redtail hawk lure?

[ras blemo]

So ......after reading and researching the net thru various articles , living in south florida i feel im missing out on something. SNOOK!!! i have never been able to hook one. but in all fairness i never targeted one either.anyway. .shopping at walmart i noticed(wandering away from the fam) these lures and bought two . so after still searching and unsuccessfully finding any articles on what knots to tie the lure to my mainline . i am using 20# mono and intend to use 40# flouro. as the leader . so i tied a bimini knot in my mainline, following tips i ve read. now what knot do i tie to the leader? then to the lure so it wont twist on retrieve ? and i also read not to use sinkers or swivels. true? im sure you guys can help me out. alot of good brains in here. after all with advice i picked up here ive become a better snapper fisherman. thanks in advance!

[bolo]

There are several knots to use but here are a few simple ones. Albright, Uni-Uni, or Surgueon Knot. I highly recommend using 50lb leader minimum for larger Snook. I would tie a loop knot to allow the lure or jig to move freely. Gives better action as the stiffer leader will limit it.

[rshields]

This is a bristol to bimini. Works even better if you wrap it back up.. say the 7 or so wraps down and then the 7 or so laced through your original wrap and then back up and through the leader. Number of wraps depends on the leader weight. for 50# leader 4-up then 4-down through the loop and this is strong.

http://www.georgepoveromo.com/lineleaderconnection.htm

[rshields]

Here's one for your lures

http://www.animatedknots.com/rapala/index.php

[ras blemo]

thanks guys... not even one smart remark.... i love it will try these suggestions. by the way after i tied the bimini i tied a swivel using a palomar and then a presnelled hook and went bout my usual bussiness of hunting snapper . got stuck on the bottom , couldnt walk it out ,so i had to pop the line . to my amazement i lost everything except the bimini knot itself. NICE KNOT! thanks again . let you guys know when i catch my first snook!

[bolo]

Bimini Twist is indeed a great knot.

[BRunner346]

like bolo said i would use 50lb leader. if you know the snook are there and you arent getting bites then drop down to 40 or 30. ive had it where snook piled up on rocks in crystal clear water and i had to drop all the way down to 20lb leader to get a strike. it all depends on water clarity and location (surroundings, structure).

[island-R]

unless your fishing sebastian inlet i would forget the jig down here. Go with live shrimp or mullet.

[bolo]

unless your fishing sebastian inlet i would forget the jig down here. Go with live shrimp or mullet.

You just have to learn to drift the jig out. There are many guys who fish that area and do not use live bait. I believe it goes against their religion.

[james380]

Right now with all the rain you need to hunt down the spillways in your area. When the gates are open the snook come in looking for dinner.

[ras blemo]

unless your fishing sebastian inlet i would forget the jig down here. Go with live shrimp or mullet.

bout those lures. i witnessed a friend of mine who knows lil to nothing catch and release an undersize snook on a live shrimp. .still havn't been successful with the lure. any tips on fishing these? not even a bite yet. thanks

[ras blemo]

Right now with all the rain you need to hunt down the spillways in your area. When the gates are open the snook come in looking for dinner.

sorry heard it b4 ,but what is a spillway?

[BRunner346]

unless your fishing sebastian inlet i would forget the jig down here. Go with live shrimp or mullet.

bout those lures. i witnessed a friend of mine who knows lil to nothing catch and release an undersize snook on a live shrimp. .still havn't been successful with the lure. any tips on fishing these? not even a bite yet. thanks

you can real it in slow. or give it a twitch everyonce in awhile. no wrong way to fish a bucktail. just have to find out how they are hitting it. really good lure btw.

[ras blemo]

Overflow usually fresh water canals with gates that open to reduce potential flooding in certain areas. Run by our friends at SWFMD!!!!

https://my.sfwmd.gov/pls/portal/realtim ... op=COASTAL

thanks

[bolo]

unless your fishing sebastian inlet i would forget the jig down here. Go with live shrimp or mullet.

bout those lures. i witnessed a friend of mine who knows lil to nothing catch and release an undersize snook on a live shrimp. .still havn't been successful with the lure. any tips on fishing these? not even a bite yet. thanks

What area do you fish for snook? You do not have to give your spot away. If we knew what area and structure you fish at can help the type of lures to use.

[ras blemo]

unless your fishing sebastian inlet i would forget the jig down here. Go with live shrimp or mullet.

bout those lures. i witnessed a friend of mine who knows lil to nothing catch and release an undersize snook on a live shrimp. .still havn't been successful with the lure. any tips on fishing these? not even a bite yet. thanks

What area do you fish for snook? You do not have to give your spot away. If we knew what area and structure you fish at can help the type of lures to use.

i fish on top of a bridge. usually less hangups for me . i try to cast under the bridge or near the piling , found a few large snapper that way, just got a second pole so i can leave it in the water while i use this lure. i also have been going at night, trying to go an hour b4 incoming high tide, i also catch a few large pinfish (i read that snook also like these) how do i hook these. i read through the lips and i cut their "pins" off . but no bites. this is my normal setup which i normally use , i found pretty effective for snapper. penn 750, 6'6 ugly stick .20 lb. line tied to a bimini to a swivel with a palomar with usually a 3 oz egg sinker weight to hold bottom b4 the swivel and then 2'6" 40lb leader 1/0 circle hook and a live shrimp. For snook. i was trying same rod and reel. 20lb line.bimini to no name knot to rapala knot on a 1 1/2 or two ounce hawktail ,40lb leader . no weight. i cast up current let it hit bottom and retrieve slow and steady. and........ no snook. and my buddy feels like king of the earth with the snook he caught using the snapper setup i described earlier(which i showed him) ......................

[BRunner346]

hook the pinfish on the bottom near the anus. that way its swims down. snook are usually sitting on the bottom. freeline the pinfish under the bridge not out away from it. i usually will keep moving around. i wont drop in the same place more than 4-5 times without moving. you will feel the soft bump from the snook or you will just feel you line stop. and just keep working the red hawk tail different ways. ive caught with it on a bridge but there was plenty of structure away from the bridge that i swam it parallel to. i dont think that lure is for everywhere.

[bolo]

If you plan to have a bottom bait sitting near a piling then I recommend a knocker rig. Hook it thru under the mouth. If you are freelining the bait then BRunner is right on the money. You will have to put a split shot or a small egg sinker. You might want to lighten up on the weight of the Red Hawk if the depth of the water is not deep. If current is not moving hard 2oz might be too much. You want the jig to bounce off the bottom and drift with the current. When I fish for Snook I only retrieve to wind in slack. The current and twitching the lure with my rod tip is all I do. You presentation might look unnatural to the Snook. The guys at Sebastian Inlet use different weight Red Hawk jigs to reach to the fish at whichever water column they are stack at. But they all drift their jigs. You will be surprise a little change can do. If all else fails tip your jig with shrimp.