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| ** | To say that Capt. Pat Damico is an early riser, understates the lengths to which he will go on his mission of catching lunker snook under the docks light of Pinellas County. Awaking around two in the morning, Damico usually meets his clients before 3 AM. They fish the lights until the break of dawn, after which they switch over to nearby mangroves and spoil islands in pursuit of catch and release linesiders. Now if you don’t think that’s fun fishing – you don’t know what fun is. Of course, when the sun is out, we can all easily spot snook under docks hanging in the shade. |
“During the day, you see them around, but it doesn’t mean you’re gonna catch them,” said Damico. “But at night, they’re really on the feed. And that’s when snook are drawn to lighted docks. Here’s how that food chain works: The light attracts plankton. The plankton attracts baitfish. And the snook are attracted to the bait.”
Damico, who specializes in fly fishing charters, discovered that linesiders seem toprefer certain size baits – and not necessarily the larger ones. “I toss out a few different fly patterns -- or lures for my spin fishing clients – so that I can get an idea of what size will attract the snook. And as a rule, that’s all will they want.”
How do you select a dock to fish? Damico believes that will vary with the season. “Certain times of the year, docks that are close to passes are very productive – like right now. Docks on mangrove points are also good locations. We look for areas that have a lot of structure and more current.”
On the other hand, if you go back into residential canals where the water is relatively stagnant, he advises that you won’t do as well this time of year. “Now in colder weather, the opposite is true, as the snook are there seeking their comfort zones. So docks that are way back in canals may be more productive in the winter time because of the warmer waters, which usually hold good populations of glass minnows at that time.”
Damico contends that it’s always a good idea to watch your depth recorder when cruising an area. “That’s when you have a chance to locate lots of baitfish and mark them during daylight hours. And believe me, they’re gonna be there at night -- attracted to the light. “
The proximity of the light to the water is also an important consideration. If the light is relatively bright and close to the water, it’s going to be better than one that’s high. “When you’re trying to pick out a dock to fish at night, you would prefer one that has the light on all the time. If the light is only occasionally turned on, it won’t do you much good,” he said.
”Also, if you’re going to feed any animal and you had a regular feeding schedule, where say you did so at 5 o’clock -- you could almost set you watch to when that critter shows up. And the same is true with snook. If you have a light that is controlled by a timer, -- going on and off at certain times – the snook get accustomed to this – and they will start staging around the dock before the light comes on.” As a result, Damico has found that in most instances you should have good fishing just before a dock is lighted. “And if you present a good bait to them at that time, you stand a good chance of hooking a nice fish.”
Tides also are part of the equation. When the tide is low fish tend to move out. That’s why Capt. Pat prefers longer docks where there’s always good fishing depth. Another indicator that there’s sufficient water is if there’s a larger boat there, indicating that the water’s going to be deep. “And of course, sometime you will approach a dock and see fish banging bait in the surface – and that’s where you want to go.”
We asked Damico what kinds of skills one needs to work docks. “Well, being able to cast accurately is probably one of the most important ones – because most of the docks have things attached to them – like boats and the lines. They may have davits with the boat hanging over a section of the dock – and always remember, those docks are owned by people, so you don’t want to be decorating their property with hooks, lines, lures.”
Damico begins fishing the lighted docks on the outside section first. “There’s a lot of fish hanging in the dark area – and then they’ll run up to the light to nail a bait, So work the darker area closest to your boat, and then gradually move in closer to the lighted waters.”
The most difficult aspect about fishing at night for most novices is getting used to the altered depth perception, which is quite different when it’s dark. However, Damico said that “if you do enough of this kind of casting, you can eventually become accustomed to fishing in low light conditions. Of course if you’re having difficulties with casting accuracy during the day – it’s gonna be a lot more difficult for you at night.
The ability to skip baits under a dock is one of the best ways to get where the snook lives - but you’d better have very strong tackle because the snook can easily break you off on the structure. “And in some areas, like the docks around here in Pinellas, the snook run relatively large – so heavier gear is required. Other areas where the snook run smaller, that won’t be as big an issue.
If the tide is relatively low, there’s usually enough of a gap beneath the dock and you can easily cast a light lure or fly by using a sidearm cast. If you’re a beginner, Damico suggests that you should try casting under a vehicle sitting in your driveway. Attempting to get the bait or fly to skip under a car or truck is a good way to become proficient at skipping baits.
“The technique is making your cast very close to the water – it’s pretty much like skipping a flat stone,” said Damico. “The trajectory has to be flat and low – so once it hits, it will continue flying forward. The same applies when using a rod and reel. You hold the rod very close to the water--- then give it a quick snap with the wrist— providing a lot of momentum for that low trajectory. It takes a bit of practice. But once you can skip a lure under structure – you will definitely increase your catching skills.”
Capt. Pat Damico -- aka “The Fly Guy” -- charters out of Pinellas County, Florida. He specializes in fly fishing charters, but also invites anglers using conventional tackle. For charter information; call 727-360-6466 or go to http://captpat.com/ .
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