Episode 245: Adelaide Snook With Alex Bui

Alex’s Top Snook Fishing Tips

• Snook (aka sea pike) are abundant predators in shallow coastal waters along the Adelaide metropolitan shoreline and snook fishing is accessible to just about anybody who fishes from jetties or rocky shorelines.
• Snook are usually associated with weed growth or rocky outcrops and feed almost exclusively on small baitfish. Look for areas of weed with patches of sand and this species generally won’t be far away.
• Best fishing occurs during the low light periods around dawn and dusk, although snook are also commonly caught after dark around the lights on jetties and wharves.
• At high tide snook will often push up into shallow water along the margins. On the outgoing tide they’ll position themselves on pressure points where they can ambush baitfish. They are more difficult on low tide but can be targeted on those weed patches that can’t be reached at higher tides.
• Slightly choppy and overcast days are typically when the snook are less timid.

Alex’s Preferred Snook Fishing Tackle

• Alex likes light tackle fishing and suggests a light spin rod with a sensitive tip. He likes 15lb braid with a 12-20lb fluorocarbon leader to minimise bite offs, as snook are a toothy fish.

Alex’s Snook Fishing Lures

• The Daiwa Double Clutch is a great hard body lure in the 70 and 95mm sizes that matches the whitebait and bluebait that are normal snook fodder around Adelaide. It’s a good choice for water 3-4m deep and runs about 1.5m from the bottom. Alex particularly likes this lure for trolling behind a kayak, but it also works well for casting if there’s not too much wind around. When trolling, just move at constant speed so that the action of the lure is evident in the rod tip. When casting Alex likes to twitch the lure to get the rattle working.
• The 3” Z-man Slim SwimZ in Opening Night colour are a great representation of the local baitfish and can be fished on 1/16 to 1/12 oz jig heads, hook size 1/0. These have a subtle paddle tail action and can be allowed to sink close to the bottom then retrieved with twitches and pauses. Most bites happen when the lure is on the drop.
• The 3” Berkley Powerbait Minnow works well on 1/16 oz jig heads and is fished with aggressive twitches. This lure works best when the fish are in an aggressive mood and can even be worked close to the surface.