Snook

[Robert T]

In the past two years I caught many species of fish but there's one missing from my list - Snook. Just wondering if anyone knows the best places to catch one?


Robert

[Steve Pitts]

Hi Robert

My friends and I have caught snook from many beaches around the lowlands area of the island - either on fly or spinning gear.

Almost any sandy beach from Lambeau around to Buccoo can produce snook between a couple of pounds up to 15lb.
Most of the fish that we have caught have been very close to the shore and they like to patrol the gully that forms at the base of these beaches, where the wave action scoures out a trough.

The lagoon and lakes within the old Hilton hotel complex, if you can gain access, hold a good head of snook and most of these fish appear to favour hanging close to the bank so this is the area to fish. See this report from earlier this year -
http://www.mikeladle.com/archive/catch256.html

and from 2007 -
http://www.mikeladle.com/archive/catch141.html

http://www.mikeladle.com/tackle/tackle162.html

Dawn and dusk (and the darkness hours either side) are the best times for snook, but they will also feed well in the middle of the day if the water is murky from rain or wave action.

I hope that you catch your snook

Cheers
Steve

[Robert T]

Hi Steve,

Thanks. I fished those beaches many times, the snook mustve been elsewhere. I even tried to have a go inside the Plantations but the security guy stopped me from wetting my line. Courland River is said to be a good one for snook with live baits though I've never tried. Are you guys planning a trip in the near future?


Robert

[Steve Pitts]

Hi Robert

It has to be said that we don't catch snook on every trip, but sometimes there are many more snook around and fishing along the edge of the beaches, rather than casting out, has produced as many as four or 5 fish in an early morning or evening session over a couple of hours.

Crown Point is a favoured spot and this is where I saw a local guy catch the 15 pounder on a livebait, fished with a handline, just tossed into the surf. No weight or anything, just the bait, so you can probably tell that he was expecting the fish to be close in.

[Robert T]

HI Steve,
That's a big snook on a handline. It's amazing what they can catch with those lines. This March I saw one guy pulling in some big snappers and a decent jack on his gear.

An english guy I met during my last visit said that Bucco could be fairly productive for snook with live baits before sunup.

I realised that fishing for certain species can be quite inconsistent as many of them move around a lot. ESpecially jacks seem to be on the move all the time as I've experienced.


Robert

[Glenn G.]

Tried my luck for the first time at the rocks that are at the southern most point of Arnos Vale Bay - could be Back Bay. Got horrendously smashed four times floatfishing strips of flying fish - 30KG braid!! Couple of local lads went in next day spear fishing and dragged out two huge snook one well over 15KG. I was told that they are also occasionally caught off the disused pier at Plymouth but take care to avoid the ridiculously huge Tarpon and Stingrays.

[Steve Pitts]

I've heard of many big fish being lost by anglers fishing around Arnos Vale and most have claimed to have been smashed or bitten off by barracuda.

I would never have dreamed that snook could be the culprits, but fish of 15kg would certainly do some damage to wear through braid or light mono.

If I'm fishing for snook, I always use a 50lb mono rubbing leader to allow for the sharp edges on their gill covers (also comes in handy if you hook a tarpon). See following photo.

Given that snook are most active in the dark or in murky water, the heavy mono doesn't seem to put them off.



Cheers
Steve

[Robert T]

Glenn,

I never tried my luck around Arnos Vale but heard about some monster barracudas lurking alongside the rocks. I always use a wire trace out there as you can never know what might be going for your bait, lure etc. It doesnt seem to put off many species as they're always hungry.

As for the dilapidated jetty in Plymouth bay , I never toyed with the idea of fishing there as playing a big fish by the moored up boats can come a real struggle.

Where else did you fish in Tobago?


Robert