The 12 Best Snook Lures and How To Properly Fish Them!

Giant snook…what more is there to say? They hit hard, the have powerful runs, they jump, head shake and they’re a blast to catch.

I’ve been snook fishing on the east coast of Florida (the snook capital of the world in my opinion!) for over 20 years, and in this article i’m covering 12 of the best snook lures and how to use them.

Let’s go!

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Table of Contents

• Flair Hawk Jig
• SpoolTek Fatty Swimbait
• Yo-Zuri 3D Inshore TopKnock Pencil
• DOA Shrimp
• DOA Terror Eyz 
• Bomber Wind Cheater
• Rapala X-Rap Long Cast 
• Spro Bucktail Hair Jig
• Yo-Zuri 3D Inshore Twitch Bait
• Johnson Silver Minnow
• DOA C.A.L Shad Tail
• Zoom Super Fluke
• Conclusion

Flair Hawk Jig

The Flair Hawk jig (sometimes called a bucktail jig) is an all-time classic snook lure. It’s a legendary old-school lure that has been catching giant snook for longer than most of us have been alive.

The Flair hawk is ideal for fishing in deep water and fast current. This makes it a great choice for big snook at inlets and bridges. It can also work well on the beach and at larger spillways.

The Flair hawk jig is best fished along the bottom. It sinks fast and bounces along the bottom as you jig with the rod. Most of your bites will come right when the jig hits the bottom. 

To fish the flair hawk, cast far upstream and let your jig sweep with the current along the bottom. Pop your rod to give the jig a bounce. 

Start with a lightweight (usually around 1 ounce) and then increase the weight as needed so its in the bottom of the water column.

SpoolTek Fatty Swimbait

The SpoolTek Swimbait is the most expensive bait on this list, but it is also the most technically advanced. It is a paddle tail swimbait designed for saltwater fish with sharp abrasive mouths.

The SpoolTek has an internal wire leader system that deploys when a fish is hooked. This protects your mainline from big snook and potential toothy saltwater fish. Snook are very abrasive and require a heavy leader, so the SpoolTek gives you the peace of mind that you won’t get frayed off.

Because SpoolTek are so expensive, I prefer to fish them along the beach or in the surf where there are fewer snags. Fish this swimbait with a slow and steady retrieve along the bottom.

Yo-Zuri 3D Inshore TopKnock Pencil

A topwater walking lure is a must-have lure for snook fishing. They get some of the most amazing blowups and follows that are addicting for any angler.

The Yozuri TopKnock Pencil is a long-casting topwater walking bait with an extremely loud knocker rattle in it.

That sound helps attract fish in low light conditions, dirty water, or when you need your bait to stand out in an all-out topwater feeding frenzy.

Fish the Yozuri Pencil during low light hours, dawn, and dusk, or whenever you see or hear fish feeding on bait off the surface. 

DOA Shrimp

Everybody knows shrimp are an incredible bait for saltwater. That’s why, artificial shrimp is another must-have for snook fishing, and it works great for all saltwater species.

The DOA shrimp is an incredibly durable and versatile lure that works for snook in all kinds of different spots. It usually comes pre-rigged and is available in several sizes, from 2 inches all the way up to 6 inches.

Fish the DOA shrimp with a slow twitch and pause retrieve. It works great in shallower water, along mangroves and grass flats. It is also effective at the beach, along the rocks at inlets, and in dock lights.

DOA Terror Eyz

At first glance, the DOA Terror Eyz looks like the dumbest lure. It almost looks like a Swedish Fish with a hook through it, but let me tell you, this lure is absolutely fantastic for snook fishing!

The DOA Terror Eyz comes in three sizes: The Tiny is 2 inches, the Regular is 2-3/4 inches, and the Big One is 4 inches. Each size comes pre-rigged and with several jig head sizes to choose from, ranging from 1/16 oz to 1 oz.

With such a great selection of sizes and weights, the DOA Terror Eyz is quite versatile. It can be fished in shallow habitats like rivers and lagoons, and it can also work well at inlets and bridges. 

Fish the DOA Terror Eyz with a jigging action. Let the bait fall to the bottom and give it two quick pops with the rod, and then let it fall again. This lure retrieve is great at getting a reaction strike from snook. 

Bomber Wind Cheater

The Bomber Wind Cheater gained its popularity in the North East for striped bass fishing, but it has proven to be just as great a lure for snook too!

As implied by the name “Wind Cheater”, this lure is meant for those windy days when you struggle to cast anything else. It comes in two sizes, a 4-1/2 inch weighing 3/4 oz, and a 6-inch weighing 1-7/8 oz.

This Bomber Wind Cheater can be cast incredibly far, and it cuts right through the wind. That makes it a great choice for big open water such as inlets and beaches.

Fish this lure with a slow steady retrieve, and you can mix in some pauses and twitches as needed. 

This was my favorite lure to snook fish at night with, you can cast it extremely far and it has a distinct ‘wobble’ you can feel which makes it great for low light conditions.

Rapala X-Rap Long Cast

Rapala Long Cast X-Rap model is another long casting hard minnow lure. It’s a great option for snook fishing from the beach, bridges, and inlets.

The great thing about the Long Cast X-Rap is that it comes stock with single hooks. These single hooks are perfectly strong for saltwater; they won’t bend out, and they stay pinned on big fish.

Fish Rapala X-Rap with a twitch, twice, and pause retrieve or a steady retrieve. 

Spro Bucktail Hair Jig

A hair jig is universal for many different predatory species, and they are a great finesse option for snook. The Spro Bucktail Hair Jig is one great option, especially for sight fishing in clear water.

You can use a hair jig anywhere, in shallow or deep water. I prefer to use hair jigs when the bite is tough due to clear water and bright sunlight. Sometimes snook will eat a hair jig when they won’t touch anything else. 

Yo-Zuri 3D Inshore Twitch Bait

Twitch Baits are an incredible reaction bait, and they work great for snook fishing. The Yo-Zuri 3D Inshore twitch bait comes in several sizes from 2-3/4 inch to 5-1/4 inch. It also comes in many very natural and appealing colors.

The Yo-Zuri inshore twitch bait is a versatile slow sinking hard bait, and it imitates all kinds of small saltwater baitfish, such as herring and pilchards.

It’s a great choice inshore, along with mangroves and grass flats. It is also a great choice to work the trough from the beach for snook.

One of the great thing about the Yo-Zuri inshore twitch bait is that its available in a wide variety of sizes and colors, which means you can use the appropriate size for the different types of snook.

Going for large common snook around inlets and bridges? Use the 5-1/4 inch size. Going for your lifer swordspine snook or tarpon snook? Try the 2-3/4 size.

Johnson Silver Minnow

Spoons are another great lure for snook fishing. A classic option, like the Johnson Silver Minnow, is hard to beat.

Spoons are incredibly effective in all sorts of habitats. They work great inshore, along mangroves and grass flats. They are perfect for fishing off the beach too! In clear water, silver spoons are my favorite, and in stained water, gold spoons are my favorite.

Fish a spoon by letting them rise and fall through the water column. The Johnson Silver Minnow has the added benefit of being weedless, so you can skip it under trees and fish it through sea grass without worry. 

DOA C.A.L Shad Tail

The DOA C.A.L shad is a very simple minimalist paddle tail swimbait. It is affordable and durable, and it is a classic snook swimbait.

Paddletail swimbaits are incredibly versatile because they can catch snook anywhere! If you’re fishing shallow, a 1/8th or 1/16th oz jig head is ideal, and if you’re fishing deep you can use up to 1 ounce jighead.

For fishing around snags, like seagrass and mangroves, you can always rig it weedless with an EWG-style hook. 

Fish the DOA C.A.L with a steady retrieve, near the bottom, or with a quick rise and fall action. This paddle tail comes in 3-inch and 4-inch sizes.

Zoom Super Fluke

The Zoom Super Fluke is a bait designed for bass fishing, but it is so great that it works just as great for snook!

You should fish the Zoom Fluke on a jighead or EWG-style hook. Fish it with a twitch and pause retrieve. The Zoom Fluke is a great bait for skipping, so try to skip it under mangroves for snook during the day.

This bait works in all kinds of fishing environments. Just rig it with a heavier jig head for deep water or a lighter jighead, or EWG hook, for shallow water. 

Conclusion

Snook fishing can be frustrating, perplexing and exciting all at the same time. These fish are picky!

Sometimes they want live bait, and other times they want lures…sometimes they want it slow, and sometimes they want it fast.

But I feel strongly that the lure recommendations on this list will catch snook anywhere in the world, it just takes finding what works best in your area and how to fish it to get bites.

Good luck and thanks for reading!