Jump to content

Help me pick a fly line for beach snook

Rate this topic


stroftswank

Recommended Posts

Hi all,

 

will be traveling to Southwest Florida in late April.  I will be staying in Naples and making trips to Marco, Sanibel/Captiva and Fort Myers.

 

I will be bringing two 8 weights with me, one with a floating line and the other a type 3 full sink.  

 

I have been reading a lot of intel that tells me my best bet for the beach is an intermediate.

 

My mind is spinning looking at all the different line choices, and I’m not sure if I’m better off with a full intermediate, or an intermediate tip?  

 

Any snook sharpies our there who can advise me?  Also, if you have a particular line to recommend, I’m all ears, but don’t really want to go much over 230 gr/30 head.  That is my comfort zone for these rods.

 

thank you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your grain weight of 230 for an 8wt seems light to me (common 8wts being around 275 grains) .. regardless, Wulff Triangular Taper Monoclear Intermediate WFI 8wt is what I would use in April in FL. It's crystal clear like SA Mastery Stillwater fly line. The Wulff line has a 30ft head.

RockfishOn!! :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I use the Wulff Saltwater Mono Clear for my beach snook rod. 

I also use that one for small Albies and Mahi offshore. 

 

I also have a SA Sonar Saltwater Intermediate on a heavier rod. 

Either one will get it done. 

I suggest oversizing the line as you will be dealing with head winds. 

Edited by Tunataker
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use clear tip full intermediates in Southwest FL.  Last time I was there I brought my 9wt so I was using an older outbound short intermediate with a clear head.  I'll second the Wulff lines, either the monoclear or the one with the clear intermediate tip (can't remember the name, lost tip maybe?).  Scientific Anglers has a clear tip Titan line, which run heavier than the standard line.  Really depends on what rod you're using in my opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, stroftswank said:

Hi all,

 

will be traveling to Southwest Florida in late April.  I will be staying in Naples and making trips to Marco, Sanibel/Captiva and Fort Myers.

 

I will be bringing two 8 weights with me, one with a floating line and the other a type 3 full sink.  

 

I have been reading a lot of intel that tells me my best bet for the beach is an intermediate.

 

My mind is spinning looking at all the different line choices, and I’m not sure if I’m better off with a full intermediate, or an intermediate tip?  

 

Any snook sharpies our there who can advise me?  Also, if you have a particular line to recommend, I’m all ears, but don’t really want to go much over 230 gr/30 head.  That is my comfort zone for these rods.

 

thank you!

I have a new, 8 wt line still for sale that should be perfect.  I'll give it a bump to get it to the top of the sale list.

(*member formerly known as 'SWPaulie')
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with the clear tip lines, I use the airflo 9wt on a 8wt loomis rod.  You aren't going to to false  cast that far on the beach with people walking around.  I would also have at least a 9ft floro leader 30# to be sure.  These fish are very leader shy on the beach. Pre dawn through 8:30 AM or dusk are the best bet.  Just make sure your shadow doesn't show.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

One week last summer reminded me why it’s so great to be a fly angler in Florida, especially if you love snook. In the space of a few days, I caught linesiders in a mangrove-lined creek at sunup, on the beach at high noon, on an open grass flat in the afternoon, and under a bridge and various lighted docks after midnight.

That's actually not unheard of in Florida’s South or Central region, where snook are well-distributed and, with minor adjustments, fly fishers can score linesiders in countless locations, so long as the water temperature is in the 70s or above.

In winter, when temperatures dip, snook bunch up in headwaters of rivers, and creeks, and well into brackish and even fresh waters that are connected to estuaries, but by late spring, they spread throughout coastal bays, the Intracoastal Waterway and many beaches. Some even move out to nearshore reefs.

 Trophy snook abound in Florida's mangrove country

Fly-Fishing the Backcountry

Perhaps the serenity and mystery of the mangrove jungle is biggest draw for fly fishers in Florida. The Ten Thousand Islands, Whitewater Bay and the countless branching creeks and rivers of the Everglades are iconic. But similar places exist throughout the Gulf coast of the state, as well as the Indian River Lagoon, and the Loxahatchee and St. Lucie rivers, on the east coast.

 

In such areas, snook feed along oyster bars and tight under the mangroves in the labyrinth of ink-black creeks. The drill is to fish during moving water, preferably on a falling tide when forage fish such as mosquito minnows and finger mullet are flushed from the cover. Since much of the casting takes place in tight quarters, I prefer a short rod. Plus most 7 1/2- to 8 1/2-footers in the necessary 8- to 10-weight class are usually better fighting sticks.

 

 

 

Powered by Minute Media 

 Deer-hair sliders and Dahlberg Divers work wonders on backcountry snook

The classic approach is to cast foam poppers or deer-hair bugs such as the Suescun Konehead or the venerable Dahlberg Diver tight to cover. A couple of chugs mixed with strips to make the bug swim often result in a crushing strike. Buy the bugs with mono or light-wire weed guards, or tie them on yourself, to decrease the chance of hanging up on mangrove roots and overhanging branches.

When the snook won’t strike on top, a Deceiver, Seaducer, Woolhead mullet, or Bendback can be the ticket. Fish a floating line with a short head (typical bonefish or so-called bass bug taper) for the typically short casts, and use a relatively short leader (6 to 8 feet overall), with a 25- to 40-pound bite tippet as protection from a snook's raspy lips.

 

 

 On the flats, snook are easiest to fool early and late in the day

Snook on the Flats

Coastal-bay grass flats hold snook nearly year-round. Here the magic water temp is around 72 degrees, and the fishing gets better as the water gets hotter. Find a grass flat with potholes and ample baitfish, such as pinfish, and your chances soar. The recommended game plan is to blind-cast early and late, and sight fish when the sun is high. Keep in mind that snook blend in better than redfish, and sometimes you may spot only the edge of the fish's tail or fins. So cast to the edges of the largest potholes first, then make subsequent casts to the middle. The deeper holes, by the way, call for sinking flies.

Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Pine Island Sound and various other  and so do numerous small mud flats and coves throughout the Ten Thousand Islands. But tops on my list is Florida Bay, from Flamingo all the way to the Florida Keys, where mud and grass flats are littered with potholes that make ideal snook lairs.

 Bendbacks are among the top flies for snook 

From April through November, many Florida Bay flats hold more snook than redfish. And many slams (snook, redfish and trout) are accomplished there. On the lower ends of the tide, the linesiders move to the edges of flats channels and along wheel ditches (prop scars) and moats that ring many islands, and often are drawn to mullet muds and stingrays. They can still be sight-fished, but a slow-sinking line is the ticket for probing for snook once they drop into the deeper waters of the channels and moats.

 

 

Both shrimp and baitfish patterns (and even crab flies) take snook on the flats, just match the hatch whenever possible. Top flies include the Seaducers, Muddlers, lightly-weighted Clouser Minnows, Bendbacks, Borski Swimming Shrimp, Crystal Shrimp, and EP Baitfish patterns. Choose between a 7-, 8- and 9-weight rod, depending on size of your fly.

 Big snook roam the beaches before and after spawning in nearby inlets and passes

Beach Fishing

A life-long bonefisherman now living in Stuart, more than a couple of hours from the nearest reliable bonefish haunts, I’ve come to appreciate how special beach fishing for snook really is. Though more fish can be caught at sunrise or late in the day, when they feel less conspicuous, the sight-fishing aspect when the sun is up high is hard to resist.

Though primarily stationary ambush feeders, snook tend to cruise when they hit the beaches. The usually rove along the sand before or after spawning in nearby inlets and passes, frequently gravitating toward structure, natural or manmade. So beaches adjacent to inlets and passes tend to produce best. And, on the Gulf coast, beaches with strewn rocks or timber can be truly golden, while those with hard-bottom patches on the Atlantic side tend to hold the most snook.

 

 

 Many surf snook cruise the trough created by the waves, just a few feet from 

The key to finding snook in numbers is timing. Roughly from June to early October, spawning females and their male escorts move in and out of inlets and passes periodically. I don’t get serious about my beach snooking until about the 4th of July, and the top month for me is August, when lots of fish are done spawning and light winds and clear water make fly fishing less troublesome and more enjoyable. Of course, the calmer conditions require increased stealth on the angler’s part. The fish then are much more aware of their surroundings, and see beach-goers and even joggers as potential threats. Though surf snook sometimes hang among the swimmers, it’s still best to fish well away from such activity.

The ideal beach-snook rod is a 9-weight, which enables you to cast big streamers when big females are around. I know fly rodders who fish 6- and 7-weights on the beach during the summer because the wind is down and there aren’t many places where a hooked fish can't cut you off. But when the wind kicks up — as it normally does in the afternoon, they struggle to cast much distance.

 A stripping basket comes in handy when fishing from the beach or wading.Mike Conner

While casting is mainly parallel to the sand when the tide is on the high side, you sometimes have to reach out to put the fly in front of a fish cruising beyond the trough typically created by the surf. When the tide is high, you can cast from the dry sand, but when it’s out, you’re better off wading out to knee-deep water, where you’ll see more fish. Either way, a stripping basket is a must, especially when fishing a slow-sinking line, my favorite for the beach.

If you’ll be taking a long walk to reach the stretch of beach you want to fish, be sure to carry plenty of flies, bite tippet, a water bottle, snacks and sunscreen in a fanny pack or a small backpack. And wear a broad hat. Sight-fishing at high noon in the summer, when the wind is light, is brutally hot. When I plan to spend a whole day, if tarpon are also possible, I roll my beach cart with an 11-weight rod, along with a 9 and 10. When I’m fishing, I leave my spare tackle on the cart, along with a small cooler with food and cold beverages, a big plus, trust me.

 In urban waterways, great snook action awaits at nearby docks and bridges.Mike Conner

Fishing Docks and Bridges

These "snook centrals" exist throughout the fish's range, and the best are usually within a couple miles of an inlet or pass. The key time to fish these structures is when the tide is moving. A lighted dock that is a ghost town on slack water can be the site of a hot feeding frenzy when the current gets moving and food is around.

The drill is to move slowly into casting range with an electric trolling motor and cast from as far away as possible, depending on how hard the resident snook are hit in the particular spot. Look for the dark shapes of the fish, or watch for surface feeding activity. Even when the fish are not visible, take a few casts anyway. Start by placing your fly at the periphery of the light cone, and work your way increasingly closer to the light. Get a cast under the dock shadow, too. And give unproductive docks a second try later in the evening, if possible. It may pay off after all.

 The silhouette and action of the fly are most important for snook around lighted docks.Mike Conner

Prey around docks tend to be small, mostly shrimp, small anchovies, pilchards or similar small baitfish, and even tiny crabs. Best flies include little white marabou flies like a Norm's Shminnow. I tie a pattern I call the Midnight Minnow, which is a simple glass minnow tied with white craft fur and a pearl or white palmered chenille head. My favorite shrimp fly is simply a brown craft fur tail and palmered brown chenille head, with black nylon dumbbell eyes, which add no weight.

Other popular dock flies include the What's Up Dock, EP Minnow, D.T. Special, and if the snook are hanging a bit deeper, a lightly weighted Clouser. Best sizes are No. 2, 4, and even 6 if the prevalent prey is particularly small.

 Some of the biggest snook hang out under bridges after dark.Mike Conner

Bridges hold bigger snook, in general, and are not fished as hard. Any bridge with a shadow line can have fish close enough to the surface to target with on fly. My favorite bridge outfit is a 10-weight with a clear, intermediate sinking line. With it, I can turn most big fish from the structure, and chuck big streamers repeatedly without fatigue. Top flies include big 5- to 7-inch Deceivers, Seaducers and various mullet patterns, tied on the bushy side, on top-quality 2/0 and 3/0 hooks. Basic white is fine, though some nights the fish happily take darker colors, even all black.

When it comes to leaders for the bridges, there’s no need to get fancy. Many fly fishers just go with straight 50-pound. But I loop on a 2-section, 4- to 6-foot leader — comprised of a 60-pound butt and a 40- to 50-pound bite tippet — to my clear sinking line. I like fluorocarbon because it resists abrasion from big snook and bridge abutments. Despite lacking a weaker class tippet, you wont break your rod if you back off on the pressure when that big snook surges. If you insist on a class tippet between the butt and bite tippet, use 15- or 20-pound.

 Larger baitfish patterns — 5 to 7 inches long — entice big snook stationed at bridges.Mike Conner

It may seem counter-intuitive, but it's best to fish your fly down-current from a stationary boat when fishing a bridge. This way, you swim the fly longer through the strike zone of a shadow line. I use my bow-mount electric to position me up-current of the shadow line, and cast across the current from uptide. Long, slow draws on the fly line makes the fly swim on a tight line, and you can also shake some slack line through the rod guides to allow it to drift back into the strike zone before stripping again. The strike from a big snook can range from a light tap to a wrist-wrenching grab, so stay alert.

Fishing is not my hobie,it's my obsession!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, stroftswank said:

Hi all,

 

will be traveling to Southwest Florida in late April.  I will be staying in Naples and making trips to Marco, Sanibel/Captiva and Fort Myers.

 

I will be bringing two 8 weights with me, one with a floating line and the other a type 3 full sink.  

 

I have been reading a lot of intel that tells me my best bet for the beach is an intermediate.

 

My mind is spinning looking at all the different line choices, and I’m not sure if I’m better off with a full intermediate, or an intermediate tip?  

 

Any snook sharpies our there who can advise me?  Also, if you have a particular line to recommend, I’m all ears, but don’t really want to go much over 230 gr/30 head.  That is my comfort zone for these rods.

 

thank you!

Bonefishdick always recommended a floater with a sinking tip - that's what I use.  The best beach snook days are calm, an intermediate will spook fish.  I would chose a floater any day over an intermediate.  All I use is Schminnow flies bought at Norm Zieglar's fly shop.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wulff Lost Tip - Cortland Ghost Tip (12 or 15ft) or SA Sonar Clear Tip.

 

All have clear intermediate sink tip... on my 8wts I use +/- 300 grain lines.. 

The Wulff LT 10 is around 315gr. the Cortland is around 280 and the Sonar is around 305 gr. 

 

The Sonars you can find cheaper ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to register here in order to participate.

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


×
×
  • Create New...