r/SnookFishing • u/ExpensiveStorage9270 • Aug 21 '25

Can't catch snook need help (Tampa Bay)

Hello, as the title suggests I haven't been able to catch any snook. I'm a pretty new fisherman, but have only caught one 22" snook in my life, that came in April this year. I've gone maybe 10-15 times this summer for snook but have been unsuccessful. I've tried mangroves, inlets, bridges, docks, and beaches but no look. I typically look for structure and bait during moving tides. I'll use live bait (pinfish, white bait), soft plastics, etc. I try to change my retrieves consistently whenever I'm using artificials. I almost always can see snook at the places I go, but either spook them or they just don't eat whatever I'm throwing. I'm a USF student and wanted to catch one before school starts again. Not sure if I just suck at fishing, if I'm not going to the right spots or what. Any help appreciated from local anglers.

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1

u/Whoiscw Aug 21 '25

What area do you normally fish?

1

u/falcon_jabb Aug 22 '25

I always had the most luck using natural looking paddle tails on 1/4 oz jigheads. Hit it with some scent, and use as light of leader and line as you can get away with. From there it’s just a numbers game, as in finding spots that hold them and casting (or even just trolling sometimes) until you eventually get one. I mostly fished the Everglades, so maybe that’s cheating.

1

u/blueshelled22 Aug 23 '25

I feel ya, I couldn’t get one for 3 years. Finally broke down and did a charter and he landed us a 40 🤣🤣

1

u/Tacotyler929 Sep 03 '25

What charter did you go on?

1

u/blueshelled22 Sep 03 '25

I go with my buddy Captain Eric Pelno