# Heavy structure snook rod suggestion



## slowtyper16

I need a setup that is more than capable of turning those big snook and getting a damn picture with them, as you may have guessed I've lost far to many lately and I'm sick of it. I would like suggestions and opinions on an effective good feeling rod for fishing artificial lures/swimbaits mostly under mangroves and docks. . I will probably pair it with a ci4 3000 (20lb PP SS) or 4000 (20lb PP SS), not sure if I need the extra 4lb drag of the 4000 though. 
I have a buCoo Micro 6'6" 15-25lb that I really enjoy for topwater but looks like they don't make that rod anymore and I don't want to multi purpose this rod because I'll be using both back and forth together early in the morning against the mangroves. My preference is a shorter stick under 7' because I am on a kayak or a deck mostly and I hate slapping the water all the time when working the action. 
In the store I like the feel of the pro green 6'10" 8-15 med/heav or 10-17 heav, but not sure because I haven't ever meet anyone who fishes a pro green, only greenwaters. I'm open to any brands and have never been sure what makes certain rods saltwater specific and not, like the avid and avid inshore? I was also looking at maybe something custom in an MHX blank but I am out of my comfort zone as far as if I'm still getting a good quality rod.
Thanks guys


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## Smackdaddy53

Take a look at the Laguna Liquid Series rods on the Laguna Custom Rods website. Give the shop a call and discuss with Chris or Victor, they are good guys and build great rods.


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## anytide

a real big stick for pulling them out from under structure is not the same as a big casting setup... theres a compromise there somewhere. a big spin setup will wear you out pretty fast chunking arties under docks/ mangros.
With the strong braided lines of today you can downsize a little on the spin gear and still have the pulling power in the bushes. BUT fishing big snook with big line and a locked drag in structure will ruin most spin tackle pretty quick.
I use a 8' harrington rod with a penn 500 jigmaster or 4/0 senator and 80lb ande mono straight to the hook and hang on!
The penn 500 is better for me because i can still lob heavy jigs/ live baits a good distance with it and use it under docks like a flippin stick.
ive landed a lot of snook north of 40" this way.


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## slowtyper16

anytide said:


> a real big stick for pulling them out from under structure is not the same as a big casting setup... theres a compromise there some where. a big spin setup will wear you out pretty fast chunking arties under docks/ mangros.
> With the strong braided lines of today you can downsize a little on the spin gear and still have the pulling power in the bushes. BUT fishing big snook with big line and a locked drag in structure will ruin most spin tackle pretty quick.
> I use a 8' harrington rod with a penn 500 jigmaster or 4/0 senator and 80lb ande mono straight to the hook and hang on!
> The penn 500 is better for me because i can still lob heavy jigs/ live baits a good distance with it and use it under docks like a flippin stick.
> ive landed a lot of snook north of 40" this way.


That is definitely a style of fishing I am not used to, I'm starting to think I'm a one style type of fisherman  I have never even had a bait casting set-up on my boat because I can't figure out how to reel with my damn right hand, so unnatural to me, I think I must be slow  Sounds like your set-up will pull a Volkswagen out from under my dock.


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## anytide

if your fishing from an un-anchored boat/ yak etc. youll be "in there" with them pretty quick with a heavy tackle setup.


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## anytide

its like riding bulls....... if you can hang on for 8 seconds youll prolly win.


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## DuckNut

As anytide says, you'll never get the big ones out with a 20lb outfit. You may, but it will be luck.


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## bananabob

There are some new large spinners designed for such balls to the wall fishing.
They won't be cheap but will handle 50-60 braid and larger. Having a heavy conventional reel you can't crank hard and fast will be as useless as light line for you. Seems like in this day and age we would have some level wind options that are left hand crank. I'm right hand cranker so it's never been an issue for me.


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## fjmaverick

I pulled them up from the dock with a 
Shimano Teramar 7' Medium Heavy 15 - 25lb and a Shimano Baitrunner 8000d


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## Backwater

slowtyper16 said:


> I need a setup that is more than capable of turning those big snook and getting a damn picture with them, as you may have guessed I've lost far to many lately and I'm sick of it. I would like suggestions and opinions on an effective good feeling rod for fishing artificial lures/swimbaits mostly under mangroves and docks. . I will probably pair it with a ci4 3000 (20lb PP SS) or 4000 (20lb PP SS), not sure if I need the extra 4lb drag of the 4000 though.
> I have a buCoo Micro 6'6" 15-25lb that I really enjoy for topwater but looks like they don't make that rod anymore and I don't want to multi purpose this rod because I'll be using both back and forth together early in the morning against the mangroves. My preference is a shorter stick under 7' because I am on a kayak or a deck mostly and I hate slapping the water all the time when working the action.
> In the store I like the feel of the pro green 6'10" 8-15 med/heav or 10-17 heav, but not sure because I haven't ever meet anyone who fishes a pro green, only greenwaters. I'm open to any brands and have never been sure what makes certain rods saltwater specific and not, like the avid and avid inshore? I was also looking at maybe something custom in an MHX blank but I am out of my comfort zone as far as if I'm still getting a good quality rod.
> Thanks guys


What area do you live in?


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## Godzuki86

slowtyper16 said:


> I need a setup that is more than capable of turning those big snook and getting a damn picture with them, as you may have guessed I've lost far to many lately and I'm sick of it. I would like suggestions and opinions on an effective good feeling rod for fishing artificial lures/swimbaits mostly under mangroves and docks. . I will probably pair it with a ci4 3000 (20lb PP SS) or 4000 (20lb PP SS), not sure if I need the extra 4lb drag of the 4000 though.
> *I have a buCoo Micro 6'6" 15-25lb that I really enjoy for topwater but looks like they don't make that rod anymore and I don't want to multi purpose this rod because I'll be using both back and forth together early in the morning against the mangroves*. My preference is a shorter stick under 7' because I am on a kayak or a deck mostly and I hate slapping the water all the time when working the action.
> In the store I like the feel of the pro green 6'10" 8-15 med/heav or 10-17 heav, but not sure because I haven't ever meet anyone who fishes a pro green, only greenwaters. I'm open to any brands and have never been sure what makes certain rods saltwater specific and not, like the avid and avid inshore? I was also looking at maybe something custom in an MHX blank but I am out of my comfort zone as far as if I'm still getting a good quality rod.
> Thanks guys


I just ordered a BuCoo SR from Tacklewarehouse. They have a BuCoo Micro 6'10" in heavy (12-25) in stock for $129. Free ground shipping, $5 two day or $10 next day shipping.


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## Godzuki86

anytide said:


> a real big stick for pulling them out from under structure is not the same as a big casting setup... theres a compromise there somewhere. a big spin setup will wear you out pretty fast chunking arties under docks/ mangros.
> With the strong braided lines of today you can downsize a little on the spin gear and still have the pulling power in the bushes. BUT fishing big snook with big line and a locked drag in structure will ruin most spin tackle pretty quick.
> I use a 8' harrington rod with a penn 500 jigmaster or 4/0 senator and 80lb ande mono straight to the hook and hang on!
> The penn 500 is better for me because i can still lob heavy jigs/ live baits a good distance with it and use it under docks like a flippin stick.
> ive landed a lot of snook north of 40" this way.


This is kinda what I do. I normally use my redfish rod on a dock at first. I get my ass handed to me. Then I pull out a trevala 40-65 lb (??) with a 5000 spooled with 50lb braid. A lot of times this works. If it doesn't I got to the Xheavy 80-200lb with a torium 30 and 80 lb braid. I like the jigging style rods because they have a good backbone and aren't so cumbersome. Shorter leader and locked down drag and winch them out. I've only needed the winch rig once.


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## Backwater

You boys need to to go to the school of snook....

Btw, I grew up close to there, fished around there, my sister and her husband (bad ass big snook hitter) lives on Matlacha. 

This one was caught not far from there on some structure with 20lb braid.


Most big snook I catch I do with light tackle (under 20lb test). If I target big bad ass snook with big baits (we're talking BIG baits), then maybe I'll step up to 30lb, but that's about it. I've caught a lot of big snook on artificials as well, even fly rod.

Way back in the day (I'm sure I've been snook fishing before you were born. ) I use to catch tons of snook in the Caloosahatchee, Sanibel, PIS and all over CH. Then I started discovering big snook located along and around structure. They are different fish and didn't really like hangin around the smaller ones. So I fished them and kept getting my ass handed to me. They'd hit and drag me into whatever and shank me.

One thing I learned was, big educated snook learn where everything is around them to tie you up and cut you off around. They're smart! Not like redfish, tarpon, trout, jacks or whatever else. Those fish will come right out. But snook??? NO! They know where the barnacle laden and oyster infested pilons, mangrove roots, rocks and other shizzit is that they can cut you off on! 

Didn't matter what I stepped up to. 20, 30, 40, 60, 100lb test. I'd get shanked, especially with the bigger fish. Couldn't figure out what was the problem. Sure I'd still catch a few big over slot fish here or there in more open water, even a big girl now and then, not the monsters held near the structure or up in the bushes.

Then one day out of frustration, I knew a big girl hit my line and I reacted so fast that she didn't know what hit her and I was able to get her out in the open and disorient her to the point where I could keep her in the clear to tire her out.

I'm not talking about hitting her hard like a Roland Martin hook set and then trying to flip her in dah boat, cause that ain't gonna happen. Nope, I'm talking about doing something different. Snook have about 2 to 3 seconds where they are trying to figure out what just happened. It could be just a slight bump and not a crashing strike. So that is your window of opportunity to use all your resources to gain the leverage on them and keep the control on them until you get them outta harms way. Then you can relax and then just fight play the fish out.

The best way to do this is in a boat with a TM. So as soon as you feel the bump, don't nail him like a bass tourney angler. But instead, lift your rod as high as you can go and crank down like mad as fast as you can to get the fish pointing and heading upward. The fish will come for those few seconds and then start to resist, but by then, she's in a following mode and will continue to come out for another 5-10 seconds before she gets what's going on and react to it.

The "*KEY*" is to lift her head up and keep him up and not allow her to turn down and bulldog you, cause if she does, she'll win every time! You got 2-3 seconds to do this at the get go! You have to pay attention when you fish for them. If you don't, they'll get you every time. So as you do this heads-up trick, kick the TM motor out pointing away from the structure and give it the throttle to help pull her away from the structure during that next 5-10 seconds while you reel down, hold the rod up high and keep her head up until you can lead her out to fight out away from the stuff. Once you are in the clear, then relax and play her out, as I stated (no trying to force her in the boat).

Notice I keep sayin "her". All big snook are females! Fact!

And THAT"S how you do it.!


Caught off of some structure with 10lb test. Not saying I recommend it, but it can be done if you get a good one on!


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## Godzuki86

Backwater, I'm sure I could still turn a snook with 20lb test but my more stout rods have 50 lb for tarpon and when I take them out for grouper. 

Other than that the first 2-3 seconds explanation hits the nail on the head. If you stop the first run it's normally smooth sailing.


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