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Spring 2006 issue of Waterline Magazine.
When I first started hanging around Venice 10 years ago, my next-door neighbor stuck his head over the fence one afternoon and asked me if I had been doing any night snook fishing. Since I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, my answer was a simple “no.”
As time went by, a couple of guys I’d gotten to know cornered me at a fishing club meeting and asked if I did any “night work.” I didn’t think they were talking about knocking off pizza joints, but just to be sure I shrugged and casually asked, “whaddaya have in mind?”
“Fishing. Night fishing,” Butch replied.
Well, yeah. I chase the hexes back home in Michigan looking for big browns,” I told him with a satisfied grin. He blinked. Twice real fast. Then shook his head.
“Brown what?” he asked. “Trout,” I replied. “Big ones, maybe 22 or 23 inches long.” He snorted derisively and I was sorta put out, if you want to know the truth. I mean, who snorts derisively at a 23-inch brown trout, anyway?
“Listen,” he said firmly. “Have your gear ready and be standing out in front of your house at 5:30 tomorrow afternoon. You bring the food and drinks. And don’t be late!”
The next evening we launched at a boat ramp in Venice and tooled around a section of the Intracoastal Waterway called “Snook Alley,” quietly sneaking up on one illuminated dock light after another. We got chased away from a couple of spots by homeowners who either switched off the light or tossed oranges at us, but finally Butch dropped anchor and curtly said “wait.”
was in the process of unhooking a streamer from one of the snake guides on my fly rod at that moment, and was puzzled. “Wait for what?” I asked. “Aren’t those fish swimming around by that piling?”
“Yes,” he said patiently. “But A): you’ve got the wrong fly and B): just sit down and don’t cast until I tell you to cast.” I sat. And tied on the tiny white minnow imitation he handed to me.
Finally, when it was full dark except for the arc of light around the dock and there were more long dark shapes finning around than I could count, I heard “Cast.” And thus was born an addiction.
Over the ensuing years I have reveled in my regular “fixes” and even turned into a “pusher.” My Yankee friends routinely venture south to escape a big Michigan blizzard and I smugly ask if they want “the best high you’ll ever get—you’ve never had anything like this before.” And then I take them Night Snookin’.
All it takes is one thrashing boil of water and an angry, writhing,
slot-sized snook. Presto! Another convert addicted to tossing little glass minnow flies or artificial shrimp patterns at those shadowy ghosts until dawn’s early light.
You’ve probably noticed by now that I keep talking about flies. That’s because I firmly believe it’s the best way to catch snook at night, and the reason is easily explained in two words: “tiny minnows.”
The primary forage for these voracious snook is whitish, silvery minnows about an inch to perhaps and inch-and-a-half long. Imitations are easily tied, and more easily cast with a fly rod because what’s being cast is the weight of the fly line, rather than the fly itself.
As in most saltwater fly fishing, the rod-of-choice for night snook is rated for an 8-weight floating line. Intermediate-sink and fast-sinking lines also are useful, and I’ll work you through the top-to-bottom mechanics in a moment.
The reel should have a high-quality drag system for that occasional “fish-of-a-lifetime,” but most of the snook can be boated simply by hand-stripping the line. A word of caution, however. These fish are very powerful and will make several surging runs that can cause the line to cut through your fingers. I’d suggest buying a package of “Burn Guards.” They’re made of lycra, and slip over the fingers of your stripping hand to prevent bodily damage.
The most exciting way to catch any fish is on the surface of the water, and snook can be very obliging about that when small shrimp are “popping” on top. That’s when a foam Gurgler fly works extremely well. Make a short, hard tug on the line as soon as the fly hits the water and it will make a “ploop” sound just before it’s inhaled by a snook. I tie them on a size 4 hook, but quite often a size 6 is the “fly du jour.”
Fiber-body glass minnow patterns with a lot of flash and glue-on eyes also work well on or just under the surface. Just remember that these are small flies—size 6 is best. Most of the clients I guide who come down from “Up North” for their first saltwater experience bring flies that are way too long and way too bushy.
On nights when snook are holding a bit deeper in the water column, flies tied with red or black bead-chain eyes can be very effective. And if you need to get a little deeper yet, use lead dumbbell eyes in size extra-small or small. Red with a black pupil seems to work well.
When the current is really ripping (and that’s often the best time to catch night snook), sink-tip lines can help present the fly before it’s whisked out of the snook’s feeding zone. These are more awkward to handle than standard floating lines, but it’s all about “catching” isn’t it?
If you don’t fly fish and don’t want to learn how, it certainly is possible to catch snook under the lights by using conventional tackle. Use the lightest-weight rod you have, and plugs or jigs that represent small minnows or shrimp. Of course, live shrimp or the new Gulp Shrimp baits also are an option.
Regardless of which fishing method you choose, one of the most critical aspects of fishing for snook involves using a “bite tippet” of
30-pound monofilament or fluorocarbon. Snook have abrasive jaws, and dock pilings are coarse and usually covered with barnacles, so lighter lines or leaders will quickly fray or break.
Remember to check your bite tippet after every hookup to see if it’s nicked or ragged. Fluorocarbon is wonderful stuff because it’s invisible in the water—except when it gets abraded and turns “milky.” Then it’s like a red warning light telling Mr. Snook “don’t come near this.”
Speaking of flashing lights, keep in mind that it’s illegal to anchor inside the navigational channel or between bridge fenders or you’ll be seeing the flashing blue lights of various marine patrol boats that police the ICW.
Also please keep in mind that snook are highly protected. You’re allowed one fish between 26 and 34 inches long, and the authorities will immediately reduce your bank balance significantly for violating those parameters. Fortunately, that’s the only penalty that comes with this type of addiction!
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Capt. Tony Petrella guides half the year from lower Tampa Bay to Everglades National Park, and glides the peaceful inland trout rivers of northern Michigan the other half. He can be reached at 941-496-4289 or www.tightloopsflyfishing.com. |
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