Catch 270/365

"Flair-Hawk Rods"

Throwing flair-hawks for snook is addicting, and most anglers can't help but get hooked on the THUMP!  Catch a snook or two on a jig and you will be looking for just the right rod for your new sleep depriving habit.  

Like all things fishing related, opinions vary on the best rod and reel setup for throwing flair-hawks; the following is a quick look at two combos that work well for us. Big thanks to Capt. Eric (http://www.freighttrainfishing.com) for all his help in getting us dialed in on a lot of the the different snook fishing things we write about here.

Bridge/Jetty/"Land-based" Jig Rod-  When we are out fishing from land at night we tend to break out the longer jig rods.  Stout graphite baitcasting rods in the 8.5-9' range paired with a heavy duty low profile baitcaster spooled with 30-65lb braided line gets the nod most of the time (Example: Cousins Tackle 8925 or Rainshadow 1088 paired with a Daiwa Lexa or Abu Garcia Revo NaCl).  Spinning rods in the same length are also popular with a good strong spinning reel spooled with 30-50lb braided line.  It becomes a personal preference on bait casting verses spinning tackle.  Baitcasting reels tend to be a little lighter in weight, offer good drag systems, and some cool casting advantages when you really get them dialed in.  Regardless of wether you chose bait casting or spinning reels, the long rod is important for getting good long casts.  Also, the long rod can save your fish when you need to reach under a bridge or steer a fish out of a bad area.  A medium fast action works well on a jig rod as it provides just a little time for the rod to load up and drive the hook home after a bone jarring THUMP!

Boat Jig Rod- The only major difference with the boat jig rod is the length.  The longer rods work on the boat, but the length can be cumbersome.  A 7-8' rod with the above mentioned specs does a nice job on the boat.

Thanks For Reading Guys,
Todd