SNOOK ON A FLY

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Snook on a Fly - Flyfishing for Snook Tips and Tactics

Saltwater Flyfishing Tackle for Snook
  Saltwater flyfishing tackle for Snook should be heavy enough to cast larger flies and to fight very strong fish
in tight areas close to cover. A good quality fly rod in sizes 8,9,10wt are best suited for Snook. I myself use
a 10wt almost all the time. I fish close to boat docks, mangroves, rocks and bridges and can pull  nice sized fish
out of the trouble fairly well. With a rod too small you will just be donating flies and fly lines to the barnacles.
Lighter rods make it harder to cast as far with wind or larger flies. A fly rod that is too light will also put too
much stress on a Snook during the fight and increase the likelihood of the fish dying when released. A weight
forward floating line is used most of the time with the clear intermediate sinking line used next in line. Fly reels
are really not a big factor in fighting a Snook. While they are strong and fast fish they usually do not make super
long runs and a good quality saltwater reel will do the job. Your leader on the other hand is very important
and can mean the difference between success and failure. I like to keep my leaders as simple as I can. It is better
to use a leader to heavy than too light, unless you are after world records. You can always drop down the leader
size if the fish are leader shy, but it is hard to get your fly back after a Snook broke you off. I use at least a 15lb test
tippet for most of my Snook fishing and usually use larger. I use 30lb straight to the fly for fishing dock lights at night.
I use a leader about 10 to 12 feet long. For a break down of the simple leader system I use click here.

Dock Light Tactics for Snook
Dock light flyfishing for Snook is becoming very popular all over Florida. It is by far the easiest way to catch Snook
on a fly there is. You don't have to cast real far, you can see the fish, the fish are usually eating and the competition
for for is increased because they sit together. Now I Said EASIEST not EASY! There are times when Snook get
picky, or get fished to hard, and it doesn't seem easy. You still have to make good accurate cast, strip the fly properly,
keep the boat far enough away from the fish, and the part that requires the most skill.......... Yanking them BIG BOYS
away from the pilings. When the Snook get over the 30'' size they can sometimes be unstoppable. I have had fish on
that would have snapped my 10 weight rod if I did not let them have some line, and they usually cut you off on the
pilings, but it is still a RUSH! to me the strike is the thrill.
Once you find the fish, make that nice cast (with the right Dan's Custom Fly of coarse) you need to retrieve the fly
properly. I am an aggressive fly fisherman and believe in stripping the fly at a fast pace. If the fish are eating good
they will chase down a fast moving fly. There are a few benefits to stripping the fly quickly; You do not give the fish too
much time to study the fly, make them think an easy meal is getting away, and my favorite, you can pull a big fish away
from the dock and give yourself a better chance to land it. When I come to a dock light for the first time, I like to pick
the edges of the light and then work my way closer to the dock from there. The first cast to a dock is so important!
If you make a good cast on the first try your odds in hooking a Snook is greatly increased, each cast after that the odds
seem to go down fast. Be sure and keep the boat as far away from the fish as you can, and keep things quiet. I have
seen fisherman get really close the these fish, but it seems to me the big fish are the first to spook.
You can fish the dock lights at night all year long, only the during coldest stretches of the year they will not be there.
Tides are not really too important, I only see a drop in action at a really low slack tide. I have had my best nights
on a low incoming tide right after leaving the flats chasing tailing Redfish......but that is another article.

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