Cold Weather Snook Fishing

As winter approaches snook are found leaving shallow flats, searching for warmer. Deep bays and bayous along with other prime locations like deep-water canals, channels, creeks and rivers are prime locations.

During the day, muddy bottom, deep water, residential canals with docks, boats and boat houses absorb the sun’s heat, which then radiates into the water. As tidal flows snake and bend their way back, these canals develop deeper troughs that attract snook and other species.

Creeks, tributaries or runoffs dumping into a channel or canal flushes food like minnows, shrimp and other baits. By doing this it creates a natural feeding location for fish. And if the flow comes from a shallow pool or back country flat it also carries a significant amount of sun heated water.

Snook have one irrefutable trait they like to eat. Although a gluttonous predator during summer, as temperatures cool and their metabolism slows they turn lethargic and almost passive.

Cold weather anglers should begin the transition to wintertime patterns, as temperatures drop into the 60’s or lower. This means slowing everything down. Patience is the key to cold water fishing, but not always a virtue. Fish are primarily looking for warmth to survive; exerting only enough energy to grab an easy meal.

Naturally, nothing works like the real thing and everything eats shrimp, so the bigger the better. If you decide on fast swimmers like greenbacks, threadfins, pinfish, mud minnows and small mullet; make them an easier target by slightly wounding them or clipping tail fins before casting.

Proficient anglers also fool a snook into taking an artificial lure. Much like natural baits it means being patient, choosing lures that emulate wounded bait, and working them extremely slow. In the clear waters of winter, hard lures in bright flashy color combination’s seem to produce well. Try MirrOlure’s MirrODine, MirrOMullet and Catch 2000 or any suspending lure. For the die-hard soft plastic angler the Exude or Berkley Gulp makes excellent artificial options. Regardless, of what you use a good scent like Pro Cure can’t hurt.

Remember, everything must be presented consistently slower than usual. Don’t make a couple of cast into a prime location and move on. Instead, work the area giving it time to produce. Remember they are slow to react, but if you present the bait enough times they’ll usually eat it.

Captain Woody Gore is an outdoor writer, photojournalist, and speaker. He also guides fishing charters in the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, Bradenton, and Sarasota areas. Fishing these areas for over fifty years he offers memorable fishing adventures. To contact Capt Woody please visit his website at WWW.CAPTAINWOODYGORE.COM or give him a call at 813-477-3814

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