catch are in the 20 - 25 inch range - (the smaller snook are the more aggressive males).
In 2000, I won a catch and release snook tournament with a 36" fish while fishing off a beach to win a kayak! That fish was caught and released on a DOA Baitbuster - Deep Runner which is another excellent lure to use when fishing beaches located along passes! Fish this lure early in the morning or at night and add some noise to the lure by putting a glass worm rattle in it. I make a small hole in the bottom / belly of the bait with a small finishing nail and insert the rattle inside the hole I punch in the plastic. I've also done well with it during the day in choppy surf.
Good Beach Snook Fishing,
Ken “Beachsnooker” Taylor
Snook Foundation – Club 40 Member
IGFA 25LB Snook Club Member
