This technique is quite effective.įloat-fishing keeps the line out of the rocks and makes it easier to follow the bait movement. Hook the baitfish through the nose and then retrieve it slowly close to the bottom. Using a jighead and live bait is a deadly tactic. But it also allows your line to settle into rocks and occasionally become tangled. Freelining allows the bait to swim to the bottom, where most snook lie. There are three methods for fishing with live bait: freelining, using a jighead, or fishing with a float. It's illegal to net freshwater panfish in Florida. Bream, however, must be caught on hook and line. Shad can be netted at the spillways themselves or in nearby freshwater canals. Or, like Messer and me, you can use live pilchards, which are easily caught with cast nets in the ocean. They are somewhat inconvenient to get, but well worth the effort. Most live-bait fishermen prefer shad or bream for bait. Plenty of snook are caught days after the spillway flow ceases. That is a cost of spillway snook fishing.Īfter the gates close and the fish stop hitting lures, switch to live bait. When employing this technique, however, be prepared to lose a few jigs to the rocks that have been sunk to stabilize the bottom. This is another good time for the new braided lines. Hits feel like bumps, so be alert for any sensations out of the ordinary. Let them sink to the bottom and then hop them back along the bottom. Many times the strike comes as your lure is falling.įish jigs slightly differently. If it does not draw strikes, tip it with a white, yellow or chartreuse artificial worm or grub.Īrtificial lures should be cast into the current and worked back with a jigging action to simulate an injured baitfish. Also, snook almost always feed up.Īnother way to get down to where the snook are lurking is with a heavy jig of 2 to 4 ounces. Remember that the snook are going to be close to the bottom and out of the current, waiting in ambush for something to be swept by in the current. Choose one with a lip that will get you down to where the fish are holding. When the water is flowing, try using artificial hard-plastic jerkbaits that imitate baitfish, or other hardplastic swimming lures. Spillway snook fishing techniques are as varied as the anglers trying them. Any month of the year, warm or cold, can be productive for snook when the gates open. Traditionally thought of as a warm-weather fish, snook defy that stereotype when spillways open. One of the many clamp-type devices on the market, like the Boga Grip, also are perfect for lifting large fish from the water. To prevent injury to fish and fisherman, a wet rag proves useful in handling small fish for release, as does a sturdy landing net. They have fine, sharp teeth that can wear through, and they have sharp gill plates that can shear a line instantly. Snook can cut through light line two ways. Heavy monofilament or fluorocarbon is by far the best leader material. A leader must be used, unless you are fishing 80-pound line. Hooks should not be tied directly to the line. Most snook will then be hooked in the corner of the mouth. With a sharp circle hook, all you need to do is put the reel in gear and wind. You may not have time to react with a bone-jarring set.Ĭircle hooks work well in spillways when the snook are actually swallowing the bait. It's as though they are just sampling the bait as it drifts by. Many times, though, the fish are full, having gorged on the spillway smorgasbord, and hit very lightly, almost imperceptibly. If a hungry fish happens to hook itself, no problem. Spillway snook can be picky eaters at times. They should be extra strong and extremely sharp - sharp to the extent that just looking at them hurts. Hooks also play a critical role in spillway snook fishing. Snook fishermen are believers in the axiom "Big baits for big fish." It's not unusual to see a 10- or 12-inch shad used for bait. Here again, the superbraids are becoming more and more popular. Some anglers wouldn't dream of live-baiting snook with less than 80-pound line. For live bait, consider a saltwater reel loaded with 40-pound-test or heavier line. Live-baiting requires considerably heavier tackle, but the extra investment can produce outstanding results.
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