Snook Tips in dock lights

[tylerdurden]

Alright i am going on vacation in two weeks to boca grande englewood area, and the place has dock lights where the snook stack up, i went down for a night and only hooked into one, they are pretty finicky so....

Any good tips for fishing for snook in dock lights at night, i usually just free line a shrimp or whatever bait i can net going thru the light

Also have a beach there as well, any good fish to target on the beach and how...like shark, pompano, whatever i got all week to try new things

[saltydawg]

My best luck with live bait for snook is always greenbacks. Bigger the better. If they aren't hitting those then to stand on shore and cast a 3/8 to 1/2 oz jig with a shad tail past the lights and drag it right through. Sure sounds nice to have a week off to do nothing but fish. Have fun.....

[jab]

do use the light method? nothins better then freelined shrimp on cork or cork. if there are real chubbys in there how bout a nice ladyfish ive seen them swallow those hole. also try bucktails dont forget those thats the best lure for snook i think. youll get em i know it.

[montylfl]

Here is my advise.

If the house next you has dock lights too turn your off and toss that shrimp where the light meets the water. want to be on the dark side.

If you fish from your dock with the lights on the fish will see you and swim all around your bait and not hit it.

If you neighbor has his lights off... stand next to their property line and toss that shrimp into your lights and gently pull it into the shadow line. that is where the snook will be hiding. Trout will be in the lights.

If snook are not biting puit that shrimp in a jig head and bounce on the bottom. you may get a nice flounder.

[SkyJay]

My Father-In-Law has been doing real good on his dock in Cape Haze Intercoastal, with his Crossbow. LOL

Seriously though, the Dockies can be the toughest to fool. Match the hatch. Try to use whats in the lights on a given night for bait. If you see them, they see you... If they see you, (or HEAR you forget it!
Go barefoot, and walk tip-toe quiet. Sometimes scaling down to lighter leaders, smaller hooks, and baits help. Alot of times they're just lookin for a snack. Other times like Jab was sayin they want a large livie like a LadyFish.

Back in the Day we use to murder em on LadyFish, and Grouper Tackle at the Old Phosphate Dock, before they tore it down.

We'd catch a Ladyfish and freeline it till it got ate or died. The heads, and even chunks can be deadly fished on the bottom, in the shadows, and perimeters of the lights, but you'll have to contend with the damned CatFish.

I've caught more Giant Snuke in my lifetime on LadyFish heads than all other baits combined, at night.


It can be boring at times, but it pays huge dividends more nights than not.

I'd go with a Hand Picked Jumbo Select Shrimp, as #2 go to bait.
Freeline em from an upcrrent vantage point, so they drift with the tide towards the dock. Cast out, drift down, repeat.

It can be a REAL challenge getting good Shrimp down there most nights...

Better to hit a shop up this way on 41, and haul em down there.

Them little DOA Terrorize deals can be priceless to.

Some time, no most times the best way to catch a Dock Snuke, isn't from the Dock, but BESIDE the Dock.
(Or from a boat if possible)


Good Luck

SJ

[bcc]

I love snook tips covered in tarter sauce

[ripnlips]

before 9/11 i used to go to port canaveral next to the coastguard station at night and catch them monster snook on whole ladyfish. they fenced that area off shortly after 9/11. you can't even fish there in a boat without someone questioning you or watching every move you make, but i'm sure the big snook are still there.