Advertisement

Captain's Corner: Greenbacks entice snook

 
Published April 19, 2015

Success lately has depended on having the right bait for the fish you are targeting. Snook have been starting to show inside the passes and along some of the spoil islands in St. Joseph Sound. Frisky greenbacks have been getting looked at by snook more than any other offering. Netting bait in the early dawn hours is best. Once the well is filled, look for areas with current and a cut or trough to find snook and even large trout staging in the tide, waiting to ambush baits flowing downstream. Casting uptide and allowing the bait to drift naturally is the key to getting a strike. Snook are especially leery of baits locked in the current and not moving in a natural manner. The middle part of incoming tides has seen the most action with snook. Redfish have been eating well on high tides. Pinfish seem to be their bait of choice. Look for mangrove overhangs choked with mullet. Redfish are usually close by, ambushing baits pushed around by the mullet schools. At the highest part of the tide, skipping a pinfish a few feet under the branches will give you the best chance of a redfish slamming your bait. To prevent breakoffs, keep the rod tip low until the fighting fish has cleared the mangroves.

Brian Caudill fishes from Clearwater to Tarpon Springs. He can be reached at (727) 365-7560 and captbrian.com.