Snook are plentiful and easy to catch -- if you know the secrets

Snook are plentiful in the surf along barrier islands in southwest Florida from May through August.

The more I fish, the more I realize that there is nothing certain about the sport.

Just because you do well on a certain species at a certain spot one year doesn't mean the same will hold true the next.

D.T. Variations are top flies for sight-fishing snook.

If things can change, they usually will.

This applies to beach snook fishing.

That's my specialty. I've been doing it for the past 35 years and I've seen things change in less than 24 hours.

First, let me tell you that I will not share spots with you. Most of you have eyes, legs, feet and brains. That's enough to allow you to put in the time to find your own spots.

I found mine the good old-fashioned way: hard work and determination.

All  you need is the desire to success and the willingness to put in the time.

Mick Coulas shows off a beach snook.

This season has been among the best. The snook have been plentiful in the surf and usually more than willing to cooperate. My best day so far was a 29-snook day on Aug. 1. I had a 23-fish outing in July.

I've had several days in double digits.

I've also head days when I've found plenty of snook, but getting them to hit was another matter.

I am fortunate in that I've been able to guide quite a few people to their first beach snook. Most are surprised at the complexity of the sport. I have seen them make every mistake possible. I have also witnessed them improve and become quit adept at seeing snook in the surf.

The first skill to be mastered is seeing the fish. And this is quite difficult for many folks. I'm not sure why, but I do know that it's true.

I believe that those who have trouble seeing the fish do not own a quality pair of polarized sunglasses. I can't understand why anglers enjoy sight-fishing are handicapping themselves in this manner. Makes no sense.

A quality pair of polarized sunglasses helps you see the fish. If you can see fish, you have a good shot at catching them. If you can't see them, the odds are against you.

Steve Kost fights a snook a fly rod.

Recently, I gave a talk on beach snook fishing at the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers in Sarasota. As usual, I gave my spiel about sunglasses.

Immediately, I saw a hand go up.

"Do you think my (cheap) sunglasses will work?" one guy asked.

Before answering, I asked, "Why not invest in a better pair?"

He responded, "Too expensive."

I paused, then asked, "How much did you pay for your fly rod?"

He got the point.

It makes no sense to pay $300-$700 for a fly rod, then "cheap out" on the sunglasses -- especially if you want to sight-fish.

A good pair of polarized sunglasses drastically reduces glare on the water's surface, allowing you to see what's below.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Once you can see below the surface, you have to interpret what you're seeing. If you start looking for snook with tails, scales, fins, eyes and a mouth, you probably won't see very many.

What you're looking for is a shape. A color. Movement.

Snook have an uncanny ability to blend into their surroundings.

It takes practice. But once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy.

Another common mistake is to look for snook too far away from the dry sand. You can find snook lying of the bottom in the trough. However, the snook you want are cruising parallel to the beach just a foot or so out from the dry sand. These fish are in what I like to call the feeding zone. They're actively looking for food: sand fleas, scale sardines, glass minnows.

Those fish you see lying on the bottom have already eaten and aren't actively seeking food. They'll take a fly every once in a while, but not often.

Another mistake I see often is casting diagonally or parallel. When you see a snook swimming toward you, simply cast straight out (perpendicularly) from the beach. Time your retrieve so that the fly and snook meet at the same place at the same time.

It's that simple.

Rarely will a snook swim out of its way to take a fly. Your offering has to be within 18 to 24 inches of the snook.

The reason I prefer a white fly is that I can see it in the water. I can track it easily and know where it is in relationship to the fish. If I can't see it, then how would I know the snook is tracking it or even remotely interested in it?

Okay, let's say you make a good cast and the snook starts to follow your fly. What do you do?

That's easy. You trigger or provoke a strike by speeding up your retrieve. You make the snook think the "bait" is trying to get away. I do this by increasing my striping speed. Or i might even do so with the rod tip.

If a snook follows don't give up until you run out of water. I've had many snook take the fly at the very last second.

As far as rods go, I use a TFO BVK 5 weight and matching reel. I prefer a clear, intermediate sinktip line. However, on the BVK I have a floating line.

Floating lines can be a nuisance because you'll often find the fly line inside your rod tip. You can remedy that by shortening your leader or moving back on the beach.

With a sinktip line, I use a 6-foot leader. With a floating line I use a 7 1/2-foot leader. I add a short length of 20-pound fluorocarbon for a shock leader.

While I won't divulge my favorite locations, I will tell you I avoid beaches that have undergone re-nourishment.  The companies that re-nourish beaches often use offshore sand or inland sand for the procedure. It's not compatible with the natural sand and usually won't hold sand fleas, a common food for snook.

In addition, new sand stirs up quite easily and can make it tough to see.

What's the attraction of beach snook fishing? No 1, it's a great sight-fishing adventure. With a little imagination, you can picture yourself on a remote tropical beach, casting to bonefish.

While snook are our main target, we have also encountered redfish, spotted seatrout, jack crevalle, ladyfish, flounder, tripletail, mangrove snapper, barracuda, tarpon and cobia in the surf.

You just never know what you might see.

Typically, I don't get out on the beach much earlier than 7:30 a.m. You can't see much because the sun isn't up high enough to light up the water. Your peak fishing time is 10 a.m. to about 1 p.m.

There are times when you can fish all day is good conditions. But most of the time, you're done by 1 p.m.as the sea breeze kicks in and roughens the surf.

Essential gear for beach snook fishing includes cap or hat, sunscreen, clippers, pliers, leader material, fly box and flies and plenty of water. I usually walk 3-4 miles and drink a couple of liters of water.

Snook will stay out into the sure through August and into September. They'll start heading back into the bays as the water cools.

The action so far has been great. I hope it remains so for a few more weeks.

Snook plentiful and cooperative in the surf along local beaches

Jesse Ehrlich of Sarasota battles a snook on fly rod that he sight-fished for in the surf.

Snook fishing in the surf has been very good this summer. We've been walking local beaches an sight-fishing with fly rods for snook in the surf.

Dault Roberts shows off a snook.

I've taken a number of people who had never caught a snook or had never experienced much success with snook along our beaches.

All succeeded.

John Weimer of Sarasota joined my for a beach snook outing early in the month. John is a member of the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers in Sarasota. We landed three snook to 25 inches in tough conditions. Wind was up and so was the surf.

Another Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers' member joined me a few days later. Steve Kost of Lakewood Ranch hooked 14 snook and landed nine to about 24 inches. All fish fell for my Gibby's D.T. Variation, arguably the best fly for beach snook.

Incidentally, Steve had a hip replaced in April and is scheduled to have the other hip replaced this month.

Dault Roberts of Oklahoma caught four snook to 24 inches on a fairly tough day. We encountered plenty of fish, but they weren't very aggressive.

I first started fishing with Dault when his was a first-year dental student at LECOM in Lakewood Ranch. He's now Dr. Dault Roberts and practicing in Oklahoma.

Snook in the surf. Can you count them?

Retired orthodontist Dr. Jesse Ehrlich tried his hand at beach snook and landed four snook to 23 inches. He had been fishing for snook in the surf at north Lido Key. He wanted to learn more beach snook techniques.

Larry Nazzaro and his son, Trevor, fished with me and each caught a pair of snook. They hooked five and landed four. Larry resides in The Villages near Ocala. Trevor is from Denver. Again, we saw lots of fish, but they were tough to fool.

The next day, I ventured out by myself and managed a pair of fish in rough conditions. However, one of my snook was a beautiful 28-incher.

I did a few other solo trips and did fair to very good. My catch totals ranged from two snook to nine.

Author Steve Gibson with a nice snook.

I've found that the best action takes place around the new moon. The days surrounding the full moon can be slow.

Also, calm days when the water is clear are usually tougher than when we have a little wave action and choppy water. The snook seem to be more aggressive when conditions aren't "perfect."

For beach snook fly fishing, I recommend 6- to 8-weight fly rods with clear, intermediate sinktip line.

I keep the leader simple and use a six-foot length of 20-pound fluorocarbon.

I will use some other flies -- mostly while baitfish imitations -- but I still catch a majority of my fish on the D.T. Variation.

For beach snook, you'll need a quality pair of polarized sunglasses. Seeing the fish is paramount to success. If you can't see them, you'll probably have trouble catching them.

Other essentials include a cap or hat, sunscreen, flats boots (I go barefooted) and plenty of water. I recommend eating a banana the morning of your trip and drinking a couple of bottles of water before your trip begins.

Snook will remain in the surf throughout this month. They'll start migrating back into the bays in September.

Sight-fishing for snook in the surf is one of my favorite things to do.

Early in the year, I set a goal of catching 100 snook on fly during 2016. To date, I've totaled 143 snook.

Not bad!

Once September arrives, I'll begin targeting  our toughest fly-rod fish -- redfish. My 2016 goal on reds is 10 -- and I might not achieve that!

I took a busman's holiday of sorts late in the month with my buddy Capt. Rick Grassett of the Snook Fin-Addict out of C.B.'s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key. We headed out on our annual fly-rod tarpon trip.

Over the years, we've rarely failed  -- and this time was no different. We stuck four big tarpon, landed one and broke off another near the boat.

If you're interested in fly fishing for giant tarpon, Capt. Rick Grassett is your guy. He specializes in shallow-water sight0-fishing for big tarpon from May to mid-August. You'll probably have to book your trip a year ahead of time. I encourage you to do so. You can reach him at 941-350-9790.

AUGUST FORECAST: I expect snook fishing to continue in the surf along area beaches. There are plenty of fish out there and they're cooperative most of the time. I haven't been fishing the bay at all, but I will do so in the coming month. Spotted seatrout action is expected to be good over deep grass along the east and west sides of Sarasota Bay. You'll also encounter jack crevalle and ladyfish. We'll also get out a couple of hours before daylight to fish around lighted docks. Snook are the primary targets, but we often encounter small tarpon, spotted seatrout, jack crevalle and sometimes redfish. I also expect shark action to be in high gear in southern Tampa Bay. We target small blacktip, bonnethead and spinner sharks. It's a blast in a kayak.

September often is a very good fishing month with little pressure.

If you're interested in booking a trip for beach snook this month or a trip in September, call me at 941-284-3406.

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

941-284-3406

Beach snook seasons looks like it will be a good one

Author Steve Gibson holds a fine snook he sight-fishing in the surf. (Photo by John Weimer)

It's early in the season for beach snook, but I'm going on record that it's going to be a good one.  I've already seen quite a few large snook in the surf and I've done pretty well on them.

If you've fished for a while, then you know what I mean. I seem to have an innate ability to predict the action at a particular spot or during a specific season. Beach snook action has been off somewhat for the last few years. I think that's going to change.

Another nice beach snook on fly.

Beach snook fly fishing might be my favorite activity in local waters. It beats the hell out of blind-casting for undersized spotted seatrout, ladyfish or whatever else might be lurking in the depths. Truth be known, I'd probably rather do to the dentist than blind cast with a fly rod for trout.

That's just me.

I don't think it gets much better than sight-fishing for snook in the clear waters of Florida's west coast. These elusive gamefish usually start showing up in the surf as early as March and will remain there thru September. Peak months July and August.

I like to get to my favorite beach around 7:30 a.m. Realize the sun's not up high enough for you to see much. However, I want to be at my favorite spot or in an area I know there are fish when the visibility is prime.

As the sun rises in the east, your window of visibility gets wider and wider. At 7;30 in the morning, you're luck to see 15 feet up the beach. At 10 a.m., you can see snook 150 up the beach. It's that different.

I try to pick a day when the wind is light from the east. That almost assures that I'll be looking for snook in  a calm and clear surf. It's much easier to see them when conditions are good.

Former Venice resident Scott Dempsey fights a snook on fly.

Now, that doesn't mean they're easy to see. If you're new to the game, seeing snook in the surf can be perplexing and quite frustrating.

Most neophytes look for whole snook complete with tails, scales, fins and eyes. If you look for a complete fish, you'll likely be disappointed and swear there are no snook in the surf.

It's difficult to explain, but I look for a different color. A shape. Movement. There can be a lot going on in the surf, but once you figure things out you won't mistake a snook. In addition to snook, you'll also see mullet, baitfish, whiting, sheepshead, black drum and other species.

Once I spot a snook, I have to determine which way it's swimming or in which direction its facing. If you find a snook cruising north or south just off the dry sand, you've found a fish in what I call the "feeding zone." Fish in that zone (it stretches from the lip of the surf out to four or five feet) are looking for food -- sand fleas, crabs, baitfish. If you've find them there, you've got a decent chance to hook one.

A school of snook in the surf.

You'll also find snook lying on the bottom in the deeper water of the first trough. I suggest casting at those fish, but more often than not they'll ignore your offering. They've already fed and not actively feeding.

Those fish you find lying on the bottom 15-20 feet out usually will be facing to the west. And that offers a casting problem. How do you present the fly without "lining" the fish. Try a curve cast, a cast when execute properly will place the fly in front of the fish without lining them.  The curve casting requires the rod to be horizontal the the water (sidearm). Whip the rod tip at the end of the forward stroke. That whipping will cause the tip to curve the line and fly. Check out this video on the curve cast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKtmlVMgWPU

When you find a snook cruising in the feeding zone, your first task is to determine in which direction it's swimming. If you're walking north and the fish is swimming south, all you have to do is stop and let the fish come to you. If you're walking north and the fish is swimming north, you'll have to overtake the fish to present the fly properly.

In that situation, I simply move 20 feet away from the water and increase my walking pace enough to overtake the fish. I don't run. i believe snook can "feel" you running and become suspicious.

It's important to present the fly in front of the fish. After all, that's the business end of fish. I've never seen a snook eat with its tail.

Now, the next piece of advice will be questioned by some. But that's OK. It has worked great for me over the years. When casting to a snook in the feeding zone, I make a cast that's perpendicular (straight out) to the beach. I don't make diagonal casts or parallel casts.

I cast straight out and then try to retrieve that fly so that it and snook meet at the same place at the same time.

At that point, one of two things will happen: 1. The snook will ignore (or spook) your offering; 2. The snook will turn and follow.

If the latter happens, then it's up to you to provoke a strike. I do this by speeding up my retrieve or even  wiggling the fly with the rod tip. Realize your fly like is only a foot or two from the dry sand at this point.

And that brings us to fly selection. You should use any fly in which you have confidence. For me, that's my Gibby's D.T. Variation, a fly I've been using for 30 years and one that has resulted in more than 5,000 snook.

Why would I want to use any other pattern?

A little history on the D.T.:

Matt Hoover, a guide in Naples, sent me an original D.T. Special. In an accompanying note, Hooverl wrote: "This is the only fly you'll ever need for beach snook.

He was right.

I've tweaked the pattern over the years to fit my needs. The original D.T. Special featured four splayed white neck feathers on the tail, a palmered white neck collar and the hook shank covered with white thread.

I still use four neck hackles, but I tie them to the rear of the hook facing each other. I also add two strands of pearly flash. I build up the head and tie in a small amount of red thread just in front. I then add eyes and epoxy head and eyes. I leave most of the hook shank bare. Check this out on the D.T. Variation: http://gibbysfishingblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/good-fly-is-easy-to-tie-and-catches.html

I did not come up with the D.T. Special design.

I use fly rods from 5- to 8-weight. It largely depends on where I'm fishing and the size of the fish. Most often, I use my TFO BVK 5 weight with accompanying BVK Reel.

Line choices include a full floating line or a clear, intermediate sinktip. Leave your full sinking lines at home.

To keep things simple, just use a straight piece of 20-fluorocarbon as leader. If you go lighter, make sure you have 12 to 18 inches of 20-pound fluoro for a shock leader (bite tippet).

You'll want to travel light. I carry everything I need in a fanny pack: flies, leader material, leaders, nippers, pliers and water.

Other essential items include cap or hat, sunglasses, cell phone and camera.

I wear neoprene SCUBA boots. I do not advise sandals, Crocs or similar footwear. I also don't recommend flats/wading boots with zippers. Sooner or later, the zippers on your boots with clog up and with sand and shell. And you'll likely break the pull trying to unzip your boots.

I get my zipperless boots at a dive shop in Sarasota.

You might have to take quite a hike to find the fish. You can always camp out in a spot and allow the fish to come to you, but that usually doesn't work very well.

Where to fish? You can find snook in the surf from Anna Maria Island to Naples. That's a lot of real estate. Once you start exploring the surf, you'll find some spots are much better than others.

I try to avoid areas where the beach has been renourished. You'll find that the companies doing this procedure "rebuild" depleted beaches with sand from other areas. And the new sand usually isn't compatible with the original sand. You won't find sand fleas at the edge of the beach in new sand.

And you'll find that even the slightest wave action will "cream" the surf up, ruining your visibility.

My best day fly fishing for snook in the surf? I caught and released 41 snook one morning in 2009. On another outing, Jack Hartman of Sarasota and I combined to catch 51 snook.

My best day in terms of quality fish took place in August 2010 when I caught 15 snook. Eight of those 15 were 28 inches or larger. My largest fish went 40 inches and 20 pounds. On that morning, I also caught and released three oversized redfish and jumped three 100-pound tarpon.

Interestingly enough, I went back the very next morning and caught only two small snook. I didn't see any large snook, redfish or tarpon.

Go figure!

As you've probably figured out, I'm not going to take you by the hand and lead you to the best spots to fly fish for snook in the surf. I've spent too much time finding these prime spots and no one showed me anything.

Start are your favorite beach and branch out from there.

Your success or lack thereof depends on you. If you want to catch a snook you probably will. If you really don't have a great desire, you might want to try blind-casting for seatrout in Sarasota Bay.