Tag Archives: Snook

Saltwater

Dock Lighting for Snook

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With Captain Daniel Andrews

3rd installment of The Sanibel Island Diaries

Part 1 – Norm’s Crystal Schminnow

Part 2 – Double Haul

Forbes Magazine rated Florida as the top Fly Fishing destination in the United States, as you read this blog and sip your coffee you will quickly understand why this is not an exaggeration!

 

Brenton Fishing 'Merica
Brenton Fishing ‘Merica

Following the lessons with Joe Mahler and watching Snook cruise the beach everyday, we were rightfully anxious to hook into one. The Gulf remained choppy throughout our entire trip making it near impossible to sight fish for the monsters.

Fighting fish in the backwater.
Fighting fish in the backwater.

Both Norm Zeigler and Joe Mahler recommended we go out with Captain Daniel Andrews; he is a young guide, ready to help you work the water to produce Sea Trout and Snook.  According to Captain Andrews, there are several highly productive means to catch fish on the Fly Rod in Florida. Dock light fishing is the most productive Fly Fishing experience you will discover in Florida. Waterside illumination is a bait attractors and predators like the Snook seek out the bait.

Brenton with a Lady Fish, treating her right.
Brenton with a Lady Fish, treating her right.

We met Captain Andrews at 3PM on the Punta Rassa Boat Ramp for an evening of Rippin’ Lips, he advised us first we would hit the backwaters for Sea Trout, at dusk the plan was to move over to a good dock light with a plethora of bait. To add adventure to the trip, there were thunderstorms off in the distance. We would need to avoid them if they started to head towards us. (In Florida, it seems, there are always thunderclouds in the distance.)

Jourdan's first Sea Trout.
Jourdan’s first Sea Trout.

Captain Andrews made it a quick ride into the backwaters, taking us out to some Mangrove islands to cast. Saltwater fishing is a whole new Fly Fishing experience; there is an incredible amount of wildlife seeking fish(food) while you are out there. At certain points Osprey, Pelicans, Cormorants and Dolphins surrounded us all looking for their next meal. As we casted out the Schminnow hundreds of greedy eyes looked on with jealousy.

The First Snook
The First Snook

The afternoon started out very slow, we all discovered that saltwater fishing is very tide dependent. You can either wait for the tide to change or head out in search of fish. The seach will require a lot of casting. We did a bit of both; Captain Andrews took us around, in the boat, seeking hungry fish. Brenton, Jourdan and I hooked into Ladyfish, Sea Trout and Mackerel, all the while, out running ominous thunderclouds. The afternoon was progressing nicely, that is until the Dolphins surfaced. The presence of top-level predators does wonders to make fish hide. Anyway, it was about dusk and the slowdown was an excuse to seek out a perfect dock light.

Chris' first Sea Trout on the fly.
Chris’ first Sea Trout on the fly.

Not all dock lights are created equal, if you want to catch fish by the light; it pays to go out with a guide. Captain Andrews anchored us, in a heavy current as a result of the tide, placing Brenton and I within casting range of our target.

Measuring a Snook.
Measuring a Snook.

Captain Andrews advised us that we could cast but waiting until the moment the sun went down would be more productive. Right on queue, the sun disappeared over the Gulf and the fish went nuts. The shrimp were literally jumping out of the water to get away from the predators all around them. Everywhere you heard the tell tale pop of Snook eating juicy shrimp.

Chris' 20+ inch Sea Trout.
Chris’ 20+ inch Sea Trout.

Brenton was up first on the casting platform, he double hauled his Schminnow out at the head of the dock structure. As instructed, he then pointed the road down towards the current direction and stripped line in one-foot increments. Pointing the rod down the current prevents the Schminnow from experiencing drag. Drag, of course, tips the fish off to the fakeness of your bait. A few strips and Brenton had a Sea Trout; quickly, he threw the Schminnow back out there and Snook on!

Chris' first Snook on the fly.
Chris’ first Snook on the fly.

After that first Snook, we did not have a break until we left around 11PM. Cast after cast; a beauty was hauled out of the water. A short cast yielded Sea Trout; a perfect cast would haul out a Snook. On the far side of our boat, the Dolphins were frolicking.

Chris' last Snook of the night.
Chris’ last Snook of the night.

Unfortunately, the next afternoon we all had planes to catch…until the fall Sanibel Island.

Favorite Patterns, Saltwater

Norm’s Crystal Schminnow

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Part 1: Sanibel Island Diaries

Mark Beardmore introduced us (MKFF) to Sanibel Island in 2012 for his thirtieth birthday celebrations. These days, the twenties are merely an extension of your teen years with money and more alcohol. As opposed to the twenty-first birthday, the thirtieth is the true adult milestone. That being said, we are gearing up to fish and party island style at the end of April.

Norm Zeigler has popularized Fly Fishing for Snook with his ground breaking book, “Snook on a Fly: Tackle, Tactics, and Tips for Catching the Great Saltwater Gamefish.” The Schminnow is his own creation, developed to mimic the small silvery white baitfish, that live off of the beautiful subtropical beaches of Sanibel Island.

Snook can be sight fished off of the beach while in season; this requires an “ocean style” delicate presentation. Using a heavier fly like the Clouser will splash and risk spooking your prey. The Schminnow will catch the sunlight and float high in the water, enticing predator fish to attack!

Materials

  1. Mustad Signature S71SZ-34007
  2. White Danville Flat Wax Nylon
  3. Black Mono Eyes – Medium
  4. Estaz Opalescent White
  5. White Marabou

The fly is relatively simple to tie and finishes strong out on the Gulf Coast of Florida. It is a general attractor pattern, not mimicking any specific baitfish and necessary in any Fly Fisherman’s arsenal. Norm designated it the Schminnow to indicate the pattern is part shrimp and part minnow. Another variation of this fly is with dumbbell eyes, the weight allows it to pursue species that live deeper in the water column.

Step 1:

Place the Mustad size 2 in the vice.
Place the Mustad size 2 in the vice.

Place the hook in your vice. Attach the thread behind the hook eye; try not to crowd the eye. Build a smooth base as you wrap down the hook shank. I stop just at the barn in order to tie in the White Marabou tail.

Start the thread and evenly wrap back to the barb.
Start the thread and evenly wrap back to the barb.

Step 2:

Tie in the Marabou tail, use four or five wraps of thread, and leave about ¼ inch more than a hook shank’s length of tail. In a later step we will clip the tail. The clipping of the tail to length allows the life like breathing and flexing, during strip retrieve, which truly appears as a wounded baitfish to Snook.

Tie in the White Marabou tail.
Tie in the White Marabou tail.

Step 3:

Clip off the excess Marabou stem forward on the hook shank, at an angle, allowing you to evenly wrap it down with thread. Now wrap back to the barb, tie in the tag end of a five-inch length of Estaz. Wrap your thread forward to the tie in point behind the hook eye.

Clip of excess Marabou stem, tie in Estaz, wrap thread forward.
Clip of excess Marabou stem, tie in Estaz, wrap thread forward.

Step 4:

Create a small thread bump about an eye’s length behind your tie in point. Attach the mono eyes with a series of cross wraps, circle wrap under the eyes in order to stabilize the structure. Add a few turns in front and back for good measure; check that the eyes are stable before moving onto the next step.

Cross wrap in the eyes.
Cross wrap in the eyes.

Step 5:

Evenly wrap the Estaz around the shank, creating body, until you stop just behind the eyes. Tie off the Estaz and cut off excess. Whip finish in front of the eyes.

Wrap Estaz evenly forward, tie down running end.
Wrap Estaz evenly forward, tie down running end.

Step 6:

Using a good pair of scissors, grasp the excess Marabou (over a shank length) in your hand and trim off the excess.

Before Clipping
Before Clipping
Norm's Crystal Schminnow
Norm’s Crystal Schminnow

Look for more of our Sanibel Island Diaries series.

Part 2 – Double Haul

Part 3 – Dock Lighting for Snook

Saltwater

Sanibel Pier Snook

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Caught this Snook today at the Sanibel Pier. Bait is difficult to locate and appears to be following the tide. Plan on sight fishing this afternoon on the beach.