# Fly Line Recommendation_Beach Snook



## tunataker (Jul 8, 2018)

I love my Scientific Anglers Sonar Saltwater Intermediate. I overline by 1 weight.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Which side of the state will you be fishing? On the Atlantic side that full intermediate already mentioned. On the Gulf side where the water is shallow and the winds are a bit easier... a standard floating line might just be exactly what's needed... on a pretty light rod...


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## tcov (Apr 7, 2018)

lemaymiami said:


> Which side of the state will you be fishing? On the Atlantic side that full intermediate already mentioned. On the Gulf side where the water is shallow and the winds are a bit easier... a standard floating line might just be exactly what's needed... on a pretty light rod...


 95% Gulf coast in the Tampa area.


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## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

tcov said:


> 95% Gulf coast in the Tampa area.


Hey man!! I fly fish for snook from the beach A LOT...along the Gulf Coast....on our side of the state a floating line will suffice just fine. By beach set up is almost always a 6 wt. Just use a full fluorocarbon with a wingspan of 40# butt section then connect a less than a wingspan of 20#leader and that will get the fly down. With the 20# you may lose a few but the bites go up versus heavier bite tippets. I also use many flies that either have bead chain or lead dumbbell eyes to help get the fly down too. If stealth is your issue, try Monic's all clear Henley floating line or the Monic Henley Phantom Tip.


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## tcov (Apr 7, 2018)

Shadowcast said:


> Hey man!! I fly fish for snook from the beach A LOT....Anna Maria, Ft. DeSoto, etc....on our side of the state a floating line will suffice just fine. By beach set up is almost always a 6 wt. Just use a full fluorocarbon with a wingspan of 40# butt section then connect a less than a wingspan of 20#leader and that will get the fly down. With the 20# you may lose a few but the bites go up versus heavier bite tippets. I also use many flies that either have bead chain or lead dumbbell eyes to help get the fly down too. If stealth is your issue, try Monic's all clear Henley floating line or the Monic Henley Phantom Tip.


 Awesome info Jon! Thanks


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## Jdl80 (Nov 19, 2019)

Forget the intermediate and go wf floating. It will work fine in the beaches and almost every other application in Florida.


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## k-roc (Feb 8, 2018)

When I visit my folks in Naples I've loved a floating line that has a short clear intermediate tip. Latest favorite is the Rio Flats Pro Stealth tip with the 5 ft of clear.


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## timogleason (Jul 27, 2013)

Full Intermediate is good if there is a bunch of floating junk in the water to get below it but if water is clean, I'd go floating or just an intermediate tip.


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## 7WT (Feb 12, 2016)

If u can find it Orvis Wonderline with a clear sink tip. I use a 6 at and it provides very quick cast and gets down with all but front tip section about 6 feet floating. Most snook are within 10' some 2 or 3 ' in surf. That line comes in other weights. Cost me 20 bucks.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

tcov said:


> So I’ve been doing some reading and see that a intermediate line will work better for beach snook as opposed to a floating line. But as with most things there are lots of choices. What would y’all recommend as a good line for targeting beach snook? I have a 6wt and 9wt setup.


Lots of variables.

I've used everything from floater, clear intermediate sink tip lines, full intermediate line to full fast sink lines. It really depends on the water and just because it has a beach doesn't mean you can get away with a floater.

The reality is, not all beaches are the same and not all targeted baits are the same. Ideally, I'd be using a 6wt. But conditions can take you to the point where you'd wish you had that 9wt locked and loaded.

The object is to get that fly at eyeball level to the snook. They can run right along the edge of a 6" drop right where the water breaks onto the sand, and you'd swear you those there were 2 or 3 bonefish coming right at you. Or they can be 20ft out slowly swimming along the bottom. Or they can be in the 1st trough in about 3 to 4ft of water, or they can be tooling along a pass bottom where you are walking along the edge of the beach and notice some dark shadow in about 6 ft deep of water (in what is technically referred to as a "pass" if you can figure out where you are relative to the actual front side beach) with a ripping tide with other shadows further out. So what lines do you need to target those fish? Think!

Ideally, if I could take one rod, in perfect weather conditions, in the ideal time where the snook are behaving exactly what you were "hoping" they would be, then it'd be your 6wt with a good floater with a clear intermediate sink tip and a nice long, well tied, tapered leader of around 10-11ft, inclusive of about a 30"+/- 12lb fluorocarbon tippet tied to about a 1ft piece of 20lb FC leader, loop knot to a fly tied on a #4 size hook. That rig will catch a lot of fish. Do I use a full intermediate? Yes, depends on where the fish are holding. Do I use a full floater (true to weight, not over lined)? Yes, on occasions, if the fish are up tight to the beach where the water is breaking on the sand.

Please do use a line that is true to weight. The beach, especially in the early a.m. (exactly when you should be out there) where things are quiet and calm, presentation is everything and the last thing you need is flyline crashing on the water. In other words, stealth from a good distance. Don't say you need to load up the rod cause the fish are right out 20ft in front of you. Those fish you should just let go on by cause they saw you another 20ft back from that.

Use some good distance sighting and spot them way before they approach within your casting range (do I need to describe how to do that? If the water is stirred up, then you have a better shot at getting them closer, but you'll have a harder time seeing them, which may mean blind casting.

Flies can get bigger, depending on what they are targeting and winds and waves can be stronger. So you'll have to bump up to your 9wt.

One thing that is a total must when it comes to beach fishing (you'll thank me later for this one). Always bring a stripping basket.

People think you have to wade when beach fishing for snook. Most of the time, my feet never touches the water unless the wave wash gets them wet. Where light colored clothes. Stay low once you spot them. No sudden movements and make easy low casts to them. Lead them and wait for them to approach before you move the fly. Once they spot them, take it away and make them react strike it.

Love the SA lines. Love the Cortland lines. Rio's Flats Pro DC is not a bad line either, just remember it's one weight heavier than rated. Haven't tried the Monic Hendley lines yet. Tried the Wulff BTT and also know they are 1 line over weight, so take that into consideration.

For the intermediate on a budget, Cortland's regular Clear Intermediate is not a bad line for $59. They also have a 9ft and a 15ft Ghost tip floater line that is also not a bad line. I do like their Liquid Crystal Flats Taper floating lines. In SA, my all around favs is the Mastery Saltwater Floater and the Sonar Saltwater Intermediate, which still offers the running line as a floater, only the head sinks, which is enough. Not a fan of the Titan series lines since they as a rod weight over weighted, which I think is a crutch for just poor casting skills or you really just prefer a slower rod than the one you broke the piggy bank for.  I'm hoping they make the Mastery Saltwater in the Amp series soon, but the SA Infinity AMP or AMP Smooth is a really nice casting for a floater. I really just think they are coping Cortland's LC tapers and help improved the line's behaviors problems. The LC is a beautiful line to cast once it's stretched and dressed. A lot of my beach snook flies are nothing more than the size of a bone fish fly and with that in mind, the floater you use can even be a bonefish type fly line, if you have one lying around.

Good luck! 

Ted Haas


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## tcov (Apr 7, 2018)

Wow thanks Ted, great info!


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