Southwest Florida flats Snook action.
Posted on April 21st, 2016When we’re in Florida one of the most exciting type of fishing is to cast jigs/plastic grubs along the mangrove shorelines on the huge grass flats. It’s here that redfish, snook, spotted sea trout and a variety of other fish follow the tides and feed on the baitfish and crabs that live on the oyster bars and along the mangrove shorelines.
On a recent outing we has excellent action catching and releasing some frisky snook. Snook use an “ambushing” strategy, much like pike in freshwater. When they are not cruising and looking to feed (which is usually after dark), they hold around shallow obstructions like dock piles, trees that have fallen in the water along a shoreline, or deeper mangrove banks where they lay in wait in the shadows for food to come to them.
Once you cast a jig close to them the hits are violent and they usually make long runs and come out of the water several times. Once a fish is hooked the only goal is to get it out from the mangroves before it takes you into the barnacle-covered roots and breaks the line.
