| Centropomus undecimalis |
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Snook is an important game fish. In the US this fish is mostly found in Florida and Southwestern Texas, stray Snook have been found as far North as Delaware. Snook can be found throughout the American tropics on the Atlantic and Pacific sides. One of the largest on record measured 4 feet 7 inches and weighed 50 lbs 8 ozs. A related species, the Black Snook can be found on the Pacific side of the tropical America.
Snook are long bodied but thick through the middle, with the upper snout depressed and a protruding lower jaw. There color may vary with the area they live in. Usually they are brownish or brown-gold on the back shading to a lighter color on the belly; it has a pronounced black lateral strip along the sides which extends to the tail.
Snook occur along the coast in saltwater, in addition to bays, estuaries, canals along shorelines and bridge pilings. Small, immature individuals, less than a year old usually found in coastal lagoons and estuaries. Common Snook feeds primarily on fishes, but crustaceans are also an important food. The spawning season is from June thru November. They may reach the age of 7 years and can be matured by the one third of there life span. Snook are very sensitive to the water temperature and the minimum they can tolerate is 60 degrees.
Snook are caught on bucktail jigs in chilly weather when they are in deep holes, but can be hooked on mullets and plugs and flies. A rod with a stiff tip will be needed to hold them back from going back into mangrove roots when in mangrove creeks. When casting in shallow water on open flats most anglers favor surface plugs and fly fishing Gold spoons with red or orange feathers will work.
The tides are important in finding them at the edge of the flats waiting for bait fish to come off the flats as you can see them cruising on the flats, or see them crash onto schools of baitfish. Most of the time one must cast blind into mouths of creeks, into mangrove pockets, into holes on the down tide side of sandbars. As a rule the falling tides are the best for Snook around the river mouths and shorelines and a rising tide at the entrance to creek heads. Plan on arriving at your fishing spot one hour before the high, and look for the best during the first 2 hours of the ebb. Falling tides pulls the baitfish from the mangrove roots and into the holes where the big Snook get to them. A dead Low maybe just as productive because of the Snook maybe in the deep cuts and holes. Creek heads are usually shallow and they may lie in wait for the rising tide to feast on crabs or mullet, then drop back. For this reason a good guide will keep you on the move finding the right tides and creek openings for you. It's not unusual to cover many miles in a day and enjoy fast fishing at each stop.