Pier Fishing For Snook After Sunset  

By Ted Koppel    

   Snook are taken many ways, surf fishing, river fishing, even occasionally offshore fishing, but the method a lot of hardcore Snook fishermen prefer is fishing for them from piers at night with a light. This can be quite a challenge for the person catching these hard fighting fish as well as the fishing tackle they are using.

Attracting the fish to you

   You will want to invest in a light of some sort to attract the baitfish, which in turn attract the Snook. Most veteran Snook anglers that night fish from piers prefer a gas lantern that is custom rigged with a highly reflective hood that they attach to the top of the lantern before hanging it over the side of the pier. Others have batteries on carts with electric lights that may be submerged in the water, either one seems to draw the baitfish and Snook.

   The Snook will sometimes appear to be stacked under your light like cord wood, just lying in wait for the next baitfish to make the wrong move. Most of the time, the ones you can see are not the ones that are going to hit your bait or lure. The ones most likely to hit are lurking in the shadows just outside of the light.

Where to look

   A pier with deep water that is moving very swiftly is a key factor when doing this type of fishing. Check the tide times to determine when it will be moving. Your local tackle shop should have charts available to their customers on a monthly basis.

 Once you have located a good pier you will want to get there while it is still daylight to catch bait out of the shallows from the very same water that you will be fishing. Lures work also, but if you want to increase the size and amount of Snook you catch, use live bait from the same area you will be fishing.

What bait to use

   Pinfish make great Snook bait, the bigger the pinfish, the bigger the Snook. White bait netted in shallows and on flats are Snook candy too. Be sure to bring a dip net so that you may catch shrimp that are passing under the light as well as glass minnows or anything else you see a Snook chasing that you can dip up. Greenbacks can often be netted by the dozen; take care when handling these fragile baitfish, the loss of a single scale can kill them. Keep all bait in a large, well aerated container or a flow through style bait bucket that can be hung over the pier.

Your fishing tackle choice

   You will want good quality saltwater fishing tackle that will be able to withstand the rigorous fight that Snook so often put up. Light tackle is not an option for this type of fishing; people have been known to bring their offshore fishing rods to the pier for these fish!

   Good quality fishing line that resists abrasion is a must. Once hooked, the Snook will instinctively make a mad dash under the pier where the barnacles on the pilings can shred your line. Your best bet is to have a stout set up with large fishing line to get his head out of water, they can't fight much when their head is not in the water.

   A good fluorocarbon leader is a must; these fish have gill plates like razors. Your best bet is to freeline your bait on about a 4/0 hook when using larger baitfish. A good quality 2/0 hook seems to be better for live shrimp and smaller baitfish. Snook are finicky and the larger ones avoid most hooked baits, this means stealthy tactics for the angler trying to land one is in order.

Technique

   Once you have the bait on the hook and ready, lower it into the water near the light. If using a gas lantern above water, exercise caution while doing this because the heat these lights produce are enough to burn through or even worst, weaken the fishing line. Depending on the current and side of pier let your bait slowly descend while drifting into the shadows under the pier or away from it. The Snook will usually be in both places, if drifting bait under the pier, keep in mind that you must pull him out, quickly!

   A good landing net comes in handy for the big ones; it's not real easy to get the big boys on the pier without one. Due to the stringent size regulations you will want to be able to release fish that are too small or too large. Check to make sure they are in season and what sizes are legal to take if you plan to eat them.

   When some time has passed without any bites while fishing for Snook with a light, pull the light up, place your bait where the light was and hang on! This triggers the Snook into a feeding frenzy because the baitfish that were safely hiding in the light are now at a disadvantage and the Snook take full advantage to fill their belly’s.

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