Snook Bait And Your Choices

Snook will eat anything that looks good to them and is in range when they are hungry. Their favorite food is a small live fish, but live shrimp and small crabs are seldom turned down. Anglers should learn to use cast nets if they don't already know so that they can net their own bait. Usually you can freeline a bait fish and let it drift with the current. Occasionally a split shot is added to the line in areas where the current is especially strong.

Artificial lures are also popular baits for snook. Both soft and hard bodied lures shaped like baitfish, jigs tipped with shrimp and gold or silver spoons are traditional favorites. MirrOlures and Zara Spooks are two of the more popular brand names that you hear many when talking about catching snook. Remember to match the hatch of what the fish are seeing and eating on.

When fishing for snook, cast your bait as close to the structure or shoreline as possible. Snook often will pass up a good looking meal if it doesn't pass right in front of its nose. Top snook anglers have good casting skills and can skip a bait underneath an overhanging mangrove branch without getting hung up.

Fishing a topwater plug for snook at night with either a full moon, or good moon light will create a very productive evening. The fish will see the reflection and hit just about anything on the water that makes a noise and shows a reflection. Look also for points and eddies where snook will lay in wait for unsuspecting fish to swim by.

Snook are territorial, and they will literally attack your bait as is floats by.