"My silver mullet began to frantically run from the huge snook in the main channel at the Donald Ross drawbridge. The fish kept approaching the bait aggressively but backed off every time at the last second when I thought it was going to eat the bait. A large cloud of phosphorescence was visible each time my mullet was chased near the surface, and my line and bait looked like a laser track in the water. This process went on for several minutes and frustration set in. I decided to try a new mullet – but this time hooked in the back instead of the throat…just ahead of the dorsal and behind the head. Instead of allowing the mullet to go deep, I decided to hold my line, leader and hook out of the water where the mullet was the only thing visible. The idea was, that by doing this, the only thing the fish would pick up on, due to the phosphorescence, would be the bait itself. My hunch paid off and the snook came up and instantly exploded on the bait, never slowing down. I ended up pulling the hook on the fish, estimated at around 30 lbs, but I learned a lesson that night. Now, every time I fish live bait in "fire water" or phosphorescent water, I go back to that technique of keeping my terminal tackle out of view. It has become especially valuable to me when I’m fishing live ladyfish for big snook around the dark bridges on Florida’s Gulf Coast."

"This is just one little nugget of gold that I have learned over the many years of hardcore snook fishing. The following tips by my good friend, Captain Alex Rodriguez and I, are true secrets of hunting trophy snook – never before revealed:"

• "Jig Fishing/ Scoot retrieve (DJ)- When retrieving a jig for snook, instead of snapping the lure off of the bottom, simply crank the lure off the bottom, using the reel handle rather than the rod to do so. Keep the rod pointed in the direction you are jigging to enable a better hookset. (Diagram can be enclosed to show the action of the lure and proximity to bottom)"
• "Jig Fishing/ erratic fall technique (A Rod)- As we all know, all snook hits occur on the fall of the lure. Instead of allowing a free fall to the bottom, twitch the line between your thumb and forefinger to impart added action. This method is very effective on faster tides."
• "Jig Fishing/ Pause technique (DJ)- As the lure is falling, use your rod to hold back the falling time. This allows the snook a longer window to eat the jig. This is particularly effective on slack or slower tide phases."
• "Jig Fishing/ color preferences (DJ/ A Rod)- When using a jig, whether a hair jig, plastic, or Gulp tail for snook, remember the generalities that in clearer water, a lighter colored jig will work best. In silty or stained water, always use a lure with the most silhouette. That calls for darker colors such as black, root beer, or dark green. (photo)"
• "Jig Fishing/ match the hatch (DJ)- For times when shrimp are running, obviously go with the shrimp imitators such as the Berkley Power Bait shrimp or the Berkley Gulp! Shrimp. During times that snook are feeding on mullet and sand perch, use a larger profile hair jig or a Berkley Power Bait Pogey. These more closely mimick the larger baitfish profile. When the snook are feeding on thinner baitfish such as small ladyfish, ballyhoo, or Spanish sardines, use a thinner profile lure such as a Berkley Powerbait Eel. "

"Note to above tip: Last year in Jupiter Inlet, while fishing a pre dawn, high incoming tide, I was having good success with snook in the 12 to 25 lb class with the Berkley Powerbait shrimp tail / leadhead jig combo. Suddenly the bite came to a screeching halt as the tide slacked off. After attempting several retrieve variations, I went to a Gulp! Shrimp and slowed the retrieve down a little and let the scent do its magic. I ended up catching five snook on the slack tide using the Gulp! Material. Not being made of plastic, but of a natural, food based substance, the Gulp! Shrimp made a dramatic difference in my snook totals that morning. Since then, for jig fishing on slack tides, it has been one of my favorite stand bys. "

• "Jig Fishing/ Unorthodox retrieve pattern (A Rod/ DJ)- Snook tend to become alarmed if lures, particularly jigs, are coming right at them, so a method with which we have had very good success is a retrieve that brings the path of the lure behind the fish and subsequently swimming away from them against the tide. This allows them the opportunity to pursue the lure rather than be intimidated by it. (show with diagram)"
• "Trolling technique/ bridges (DJ)- When trolling the longer, bayside bridges for snook with either hard baits or soft swimbaits such as the Berkley Power Pogey, take a weaving pattern while trolling lengthwise along the bridge shadow- taking care to swing the boat tight to the bridge directly underneath the street lights and swinging the boat’s path away from the bridge in between the lights. (diagram)"
• "Trolling techniques/ inlets (DJ)- when trolling ocean inlets and passes with swimming plugs, let out a lot of scope when trolling against the tide. For instance, in 15 to 22 feet of water, as much as 50 yards can be let out between the lure and boat. For trolling with the tide, as little as 30 feet can be let out between the boat and lure, depending on the speed of the tide. "

"About ten years ago when braided lines really hit the scenes, I trolled a Dade County inlet for snook with 50 lb braided line and a 3 foot, 80 lb mono leader. After going 0 for 9 on getting snook to the boat, we decided to put on a topshot of mono and we ended up bringing about 80% of the fish to the boat. With the braid/ short leader combo, they were throwing the plugs way too easily."

• "Trolling techniques/ line type (DJ, A rod)- When trolling for snook with plugs, it is always best to troll with a standard monofilament line with a lot of forgiveness and shock resistance (such as Berkley Big Game). If braided lines are used, a simple 20 foot topshot of mono will result in more boated fish. "
• "Live Bait technique/ deep swimming mullet (DJ)- To get your live mullet to go as deep as possible without the use of a sinker, it is best to hook them through the throat area between the pec fins and the gills. This is a fleshy area about an inch in length. There are no bones in this section of the mullet and the hook will pull out easily on a strong hook set. The mullet will invert when hooked in this fashion and head to the bottom with minimal resistance applied by the angler. (photo)"
• "Live bait technique/ deep swimming mullet/ flaring out (DJ)- When the mullet is in a position that appears to be favorable for a hit, with yet no results, the angler can twitch his line between the thumb and forefinger to cause the bait to flare out in a frantic run. This will normally result in a hit if there is a snook in the vicinity."
• "Live Bait/ dropback (DJ, A Rod)- When a snook hits a large live baitfish, we are asked frequently as to how long we allow the fish to eat the bait. A snook, being a predator that feeds by inhalation, does not require a dropback after the hit. As long as it takes to flip the reel into gear, wind down and set the hook – is as long as is needed."

"(Hooks Turning Back / part I): After a frustrating trip on a drawbridge in Broward County with live sandperch, where I missed 5 snook in a row due to my hook turning back into my bait upon setting the hook, I was forced to think of a way to stop this from happening. To my surprise a rubber band and a pair of scissors was my answer:"

• "Live bait/ Hook turning back (prevention of) (DJ)- To prevent the hook from turning back into the baitfish you are using, or more appropriately, to prevent the bait from being knocked up your leader, it is effective to use a small square of rubber band on the bend of the hook to stop the bait from sliding up the shank of the hook. Reduction of dropback time will also reduce the number of incidents that the hook turns back into the bait. Additionally, the use of a non offset, O’Shounessy style J hook will help in the matter. (photo) "

"(Hooks Turning Back: Conclusion)….Needless to say, after going back the next night armed with my rubber band studded hooks, I didn’t encounter the hook turning back incidents but one time out of seven hits. And a lot more snook were landed as a result."

• "Live bait/ reaction to pursuit by the snook (DJ)- When a snook is in pursuit of your large live bait, how you react to that will decide whether you will ultimately get a hit or not. The idea is to allow your bait to remain as natural looking as possible through the process of chase and hit. If your bait is hooked in the throat or belly area, as little resistance as possible must be kept on the bait once it is getting chased. If the bait is lip hooked, or back hooked, it can be more readily manipulated by the angler. "
• "Bait and Lure Presentation/ Bridge shadows (DJ, A Rod)- Remember, there are two sets of shadow lines on most bridges. Don’t forget to concentrate on the outside shadow lines that are created by the street lights on the opposite side of the bridge you are fishing on. The outside shadows are usually strongest directly between a set of lights where it is darkest straight below you. The area just under the lights on the side of the bridge that you are fishing should be fished straight down, in the inside shadow line. "

"A number of years ago, I used to fish Flagler Bridge in West Palm Beach with live sand perch on the last of the incoming tide, and, just to the south at Royal Park Bridge on the slack high and first of the outgoing tide. After the tide began to rip at Royal Park, the bite stopped suddenly on the upcurrent side. Then, thinking to my Venetian Causeway approach in Miami, I went to the downcurrent side of the bridge on the strong tide and found the fish holding in the eddies behind the pilings. This leads us to our next tip:"

• "Bait and lure presentation / downcurrent approach (DJ. A Rod)- In many cases, the current at a bridge is too strong to hold snook in the traditional upcurrent staging area of a bridge. In these instances, the snook will take refuge behind current breaks such as pilings, fenders, and walls. Concentrate on the eddies or swirls near the bottom."

"In closing, if there is one key thing to grasp about fishing for big snook, it is that they are a bottom fish, designed for the current. They have a flat belly, rounded back, and a sloped front section for adaptation to heavy current. Having said that, make sure your bait and lure presentations are primarily deep presentations, and you will be rewarded with more, and bigger snook. If you are a serious snook angler, regardless of your region, all of these techniques will work for you at different times. "

"SIDEBAR 1:"

"Could reference the fact that Florida snook vary in features from coast to coast. "

"One thing is in the differences in physical appearance: a common snook from the west coast of Florida in the 34 inch range would typically weight around 13 lbs, on average, while an east coast snook of the same length would weigh 18 lbs, on average. Also, the snook on the west coast seem to be more suspending in their relationship to the water column, while on the east coast, they seem to prefer the bottom."

"SIDEBAR 2: Dave’s month by month Snook Calender:"

"January: Typically, the snook are inshore; in creeks and canals or deep basins on cooler days, and in fairly typical behavior or locales during warmer January days. During this time, they are always mainly focused on shrimp runs. Target areas include river systems and canals on colder periods and inlet turning basins during shrimp runs in warmer periods."

"February: Similar to January on the east coast, with the focus on shrimp. On the west coast, however, February can be an excellent time to fish with large, live black mullet on warmer days. Pinfish are also a target forage fish. Target areas include spillways, residential canal bridges."

"March: Begins the silver mullet and menhaden runs in along the east coast. Continuation of targeting black mullet on the Gulf coast. Shrimp runs in extreme south Florida in Miami and the keys produce large numbers of snook."

"April: The silver mullet run is in full swing on the east coast, ladyfish on the Gulf coast, and herring become the target bait for smaller to midsized snook on both coasts. Target areas are lighted intracoastal bridges and small waterway bridges at daybreak."

"May: Silver Mullet and sandperch are best for large snook during this month. Later in the month is typically the beginning of the sandperch run. Targets areas are lighted intracoastal bridges and inlet turning basins."

"June: Sandperch and croakers fished in inlet areas. Spawning activity is in full swing."

"July: Again, sandperch is the primary forage for east coast spawners in inlet areas and along beaches. Croakers and thread herring run as a close second for bait targets."

"August: The month of August is typically a transition month, where the fish begin to move back into the intracoastal areas and inland waterways. Many, however are still found in inlets, continuing the spawn and feeding on sandperch and croakers."

"September: Marks the beginning of the black mullet run along Florida’s east coast. Target areas are where the bait is congregating. This could include Intracoastal bridges, inlets, and canals."

"October: Continuation of black mullet and finger mullet runs. Concentrate on areas of mullet congregating- with a focus on canals."

"November: Movement of snook schools are typically in an inshore direction. Canals, creeks, and river systems are most productive with a focus on shrimp and smaller baitfish."

"December: Snook schools are established inshore on the west coast and somewhat on the east coast (with some schools congregating on offshore reefs and wrecks). Cooler periods on the east coast will find snook in rivers and canals, and in inlet basins during warmer spells, feeding on shrimp and pinfish."