Fly Fishing

flyhunter · Newbie Joined: Jun 20, 2008 Posts: 4

Can anyone give a good formula for a snook leader. I just need to know proper length and if I need to add a shock tippet. If anybody has any formulas or suggestions, I would appreciate it.

Piscineidiot · Newbie Joined: Feb 01, 2007 Posts: 10

Don't know about snook, but I can give you one for barramundi from Australia, if you like (Not IGFA though).

If you're throwing bulky flies in amongst snags, use roughly 4' of 30lb fluorocarbon, leading to a shock of about 2' long of 40-50lb heavy mono or fluorocarbon depending on your preference. Short leaders turn heavy flies over easier, and in amongst the snags and drains here, the water's generally discoloured, so fish don't really spook easily.

If they're spooking, and the water's clearer, I generally just use 8-9' of 30lb straight through. Nothing lighter really stands up to their jaws, and I feel any knots in the line would decrease the natural 'invisibility' of the leader.

Hope this helps.

Owen

zdog · Newbie Joined: Nov 19, 2008 Posts: 11

what i do is buy the bonefish leader and tie a foot and a half of 30 pound flourocarbon shock tippet and have had great results

jeremy · Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 11:19 pm Post subject: hmm

hmm .. never saw this post until now. "july 28", i guess i was probably fishin' somewhere ... good topic though. i remember when i first fly fished for snook in southwest florida under the lights. i saw tons of fish and kept hooking them, excited to land my first ever snook. but, almost immediately after hooking them, they would cut me clean off. i was left scratching my head because i had seen pictures of snook before and i knew they had soft mouths like striped bass. certainly not a "toothy" species. so, i was really perplexed. then, my friend joe-m told me, "you gotta use some serious shock tippet because their gill plates are razor sharp?" i had never heard of such a thing. but, i did it and, bingo! i landed my first snook. i know that its possible to get away with 30 pound shock tippet .. but, if i remember correctly joe and alot of the guide friends that i fish with down there use even heavier than that, i think. 50 pound shock tippet, if i remember correctly. either way - no less than 30. i just like a little extra security anytime i can get away with it.... marshall, what do you use?

MarshallD · Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 2:01 pm Post subject:

It's funny this topic should come up right now as I'm making my leaders for big Snook and Reds. I'm actually going quite heavy with a three-piece 4' 40lb-3'30lb-and 2' 52 lb. flouro/shock. Using heavier lead-eyed crabs, Clousers, 3/0-sized buggers and sliders, Tarpon flies. This leader will turn them over because it's not too long...only 9 foot total but it's like a spring, powerful and strong.

The really big Snook in the backcountry shallow water coves need to have the fly dropped ON their head. My leader's got to have the guts to stop a big fish.

9-weight Scientific Anglers Redfish Line on a fast action 9' Rod.

My beach setup is the same, but I'll use lighter bite more often with way smaller flies. Just today, I cast to the largest Snook(s) I've ever seen cruising the beach near Gordon's. 35" fish not ready to commit, turns to the fly ....then leaves!

zdog · Newbie Joined: Nov 19, 2008 Posts: 11

ouch!!!!!!!!!!!!

MarshallD · Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 8:51 am Post subject:

Naples report: Now that the water is clearing, the Reds and Snook are frustratingly shy about eating flies presented with too short/stout leaders. The area guides are using longer leaders (10 feet)and smaller diameter shock tippet(20 lb). And, the presentation is different over these shy fish. Instead of casting ON the head of Snook like you can do in the backcountry, the deal now is to lead the fish, let the fly sink and let the fish get close enough, bump the fly and slow strip. Your cast really matters in terms of accuracy and stealthy soft presentation.

Succes= being able/willing to quickly alter your approach, presentation, rigging and flies is important.

troutdawg · Newbie Joined: Nov 01, 2008 Posts: 7 Location: Denver

Ow that's gotta hurt!