SNOOK CHEAT SHEET
(SPRING)
Spring is a transitional period for snook.
The majority of snook begin to move out
of their winter zones (backwater rivers,
creeks, and canals) and begin to hunt in
nearby grass flats and mangrove shorelines.
When targeting spring-time snook, it’s important to pick
spots that are in “middle zones”. These are zones that lie
between backwater winter zones and coastline summer
zones.
As the season begins, most will lie closer to the winter
zone, but as the temperatures rise, they’ll get closer to
the beaches and inlets. The warming temperatures start
to increase their metabolism, so they’ll be eager to feed
and have more energy to chase down prey than they did
in the winter.
TIMING
During mild temperature months like Spring, the best inshore bite is often in the
twilight periods within a couple hours before and after the sun rises and sets. But
since the water temperature will stay out of either extreme hot or cold, they will
often feed throughout the day and into the night as well.
Because they’ll be actively feeding all day, you’ll want to find zones where snook
can quickly transition between both tides. A shallow shoreline off of a main channel, potholes in grass flats, and mangroves next to depth changes with good current flow would all be spots to consider.
The best game plan is generally to prioritize the twilight periods overall, and then
heavily factor in the tidal movements to determine when the optimal feeding times
will be (especially if there’s an incoming tide bringing in more dissolved oxygen to
the shallows).
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LURES
This is the season where small baitfish are in huge numbers. It’s best to stick to
proflies that predators are dialed in on, so a 3-4” paddletail is one of the most
effective lures at this time of year.
FAVORITES
Best Bite: Twilight hours & max current periods
Best Tide: No preference to incoming or outgoing during this time… you just want
good current flow.
GAME PLAN
Morning: Try to get out as early as possible and focus on the shallow shorelines
with lots of life (birds, bait, and any feeding activity)
Mid-Day: With respect to the tide, snook can be both shallow or deep at this time…
typically the best bet is to target the zone with the most bait activity near structure (such as mangrove lines, shoreline points, oyster bars, potholes on grass flats,
etc.)
Evening: This is a great time to target snook along shorelines in the shallows because they’ll often be actively feeding just like they were in the morning.
Night: The shadow lines of docks and bridges with bright lights can be very effective. Special preference is given to docks with “snook lights” (bright-green colored
lights) that will assist you in sightfishing. Don’t forget that you can still target the
same zones that were productive during the twilight periods, as snook will hold in
those same areas to feed throughout the night.
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SNOOK CHEAT SHEET
(SUMMER)
During the summer, the amount of Dissolved Oxygen (DO2) in
the water decreases as water temperature increases. If you
can find the areas with the most DO2, you’ll find the snook.
Let me repeat (because this is critical), focus on areas with higher DO2. Snook are sensitive to low DO2 levels and they won’t feed until they’ve moved to an area with adequate
amount.
By summer, most snook have moved out of transitional areas. This is the time of year
where the highest concentrations of snook are found close to the coastline. You can
narrow down the prime feeding zones based on areas that have the highest levels of DO2.
Here are some examples:
Passes and Inlets (Constant flow of colder, oxygen rich-water)
Beaches / Jetties (water directly from the ocean is much colder than inside then
inlets, increasing DO2. Bait is also very abundant in these areas this time of year)
Grass Flats with Potholes (Seagrass is a natural DO2 booster, and the potholes provide ambush points for snook to hold in)
Mangrove Lines (Shade protects from the sun’s heat, which in turn increases DO2,
and mangrove roots provide ideal hard structure)
Windblown Points (Wind increases DO2 as it blows across the surface, and points
generally have higher current than other areas)
Deeper Water (temps become cooler as depth increases, thereby increasing DO2)
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TIMING
During the hot summer months, fish are most active an hour before and after the sunrise
and the sunset. In addition to cooler temperatures at these times, the lighting change
makes it easy for ambush predators like snook to surprise baitfish that are on the move.
Morning (5:00am-8:30am) is the better twilight period in the summer, because the water
cools overnight.
While it’s possible to catch snook during the middle of the day (if you’ve got current and
DO2 boosters), the best game plan is to fish in the morning twilight hours.
Once the sun starts to really warm up the water, snook will move out of the shallows due to
the lack of DO2. This is when you need to start fishing deeper and/or cooler water zones in
the midday heat. Eventually, the sun’s energy will begin dissipating in the mid-afternoon,
and snook will start to begin hunting in the shallows again (especially if there’s an incoming
tide bringing in more dissolved oxygen to the shallows).
LURES
Bait of all sizes are plentiful, so a wide array of lures can be used. It’s smart to focus on
matching (or using a lure slightly bigger than) what you’re seeing in the water. We’ve had
the most success using paddletails this time of year, and any size between 3-5” will work
best!
FAVORITES
Best Bite: Twilight hours in the morning (5:00am-8:30am)
Best Tide: The big key is good current flow, but there’s a slight preference to the
incoming tide because it brings colder water from the depths up into the shallows
(which boosts DO2 levels).
GAME PLAN
Morning: Target areas within the shallows with lots of structure and bait
Mid-Day: Target deeper/shaded water with multiple DO2 boosters
Evening: Target areas within the shallows with lots of structure and bait
Night: Target shallow structure where there is a lot of bait. Lighted docks close to
areas where water flows out of a pass can be extremely productive as well.
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SNOOK CHEAT SHEET
(FALL)
Once the temperatures begin to dip again, snook move back
into a transitional pattern, pushing into those “middle zones”.
The weather is also milder than most months, which makes it
easier to locate fish without having to factor in DO2.
Most snook have spent the summer around
beaches and in the inlets and will begin
working their way into the bays, flats, and
coastal rivers where the temperature is most
mild. Because the focus now isn’t on DO2 or
warmth, focus on maximizing structure to
find the best feeding zones for snook. Here
are some examples:
Grass flats with potholes
Points
Oyster bars
Mangrove lines
TIMING
During mild temperature months, the best bite is often in the twilight periods within a couple hours before and after the sun rises and sets. But since the water temperature will stay
out of either extreme hot or cold, they will often feed throughout the day and into the night
as well.
The best game plan is generally to prioritize the twilight periods overall, and then heavily
factor in the tidal movements to determine when the optimal feeding times will be.
LURES
Small baitfish (pilchards, finger mullet, croaker, etc) have had time to grow throughout the
Spring and Summer, and most have reached peak size for the year. Because of this, snook
dial in on these larger baitfish profiles in the fall. Large paddletails and jerkshads can be
very effective this time of year.
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FAVORITES
Best Bite: Twilight hours & max current periods
Best Tide: No preference to incoming or outgoing during this time… you just want
good current flow.
GAME PLAN
Morning: Try to get out as early as possible and focus on the shallow shorelines
with lots of life (birds, bait, and any feeding activity)
Mid-Day:With respect to the tide, snook can be both shallow or deep at this time.
Typically the best bet is to target zones with current near hard structure (like the
ones in the “Ideal Snook Spot” example)
Evening: This is a great time to target snook along shallower shorelines because
they’ll often be actively feeding there just like they were in the morning.
Night: The shadow lines of docks and bridges with bright lights are extremely effective. Don’t forget that you can still target the same zones that were productive
during the twilight periods, as snook will hold in those same areas to feed throughout the night.
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SNOOK CHEAT SHEET
(WINTER)
This is when the majority of snook have migrated to backwater rivers, creeks, and even freshwater springs. This is also my
favorite season to sight fish for snook, because the water is
generally clearest in the winter.
Wintertime snook have one goal: to find warm water so they can comfortably feed. If you
can find that warm water, you’ll find snook. Look for these heat incubator factors:
Dark Bottom (attracts heat)
Mud Bottom (holds heat)
Wind Protected Shorelines and Points (barrier between cold wind and water)
Direct Sunlight Zones
Water Depth
-Fish deeper depths in the early morning
-Fish shallower waters during the high sunlight periods
My ideal winter spots are areas that span from shallow to deeper water (1 ft. to 6 ft. +) with
lots of structure such as docks, oysters, seagrass, trees, rocks, etc.
TIMING
During the colder months the best bite usually a few hours after the sun has risen in the
morning. Fish haven’t had the sun to warm them up throughout the cold night, but once
the sun rises, fish will push into shallow zones to warm themselves. They will continue to
feed and sun themselves here throughout the day, but in the evening temperatures will
drop once again and fish will fall back toward deeper zones where the temperature stays
relatively stable throughout the night.
LURES
Because baitfish are preyed upon so heavily in the Fall, there are very few left going into
the Winter. Because of this shortage and snook having lower-than-average energy levels in
the winter, slow-moving shrimp are a primary prey. This is the best time of year to prioritize
shrimp imitations. It isn’t bad to have a backup baitfish imitation, such as a slow-twitching
a jerkshad or small (3-4”) paddletail.
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FAVORITES
Best Bite: Mid-morning hours after the sun has risen and warmed the water
Best Tide: I mostly prefer maximized current flow periods, but the preference goes
to outgoing tides because it moves the warmest water from the shallows out over
the depth changes where snook hold during low tide.
GAME PLAN
Morning: Target deeper areas with some of the heat incubators listed on the previous page
Mid-Day: Shift up into the shallows with the most bait activity as the water warms
up.
Evening: The shallows will often stay warm up until dark, so they can still be very
effective. I give priority to areas that have productive shallow spots in close proximity to deeper zones in the same general location because you can quickly shift
back and forth to hone in on the ideal depth.
Night: The shadow lines of docks and bridges with bright lights can be very effective. I also like targeting the outside edges of healthy grass flats and/or oyster bars
where the depth changes.
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SNOOK LURE SELECTION
CHEAT SHEET
Let me start by revealing your #1 goal as a snook angler. Become
an expert at just one or two lures for shallow zones (0 to 3
ft.) and deep-water zones (5-10 ft.)
SHALLOW WATER SNOOK LURES (0 TO 3 FT. DEPTHS)
1. SOFT PLASTIC JERKBAIT ON A WEIGHTED HOOK
One of my most trusted lures for targeting snook in the shallows is a split tail soft
plastic jerkbait rigged on a weighted hook.
RETRIEVE STYLE: Double twitch and pause method
After extensive testing, here’s a shortlist of color and feature preferences as of the
time I’m writing this:
Clear water: Chose natural colors such as light greens and whites
Dark/Murky water: I would go with a darker bait, such as rootbeer preferably with
scent
Best scent: Gulp products (5” Jerk is my favorite)
Best durability: Z-Man products (5” Jerk Shadz is my favorite)
Favorite weighted hook: 3/16th oz Owner Twistlock
2. TOPWATER SPOOK
It may look like a simple design, but from an anatomical standpoint, it’s the perfect
lure for enticing a strike. Because a snook’s eyes are on the top of it’s head and its
jaws hinge upwards, they prefer to ambush their prey from below.
RETRIEVE STYLE: “Walk the Dog”
A topwater spook creates vibrations and sounds in the water as it’s walked along
the surface to invoke reaction strikes from any snook in the vicinity. Color doesn’t
matter as much with topwater lures, and after much testing, I’ve narrowed down
two of the best topwater spooks for you to try:
Heddon Super Spook Jr.
Pros- Inexpensive and durable
Rapala Skitterwalk V
Pros- Best action on the market
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DEEP WATER SNOOK LURES (5 TO 10 FT. DEPTHS)
1. Soft Plastic Paddletail on a Jighead
My most trusted lure for targeting snook in the deeper zones is a 3”- 4”soft plastic
paddletail rigged on a jig head that allows it to dive down deeper than a weighted
hook (like the one I recommended earlier for the shallows). It’s important to up-size
or downsize to best imitate the size of baitfish available at that time of year
RETRIEVE STYLE: Straight and slow reel with 1-2 bounces every few yards, giving
the paddletail a few seconds to fall through the water column before continuing the
retrieve.
After extensive testing, here’s a shortlist of color and feature preferences as of the
time I’m writing this
Clear water: White is best, especially with extra foil flash like the Slam Shady color
Dark/Murky water: I would go with a darker bait, such as rootbeer with scent
Best scent: Gulp products (3” Swimmin’ Mullet is my favorite)
Best durability: Z-Man products (4” DieZel MinnowZ is my favorite)
Favorite jighead: Z-Man Trout Eye Jighead
2. Soft Plastic Shrimp on a Jighead
This lure is best when snook aren’t searching for baitfish in deeper water or for
skipping under deep docks or other tight spaces where you might not have enough
room to get a full presentation with a paddletail. This lure is particularly effective in
the winter; as snook prey upon shrimp more heavily, and the presentation is tailored
to slower, more lethargic fish.
RETRIEVE STYLE: Double twitch method
After extensive testing, here’s a shortlist of color and feature preferences as of the
time I’m writing this
Clear water: Pearl white or New Penny color tend to work best in clearer waters
Dark/Murky water: Dark colors like rootbeer w/ chartreuse tails can be effective
Best scent: Gulp products (3” Gulp! Shrimp are my favorite)
Best durability: Z-Man products (EZ Shrimp is my favorite)
Favorite jighead: DOA CAL Jig head
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