Common Snook

Season in Lower Texas

Peak months: Jun, Jul, Aug.

South Padre guide: snook near the jetties and along the beachfront in summer and in the bay until October. TPWD: tropical fish that visit when Texas water is warm enough, spawning June or July around passes; most caught in the Lower Laguna Madre. (Our inference)

Season by region

Where to find them

Brazos Santiago jetties and the beachfront in summer, and Lower Laguna Madre pilings into October; live shrimp dangled along pilings in clear water (South Padre guide; TPWD).

Ambush predator that does not chase prey far (FWC); holds tight to jetty tips, seawalls, docks and bridge shadows, and under mullet schools close to the beach during the fall run (Sport Fishing).

What to look for

Mullet schools pushed along the beach with fish popping underneath them, bait under dock lights at night, the shadow line of a bridge on a falling tide.

What to throw

Bucktail or jighead with a 4 to 5 in paddle tail1/2 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in tail. Slow hops along the bottom: lift, drop, let it touch, repeat.

Topwater popper or walk-the-dog plug1 to 2 oz, 4 to 6 in. Popper: sharp pops with pauses. Walker: rhythmic side-to-side twitches.

Swimming minnow plug (Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow style)3/4 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in. Steady medium retrieve with occasional twitches and pauses.

Jighead with a scented soft-plastic shrimp or mullet (Gulp style)1/4 to 1/2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Slow drag and hop on the bottom with pauses; scent does the work.

Bait

Live finger mullet, Live pilchards (sardines), Live shrimp, Live pinfish or pigfish, Mojarras. Free-lined or with about a half-ounce weight on an 18 in leader (Sebastian Inlet catwalk); a 3/0 circle hook on 40 lb fluorocarbon for mullet-run snook (Sport Fishing)..

Leader

About 40 lb fluorocarbon, lighter for small snook (Sport Fishing).

Common mistakes

• Fishing slack water; snook feed best on a moving tide (FWC)
• Fishing cold water; snook turn lethargic below 65 F (FWC)
• Fishing dirty water when a clean tide is coming (Sebastian Inlet reports)

Landing

Net it or lead it to a low landing spot; keep any fish you will release in the water.

Handling

No snook-specific handling guide was found. FWC's general practice for big fish (keep them in the water, support the body horizontally with wet hands) is the safe default.

Keep or release

A fine food fish (TPWD). Texas uses a slot; see the regulations file.

Recipes for common snook

Typical: unknown. Large: Up to 48 in and 38 lb in Florida waters (FWC FWRI). Florida record 45 lb 12 oz (near Sebastian).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the TX limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department before you keep a fish.

Sources

• South Padre Island CVB: Bay and offshore fishing guide (species notes) (Angler knowledge)
• TPWD species profile: common snook (Official source)
• Florida FWC species profile: snook (Official source)
• Florida FWC FWRI: A Sketch of the Common Snook in Florida (Official source)
• Florida Museum, Discover Fishes: common snook (Official source)

All the fish of Lower Texas