Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 374 is my how-to conversation with Captain Ryan Nitz, a Jupiter, Florida guide famous for catching giant snook up to 48 inches. We go through snook fishing from A to Z: where to find smaller snook around docks, the lures and live baits that produce, the leader and circle-hook setup he trusts for big fish, why moving water and a dead low tide matter so much, and how to revive a snook properly so it survives the release.
Listen now: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube · Press play in the player above to watch.
Captain Ryan Nitz is a fishing guide based in Jupiter, Florida, known for catching giant snook up to 48 inches. He started snook fishing as a kid, catching 12-inch fish on crappie jigs, and even fished from a canoe with a trolling motor before becoming a full-time guide. Tom Rowland fished with him for an episode of Saltwater Experience.
Ryan targets big snook with live bait, especially mullet, on a 60-pound fluorocarbon leader and a 7/0 circle hook. He often trolls a live mullet about 30 feet behind the boat to locate fish, fishes moving water, and favors a dead low tide when snook are out hunting on sandbars and in the channels.
For big fish, Ryan uses 60-pound fluorocarbon leader, 7/0 Owner Mutu Light circle hooks, and a larger 6,000-size reel so he can land fish quickly. For smaller slot-sized snook he scales down to 30-to-40-pound leader and a 1/0 circle hook, matched to the bait, and uses lures like Yo-Zuris, X-Raps, paddle tails, and shrimp.
Ryan's favorite tide is a dead low, when snook lose half the water they hide in and concentrate on sandbars and in channels. He looks for bait and birds, especially ospreys and blue herons, because where there is mullet, there are snook. A snook sitting on a sandbar is hunting and will almost always eat.
Ryan stresses using gear heavy enough to land fish fast so they do not build up too much acid, then reviving them fully before release, especially in low-oxygen backcountry water and where bull sharks are present in Jupiter. Letting a snook gently hold your thumb until it kicks off on its own is a good gauge that it is ready to swim away.
Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 374 with Captain Ryan Nitz is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and iHeartRadio. The video version is embedded at the top of this page.
I followed Ryan on Instagram and could not believe the snook he was catching, especially when he was doing it out of a canoe. A big snook is a dream fish for so many people, and it was a dream fish for me. I went down to fish with him for Saltwater Experience and caught one of those giants myself, the photo I chose for the podcast artwork. I had to get him on to break down exactly how he does it. Press play in the YouTube player at the top of this page.
Ryan did not start out catching 40-inch fish. He started at 12, riding his bike to a side pond and catching little snook on crappie jigs, then worked his way up the food chain, including a stretch fishing from a canoe and trolling motor he put together for under five hundred dollars. He explains how a beginner can do the same thing today. Listen to that section in the player above.
Ryan describes snook as almost the same fish as a largemouth bass. They love structure, current, and bait, and a lot of bass tactics carry straight over. He breaks down dock skipping with shrimp and paddle tails, the lures he likes, and why moving water is everything. If you are coming from freshwater, this is the part to hear.
For giants, Ryan goes to live bait, especially mullet, on 60-pound fluorocarbon and a 7/0 circle hook, and he often trolls a mullet behind the boat to find them. He explains why leader choice makes or breaks a big-snook day and why circle hooks protect both the fish and the angler. Press play in the YouTube player above.
Ryan fishes a dead low tide, watches for ospreys and blue herons, and is passionate about reviving fish properly, especially with Jupiter's bull sharks waiting on a weak release. He gets specific about how to land a fish fast and send it off strong. Listen to how he frames it in the episode.
Listen to the full conversation: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · or watch in the YouTube player at the top of this page.
What I love about Ryan is that he earned every bit of this. He went from a kid on a bike with crappie jigs to one of the best big-snook guides in Florida, and he is generous with what he knows.
If you have ever wanted to catch a trophy snook, this episode is a clinic, and it might just talk you into a trip to Jupiter.
Press play in the player above, or grab Episode 374 on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
Captain Ryan Nitz · Jupiter, Florida · Saltwater Experience · Yo-Zuri · X-Rap · Owner Mutu Light circle hooks · snook · mullet
Captain Ryan Nitz is a Jupiter, Florida fishing guide who specializes in catching giant snook, with personal fish up to 48 inches. He started fishing as a kid and worked his way up from a canoe to a full guide operation, and is known for his deep knowledge of snook behavior, tackle, and conservation-minded release practices.
Subscribe to get the latest episodes, show notes, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.