How To Fish for Snook

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mark Nichols, the president of DOA (Deadly On Anything) lures, knows the Palm City area of Florida about 40 minutes north of West Palm Beach on the Atlantic Ocean like the back of his hand. He's learned how to take speckled trout, redfish, tarpon and snook. His tactics also will produce these species anywhere you fish with his lures. This week we'll look at how, where and why Nichols, one of the first anglers to bring Mossy Oak into the saltwater arena, uses the techniques he does to catch these inshore species. Nichols enjoys wearing Mossy Oak Apparel's TrekLite shirts, pants and shorts for saltwater fishing. As Nichols says, "I'm not wearing TrekLite clothes to hide from the fish. These clothes are just lightweight, comfortable and cool, they dry fast, and they define me as an outdoorsman. What most hunters don't know is that TrekLite clothing is also appropriate for hunting and saltwater fishing."

Question: Where do you find snook?
Answer: You'll find snook from Vero Beach, Florida, south on Florida's east coast and from north of Tampa, and south of Tampa on Florida's west coast.

Question: What makes snook such a favored fish for south Florida anglers?
Answer: Snook is a great fighting fish and a delicious eating fish. They inhale the baits like largemouth bass do, and they hold to the structure like a bass. Many anglers call the snook a largemouth bass on steroids.

Question: What rod, reel, line, and bait are you using for snook?
Answer: In open water, I'll fish 10-pound-test braided line with a 20- or a 25-pound-test monofilament leader. I'll set my drag light and use a Shimano 2000 reel and a medium- to stiff-action rod.

Question: What lure are you using?
Answer: I prefer the Bait Buster, which is the imitation of a finger mullet. I like the green over pearl with red on its chin. A red head bait with a white body is also a deadly color. Fish the bait below the schools of bait to which you're casting. Remember: the bigger the fish are, the lazier they are; the biggest snook will usually lay closest to the bottom, below a school of baitfish. They're waiting on the younger fish to cripple and injure the bait that they're planning on eating.

For more information on DOA lures, call (877) DOA-LURE (362-5873), or visit the website at www.doalures.com. To learn more about Mossy Oak Apparel's TrekLite clothing for hunting and fishing, go to www.mossyoak.com.

TOMORROW: How to Take Trophy speckled Trout Anywhere