How To Catch Snook

Tip: When fishing for Snook the best time has always been in the evening. Both incoming and outgoing tides. The thing to remember is if you can see the snook in clear water they can see you and your hook and line and WILL NOT bite.

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The common snook Centropomus undecimalis is one of Florida's most popular inshore game fish because of its spectacular fighting ability and merit as table fare. Anglers call the common snook many names but the two most common are robalo and linesider. The word "snook" comes from the Dutch word "snoek " meaning pike. The majority of anglers pronounce the name as "snook" (like took) but in parts of south Florida it is pronounced "snuke" (like fluke). Four species of snook occur in Florida:

The common snook is the largest and most common and is the species caught by most anglers. In Florida waters it may grow to 48 inches and 38 pounds.

The fat snook C. parallelus which seldom reaches 24 inches has a squarish-shaped body covered with scales that are smaller than those on the common snook.

The tarpon snook C.pectinatus is another small form with a squarish body but it has larger scales than the fat snook does and has an upturned mouth similar to a tarpon's mouth.

The swordspine snook C.ensiferus is rare; it is the smallest species and has a grotesquely large anal spine. The three smaller species are found in extreme southern Florida usually upstream in coastal rivers or less saline habitats in the upper estuary.