Snook are an ambush feeding species. They prefer to hang out around structure and ambush their prey. To have the most success when fishing for snook, you need to present the right lure at the right time. Live bait definitely works, but a good artificial lure is the best option. Here we will look at the top 10 best lures for snook fishing.
Best Snook Fishing Lures
1. Rapala X-Rap Jerkbait 10 Fishing Lure
Product Features
Brand Name: Rapala
Type: Jerkbait
Quantity of Lures: 1 Lure
The Rapala X-Rap Jerkbait Fishing Lure is our number one pick for the best lure to use for snook fishing. This jerkbait (or twitchbait) weighs approximately .43 ounces and has a running depth of 3-8 feet.
The erratic twitches and darting action of this lure is sure to get the snook in your waters to pay attention.
The lure features 2 sharp treble hooks and is available in 10 different color options, making it an excellent addition to your tackle box.
How to Fish It
This lure works best when your fishing inshore. You can use it for catching snook, redfish, and other inshore species.
The key to using this one is to experiment with your retrieve. Cast it out and try pausing to see if the fish bite. If that’s not working you can try quick jerking retrieves to make the lure more appealing to hungry snook.
2. Yo-Zuri 3D Inshore Twitchbait Slow Sinking Lure
Product Features
Brand Name: Yo-Zuri
Type: Jerkbait
Quantity of Lures: 1 Lure
Another excellent jerkbait lure for snook fishing is the Yo-Zuri 3D Inshore Twitchbait Lure.
This lipless crankbait lure is roughly 3 1/2 inches in length. It is a slow sinking well-balanced lure with an erratic twitch that is great for attracting fish.
It has 2 sharp treble hooks and is available in 10 lifelike color options.
How to Fish It
This another twitchbait that works best with a jerk and pause retrieve. We recommend the mullet color option because this is something snook are already feeding on.
Cast it from the beach into shallow waters where the snook are feeding on mullet.
As you retrieve the lure make sure to experiment with the tempo of your twitches and pauses to see what gets the best reaction from the fish.
3. Dr.Fish Lot 3 Bucktail Jig
Product Features
Brand Name: Dr. Fish
Type: Bucktail Jig
Quantity of Lures: 3 Lures
The third spot on our list goes to the Dr. Fish Bucktail Jig 3 Pack. You can choose a 1/4 ounce, 1/2 ounce, 1-ounce, or 2-ounce weight for this set.
They also have two different color packs featuring vibrant fish-attracting colors.
These lures have a realistic glide that is excellent for snook. They are great for jigging of the bottom and also feature sharp durable hooks.
How to Fish It
Bucktail jigs are one of the most effective lures for catching snook along Florida beaches. They are ideal in situations where you can visibly see the snook in the waters. If you’re fishing summer snook, these are one of the top lures you should be using.
Whether you’re fishing the beach, off a dock, or bridge, the key with these lures is to use a jigging motion.
There’s a reason it’s called a bucktail jig. What you’re aiming for is the proper pulsating skirt action that will drive these inshore fish to strike.
4. Chasebaits 3.7″ Flick Prawn Fishing Lure, Native Prawn
Product Features
Brand Name: Chasebaits
Type: Shrimp Lure
Quantity of Lures: 1 Lure
Snook regularly feed on prawn which is why shrimp lures are so effective. This is why the Chasebaits Flick Prawn Lure is our number four spot.
This lure is hand sculpted to both look and feel realistic to any snook. The lure has an incredible life-like movement and can be fished with a slow roll or twitch that attracts fish.
They offer this lure in four different color options and two sizes. It can also be used for both freshwater and saltwater fish.
How to Fish It
So many saltwater fish feed on crustaceans that you’d be doing yourself a disservice not to have one in your arsenal. But it may take a little bit of experience to fish an artificial shrimp lure if you’ve never used one before.
The key to these lures is firstly using them in the right water conditions. They work best when the water is clear and the snook can see the lifelike design of the imitation lures.
The second thing to consider is to make sure you are fishing it at the right depth. They work best when the snook are feeding near the surface.
Cast it, and let it slowly sink into the area the snook are feeding in. If the fish aren’t biting right away, try a slow-twitch to get some action.
5. Bomber Lures Badonk-A-Donk High Pitch Saltwater Grade
Product Features
Brand Name: Bomber
Type: Topwater Lure
Quantity of Lures: 1 Lure
Next on our list is the Bomber Saltwater Grade Badonk-A-Donk High Pitch Lure. This lure features two sharp treble hooks, has nine color choices, and three size options.
This is a topwater lure with a high pitch designed to catch saltwater fish like snook. As you twitch the rod, the bait moves from side to side in a realistic twitching motion that gets the fish to pay attention.
This lure also has an internal rattle that is designed to attract any fish in the area.
6. DOA FSH3-3P/312 Shrimp 3” Near Clear 3Pk
Product Features
Brand Name: DOA
Type: Shrimp Lure
Quantity of Lures: 3 Pack
DOA Shrimps are another must-have artificial shrimp lure for saltwater anglers. These will work on almost any fish that regularly feeds on shrimp.
In this set, you get 3 clear colored lures that each measure approximately 3 inches in length. Each lure is designed with a lifelike design and to have a realistic swimming action to make them appear attractive to fish. They can be used for saltwater or freshwater fishing.
How to Fish It
These lures are made to work best with a slow and steady retrieve. Similar to the Chasebaits Prawn lure we already covered, these really shine in clear waters when the snook are feeding near the top of the water column. These are also one of the best lures to catch snook in canals with.
Try casting it in the early morning when the snook are actively feeding near the top. Use a slow retrieve to make this shrimp appear natural to get the most action out of it.
7. Berkley Gulp! Swimming Mullet, Pearl White, 3 inch
Product Features
Brand Name: Berkley
Type: Soft Plastic Bait
Quantity of Lures: 10 Pack
The Berkley Gulp! Swimming Mullet Soft Plastic Baits are another excellent option. They have a few different size options ranging from 3″ to 6″. The 3″ baits come in 10 packs where the larger 6″ baits are 3 per pack.
The bait itself is a small soft plastic bait with a curly tail that is made to produce a lifelike swimming action as it travels through the water. These also have a fish-attracting scent that disperses through the water to bring the fish’s attention to your bait.
For snook fishing, we like the 3″ pearl white-colored option, though they have many other colors that will work as well.
How to Fish It
These artificial baits work best rigged on jig heads.
After you have this one rigged up, there is two primary ways to fish it. With a slow and steady retrieve or with a twitch and pause retrieve. If you’re going to do a twitch and pause retrieve remember to experiment with your tempo until you figure out what kind of action gets the best response from the fish.
8. Bass Assassin Saltwater Sea Shad-10 Per Bag
Product Features
Brand Name: Bass Assasin
Type: Soft Plastic
Quantity of Lures: 10 Pack
The Bass Assasin Saltwater Sea Shad is another fanatstic lure that works well for snook and other inshore species like speckled trout and redfish. This is one of the best trolling lures for catching snook in the flats.
These soft plastic baits measure about 4 inches in length and feature a fat belly design which makes it more attractive to fish. These baits also have paddle tails that create a unique swimming action to get the fish to bite.
Overall these are pretty excellent and can be used for saltwater and freshwater fishing. For snook, we recommend the “chicken on a chain” color, though they have many other options that will work as well.
How to Fish It
Rig these paddle tail baits on a 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jig head.
You can work these the same way as the Berkley Gulp! soft plastics. Either slow and steady or with an erratic twitch and pause retrieve. If you’re going to use a twitch and pause, on your pauses try to let the bait fall naturally before jerking it back up again. Work it like you’re trying to skip it along the bottom.
Paddletail lures are also effective for trolling the flats for snook from your boat. Just make sure to rig it weedless so you don’t get stuck when trolling.
9. Berkley Johnson Silver Minnow Gold 2 1/2in – 1/2 oz
Product Features
Brand Name: Johnson
Type: Spoon
Quantity of Lures: 1 Lure
The Johnson Silver Minnow is another tried and true lure that has been used for years by anglers all over the world to catch anything ranging from snook and redfish to largemouth bass.
This one is a 1/2 ounce spoon that measures approximately 2.5″ in length. The lure has a weed guard, with a blade designed to improve casting distance. It’s also made to produce a brighter flash in the water than traditional spoons.
Overall this is an excellent lure that deserves a spot in every anglers tackle box.
How to Fish It
These lures are great for fishing shallow flats. The weed guard makes it excellent for fishing through grassy areas because you don’t have to worry about hang-ups. Use a twitch and pause or let it flutter as you retrieve it while trying to keep it just above the grass line.
10. Strike King Redfish Magic Saltwater Spinnerbait
Product Features
Brand Name: Strike King
Type: Spinnerbait
Quantity of Lures: 1 Lure
The final spot on our list is the Strike King Redfish Magic Saltwater Spinnerbait. These durable saltwater spinners weigh 1/4 ounce and feature a gold blade that vibrates through the water.
The lure also has a tungsten rattle designed to get the attention of any fish in the water as you work this lure. The lure has a 4″ plastic grub that you can change out if you prefer to have something different hooked on the end.
Overall this is an excellent lure though. It’s one of the best saltwater spinnerbaits on the market. It’s easy to work, casts great, and more importantly—it catches fish.
How to Fish It
These lures work great fished around structure or as a search bait in open flats. Try fishing it along the bottom of bridges, near rocky edges, or near the docks to catch snook.
It’s best worked with a slow and steady retrieve. It’s relatively simple to get the feel for it after you’ve practiced with it a couple of times.
If you’re fishing at night when visibility is limited, adding a trailer hook with a curly tail lure is a great way to produce some extra vibration which will help the snook locate your lure in the dark.
Best Types of Lures to Use for Snook Fishing
The kind of lure you want to use for your fishing will depend on the depth of the snook you are trying to fish. A versatile angler will carry multiple kinds of lures and adjust according to where the snook are, and what is getting the most bites. You will most commonly be fishing for snook at three depths:
- Shallow Water (Under 2 feet of water)
- Mid-Range Depth (2 feet fo 5 feet of water)
- Deep Water (5 Feet +)
Shallow Water
When fishing in shallow water for snook, you will want to jerk baits, twitch baits, spoons, or topwater plugs. These will be the best baits to attract snook in the shallow depths.
Fishing the shallows when the snook are actively feeding can be very productive. Just make sure that if you’re fishing shallow grassy flats that your lure is rigged weedless so you don’t experience hang-ups.
Mid-Range Depth
If you’re fishing snook in a mid-range depth of about two to five feet of water, you will want to use small lipped crankbaits, swimbaits, bucktails, or jigs. Bucktail jigs are our personal favorite when fishing mid-depth. The pulsating skirts of these jigs can drive inshore fish wild, so you’re almost sure to get strikes if you fish it properly
Deep Water
Fishing in deeper water requires different lures. For best results use large lipped crankbaits, swimbaits, heavy jigs, or heavy bucktails.
Best Lure Color for Snook
The general rule of thumb when selecting a lure color is to use darker colors when fishing stained waters. If the water is clear you can use natural colors.
You will also want to consider what the fish are feeding on in the waters you are fishing. In many areas, snook are regularly feeding on pale-colored shrimp and baitfish. So if you’re fishing these areas it would be smart to use a white or clear colored lure.
But if the waters you are fishing are murky, you’re better off with a darker color because lighter colors will be hard for the fish to see.
Lastly, chartreuse lures always seem to be effective. So when in doubt, always carry something chartreuse color in your tackle box so you can use it when the fish aren’t biting your other offerings.
Closing Thoughts
There are a huge number of artificial lures and baits that work great for catching snook. But the one that works best will depend on many factors.
For example, if you’re fishing in summer, you may end up using a different lure than for fishing in winter. If you’re fishing nights, you may want a different lure than for fishing in the day time.
The lure you use will also depend on the depth that the fish are at and where you are fishing. If you’re fishing deep waters for snook, you will probably use something different than if you’re inshore fishing.
Your goal is to get your presentation to appear as natural as possible wherever the snook are at. So you also want to use something that resembles what they regularly feed on.
All of these factors come into play when choosing a lure. Most experienced anglers carry a variety of options with them when they go out fishing. That when they can adjust their gear on the fly. This is what you should do too, to make the most of your time fishing.
Read the ultimate guide on how to catch snook.
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