SNOOK OFF THE DOCKS

Nick Honachefsky shares some information from his recent trip to the Stuart Florida area during the annual mullet run, when there is so much bait around that it may not be a guarantee to hookup with the prized snook.

Nick Honachefsky shares some information from his recent trip to the Stuart Florida area during the annual mullet run, when there is so much bait around that it may not be a guarantee to hookup with the prized snook.
[vc_row][vc_column width='1/1'] I’ve seen some serious snook in my life, but on a recent trip during the mullet run to Pt. St. Lucie Florida earlier in October, I witnessed happenings I had never seen before. Just before sunrise among the docks in the Indian River Lagoon, the back bay world absolutely lit up. Mullet were so thick, (and I hate to use this expression but it’s true), you could literally walk across the water on top of the mullets backs. That alone was a magnificent sight to see, but even more so was the amount of snook that were blowing up the mullet schools around the dock pilings. It was incredible to see snook up to 30 pounds vaulting out of the water exploding on mullet only feet away from the docks.The key was how to fish the schools when they had all the food they needed in front of them. Best shots at scoring dock snook when they are keyed in on bait is to throw topwater or floating offerings such as the DOA BFL, the DOA C.A.L paddletails, and Yo-Zuri Mag Darters to garner a reactive strike. If that doesn’t work, go a little deeper under the mullet schools with a 3/8 to ½-ounce Kalins leadhead tipped with a 4-inch Bass Assassin, or 5-3/4- inch Fin-s Fish in Arkansas Shiner, Albino Shad or Bubble Gum coloring.That’s daytime fishing, and after dark can be just as effective. If you are working the night shift around the dock lights, go with a 3 to 4-inch DOA Shrimp, in gold fleck/white or gray and white patterns and twitch the shrimp bait every two or three cranks of the reel. Night time dock snook fishing can be very precarious as they are wizened fish and will turn away at any offering after the second or third pass so make your casts count and work the lure perfectly or you will truly have to put in your time to convince them to strike. Employ the use of a heavier 30 to 40-pound fluorocarbon leader and use a 75-pound class Tactical Anglers Clip to insure you will hold strong in case you hook into a 20-pound plus class linesider as their brawny fight and their serrated gill plates can easily cut line that is less than 30-pound test. Hook up with TackleDirect Pro Staff Captain Mike Haines at (305) 505-2772 to get in on the bite.[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1477672396475-1e114632-d385-9' include='3424,3426'][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width='1/1'][block_title style='column_title' inner_style='inline_border' title='Gear Used'][/block_title][vc_row_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
DOA
DOA Big Fish Lure
The DOA Big Fish Lure, an 8'' long swim bait, looks so natural it even fools humans. This innovative new swim bait gives you many options and you can fish the lure in many different ways. It has proven itself on snook, tarpon, striped bass, trophy seatrout and all offshore species.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Yo Zuri
Yo Zuri Mag Darter
The Yo-Zuri Mag Darter lure is the perfect addition to any tackle box. With its increasingly realistic looks it is sure to provide you with a great catch. The Yo-Zuri Mag Darter darts as in the name, from left to right closely resembling an injured bait fish.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Tactical Angler
Tactical Anglers Power Clips 75lbs
Tactical Anglers Power / Fast Clips are strong fishing clips that allow for fast and easy changing of lures. Made from a single thick stainless steel wire to provide maximum strength and durability, TA Power Clips have a slip-proof design.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Yo Zuri
Yo Zuri Top Knot Fluorocarbon Leader 40lb
Yo-Zuri TopKnot Leader stays clear even after extended use, resulting in more bites!View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][instagram-feed id='3945030428'][vc_row full_width='stretch_row_content_no_spaces' type='full_width_content'][vc_column css='.vc_custom_1459892926495{padding-bottom: 10px !important;}'][vc_text_separator title='']" target="_blank">

SEA BASS STARTUP

Nick Honachefsky dives into the opening of Sea Bass season in New Jersey, and shares a few tips on filling up your cooler.

Nick Honachefsky dives into the opening of Sea Bass season in New Jersey, and shares a few tips on filling up your cooler.
[vc_row][vc_column width='1/2'][vc_column_text]Jersey anglers have been chomping at the bit for the reopening of black sea bass season, which reinstates on October 22 to December 31 with a 13-inch minimum size limit and 15 fish bag limit. Black sea bass are aggressive predators, are seriously tasty in the frying pan, and fall and winter sea bassing means shots at filling the cooler with solid 3 to 8 pound knuckleheads. It’s all about jigging and baiting. The standard sea bass rig is of the three-hook Hi-Lo variety. Start with a 54-inch section of 40-pound Seaguar Fluorocarbon Leader and tie three droppers equidistant 16 inches between them, leaving room for an overhand knot at one end for an 8 to 12-ounce bank sinker and a 100-pound Spro barrel swivel tied on the other end. Fix the droppers with size 2/0 to 3/0 Gamakatsu or Owner Octopus hooks as they are sticky sharp will easily penetrate a sea bass maw on a short strike. Adorn the line above the hook with red beads and slip on a 3 to 4-inch red, purple or green curly tail grub or white or pink Berkley Gulp! Swimmin’ Minnow. For baits, lance a clam tongue, squid strip or bergall strip, manicured to a 3 to 5-inch length and half inch wide cut. Drop the rig to the bottom and wait for the quick strikes. For added efficiency and effectiveness, once you feel one fish hooked, leave the rig down there and wait for the next one or two hits so you can maximize your time and reel up three fish at once instead of one at a time. For more aggressive strikes, drop down any slim profile jig that can get down to the bottom quickly such as a 8 to 12-ounce Hammered Diamond jig, Bluewater Candy Roscoe Jig, Ava 87 jig, or Deadly Dick #4 Long. Let the jig hit the seafloor and tap it on the ocean bottom, lifting only one foot off the ground and down. Sea bass will inspect and pounce on the shiny attraction with full aggression and many times the true trophy humpbacks of 5 to 8 pounds will take the jig before a bait. Hot spots off the Jersey coast include any depths in the 150 to 250 foot range, mainly along the 50 to 80 mile wrecks and rockpiles inside the Wilmington Canyon, Baltimore Canyon and Lindenkohl Canyon.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width='1/2'][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][block_title title='Gear Used'][/block_title][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Seaguar
Fluorocarbon Leader Material
Incredible impact and abrasion resistance. Fast sinking. Superior tensile and knot strength. The original FC (Blue Label) Seaguar 100% fluorocarbon leader material allows you to use a smaller test leader than comparable nylons or fluorocarbons for unmatched bait presentations. No wonder it's preferred by anglers the world over.
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Berkley Gulp!
Saltwater Grub
With extremely life-like motility in the water as well as authentic coloration, these lures are sure to fool fish into biting on your line. Berkley Gulp! Saltwater baits are made from natural ingredients that release 400 times more scent than plastic baits.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Blue Water Candy
Roscoe Jig Blue Water Candy Roscoe lures are perfect for freestyle vertical jigging or as some call it, Yo-Yo jigging, this technique has become extremely popular in the past few years. Blue Water Candy Lures developed the Roscoe just for bottom fishing with freestyle jigging gear. It resembles a squid and is designed to be used with assist style hooks and rings.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Deadly Dick
#4 Long JigDeadly Dick Long Casting / Jigging Lures are excellent for surf casting, deep jigging while drift fishing and even trolling. They are very popular along the east coast of the the USA for Striped Bass & Blue Fish. Vary the speed of retrieval to create the action you desire and the fish won't say no.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][instagram-feed id='3945030428'][vc_row full_width='stretch_row_content_no_spaces' type='full_width_content'][vc_column css='.vc_custom_1459892926495{padding-bottom: 10px !important;}'][vc_text_separator title='']" target="_blank">