Potomac River Snakehead Fishing 2024
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
Due to some interested people I have created a little something for people that want to find some snakeheads in VA. This is the information I have gathered from my personal experience. Keep in mind I am no subject matter expert, just a fishermen just like you.
Snakeheads are found all over the Potomac River from Washington to the Bay so anywhere in between is a good place. First you have to understand the kind of areas they like. Then you have to look at what they like to eat. Research has shown them to like blue gill/sunfish and killifish (look kind of like minnows). They love to spawn in grass or some sort of aquatic vegetation.
Okay, now for the fun part. You have to find a creek or area on the river that does not have a lot of current. So next time you are fishing look for a area that is somewhat protected from current. The next step is to look for an area in very shallow water with a lot of grass growing along the bank/shore. Once you have found all of this put on your polarized sun glass and start looking.
Keep in mind that snakeheads will take off fast if they see you near them. So walk slowly along the bank. I have seen 13 pound snakeheads in 3-4inches of water. What I would recommend is using a chatterbait. They will murder a chatterbait color is not important as long as they can see it. They also hate topwater baits like poppers or frogs but only early in the morning or late in the evening. I am talking about after the sun goes down or before it comes up.
As far as the tides look for a high tide going out. So if high tide is at 4pm go fishing for snakehead at 4:30pm. When the high tide is going out the snakeheads are most active. They can be caught all day long though. If during high tide the shore vegetation is submerged the snakehead will actually get all up in it. You will notice the grass moving be patient they will go in and out several times.
Snakeheads breath air so keep your eyes peeled when they are in deeper water (normally 3-7 feet is where I see them) and they will give up their location. If they slowly sink straight back down you can catch them with a rattling black blue jig w/ trailers. Just toss it just past where they surfaced and try to keep your bait moving in that general area( kind of like you would with a shakyhead. The bite on a jig is no joke they pound it hard). If they come up for air and don't go straight back down but swim back down your best bet is fan casting the chatterbait or use a rattletrap (I think its the tight vibration these baits let off). They are also found underneath heavy aquatic vegetation as all the bass anglers know, because they have all been catching them by accident. As I mentioned before that’s where they do their spawning.
Sometimes snakeheads can be kind of moody and when your bait goes by, they fly in the opposite direction. Just like bass this is the time for a more finesse approach. After you have noticed this behavior switch to a senko type bait or a fluke. Remember match the hatch (blue gill, sunfish, killifish).
REMEMBER DEAD water protected with little or no current, shallow flats are awesome too. MAY/June are the best months for wall hangers!
Keep me posted on your catches and let me know if this was useful for you.
Jay
Shane J reply :
That is a pretty good summary right there. Everyone I know who fishes for them, says it's a blast, and they fight hard. I've fished the Potomac, but never caught one myself. Couple years ago in a tourny I was taking part in, a guy brought in a 15 pounder! Thing was nasty!
BassWhole! reply :
Thanks, looks good. I'll add that they like many of the same lures as bass in medium to heavy cover. I use my less than favorite frogs and speed worms mostly, but anything that will run through cover will work. Haven't caught any real big ones, but there seems to be more and larger ones every year. Seen a couple caught in some of the swampy stuff just up from Mattawoman already.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
Bass lures work well for snakeheads this is true. I named the main lures that worked the best in my opinion. Normally from my experiences I have noticed that they like cover right on the bank. Normally shallower than bass would hang out. I have seen them under drift wood in a little swamp pocket in 5inches or less or even next to lay downs in 3-4 inches of water. When they are in deeper water they relate more to vegetation either to spawn or for protection from the sun. Oh and not sure I mentioned it but they are capable of spawning several times a year. It has not been proven as far as I know yet on the river, but I do know that I have seen them spawning in August.
Jay-
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
2 words...
Wake Bait 
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
I'll second all of what Delfi said. Typically I will catch them in less than 12" of water. This is not to say that snakeheads are shore huggers. The tidal Potomac has numerous shallow flats that are hundreds of yards from the shore. These areas have also proved productive. Unlike bass, the fish will not orient to the drop offs but rather the density of the vegetation (e.g. the more dense the vegetation the greater the likelihood of finding snakeheads.)
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
I did mention off shore stuff really because I was kind of targeting shore fishermen, but you are spot on Snakehead Whisperer. I am glad that you agree. I am sure you have received a lot of request for snakehead information as well. I thought I would share some of what I know and get more people involved in the hunt!
Did not mention this on this thread but SNAKEHEAD TASTE DELICOUS!
Jay-
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
On 4/10/2013 at 10:50 AM, Snakehead Whisperer said:2 words...
Wake Bait
How big of a bait will a snakehead try and eat?
You say "wakebait" and I start thinking big baits.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 4/10/2013 at 9:52 PM, SPEEDBEAD. said:How big of a bait will a snakehead try and eat?
You say "wakebait" and I start thinking big baits.
For numbers I'd go with a Manns 1-Minus or something similar. I throw muskie sized baits too with decent success (5+ inch, 1+oz. shallow diving cranks.)
In the pic on the right the fish has the crankbait hanging out of it's mouth. Ironically the larger fish on the left was caught on a mini egg (similar to a baby 1-minus, about a 2.5" bait.)
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
They will eat a blue gill as big as your hand. So as long as its not bigger than that I will assume they can handle it. The florida bulls eye is smaller than our northern snakehead and they found a 8 inch rat in it's stomach. I wouldn't be suprised if the northern snakehead wouldn't eat a baby duck or goose swimming by.
Jay- 
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 4/10/2013 at 10:19 PM, Delfi_Boyz said:
They will eat a blue gill as big as your hand. So as long as its not bigger than that I will assume they can handle it. The florida bulls eye is smaller than our northern snakehead and they found a 8 inch rat in it's stomach. I wouldn't be suprised if the northern snakehead wouldn't eat a baby duck or goose swimming by.
Jay-
I always check the stomach contents when cleaning them. I've found a few large sunfish, some crayfish, a duckling, a mouse, a small muskrat, and a few frogs. Most often though I find large numbers of small baitfish (like killifish or dace,) even in the larger ones.
Once while fishing at Mallow's Bay in MD I hooked a snakehead on a horny toad and it broke free. One of the horny toads legs was missing when I got it back to the boat. About 3 weeks later I caught a snakehead in the same area, brought it home and found the leg in it's stomach 
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
LOL Awesome. I am going to have to make a little duckling lure......
Jay
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
I am going to have to say that Rat-L-Traps and chatterbait have a tight underwater vibration that drives the snakeheads mad. There is nothing better than watching the water boil as the snakehead explodes on your bait. I seen one come up yesterday while fishing at lunch so its about to be on like donkey kong! I fish for bass when they are spawning then I go str8 to snakeheads for the rest of the summer during my lunch break. I don't eat them often but they are amazingly good, I get more joy out of giving them to the people I work with they love them soo much. They even try to pay me for them, I always refuse the money and give them away. It went from 1-2 people that eat them to over 30 now. It's getting hard to keep up with supply and demand. 
Jay
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 4/10/2013 at 11:19 PM, Delfi_Boyz said:I seen one come up yesterday while fishing at lunch so its about to be on like donkey kong!
.
Jay
Couldn't have put it any better myself
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
You want to impress your neighbors? Catch you about 4-5 snakeheads and have a fish fry, just tell them it's fish (some people get weird when you say snakehead).... They will be very impressed with the big money you spent on grade A fish.
Jay-
Hannock reply :
If you are interested in snakehead fishing, go out to your local Walmart and pick up a KEVIN VANDAM SEXY FROG! Snakeheads HATE these things with a passion. They run about ~$8, which I think is kind of pricey but it is well worth it if youre serious about snakehead fishing. The benefit of these frogs is that they float and are weedless. I like to find the thickest patch of lilly pads and cast right in the middle of them. Fish this guy as slow as possible and "pop" it across the top to create a ruckus on the surface. My buddy and I caught over 20 snakeheads on the Aquia Creek last year and each got our "Snakehead Control" hats by catching tagged hogs. Right now the creek needs a couple more weeks to get some vegetation growing but I heard the "chirpers" out the other night and you know its about time for the hunt to begin!
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 4/14/2013 at 1:25 AM, SnakeHeadKarma said:If you are interested in snakehead fishing, go out to your local Walmart and pick up a KEVIN VANDAM SEXY FROG! Snakeheads HATE these things with a passion. They run about ~$8, which I think is kind of pricey but it is well worth it if youre serious about snakehead fishing. The benefit of these frogs is that they float and are weedless. I like to find the thickest patch of lilly pads and cast right in the middle of them. Fish this guy as slow as possible and "pop" it across the top to create a ruckus on the surface. My buddy and I caught over 20 snakeheads on the Aquia Creek last year and each got our "Snakehead Control" hats by catching tagged hogs. Right now the creek needs a couple more weeks to get some vegetation growing but I heard the "chirpers" out the other night and you know its about time for the hunt to begin!
Right now is trophy snakehead season if you can find them. The big mamas are out there and feeding as I type this, in slightly deeper water than their summer haunts.
BlackFlag703 reply :
Hey guys just joined the forum, I've been looking at this thread for a while now, and the snakeheads are definitely out. In a week of fishing me and my friends have caught 8 of them. I had the biggest one ive seen on my line today but as soon as I was bringing him up the line snapped, so if anyone catches one with a deep diving kvd crank still stuck in the side of its mouth let me know lol.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 4/24/2013 at 7:26 AM, BlackFlag703 said:Hey guys just joined the forum, I've been looking at this thread for a while now, and the snakeheads are definitely out. In a week of fishing me and my friends have caught 8 of them. I had the biggest one ive seen on my line today but as soon as I was bringing him up the line snapped, so if anyone catches one with a deep diving kvd crank still stuck in the side of its mouth let me know lol.
Will do Blackflag!
Jay
Kmumps reply :
Hey guys, brand new to this forum. Found this thread while searching snakeheads on the web. After missing out on fishing for a year while battling cancer I am actively back at it again. My goal is to catch snakeheads. I haven't found any yet. I have been out once so far this year in Mattawomen Creek. Caught a few bass. The water was muddy as could be. I am trying to get back out this week as well and hopefully it has cleared up some. I have free time and a boat and would gladly welcome someone who can help me find them aboard for the trip. Can you point me in the right direction?
Steve Ryan reply :
Jay and SH Whisperer (and all the others):
Thank you for all the great Northern Snakehead information on this thread.
I'm a Field Editor with In-Fisherman Magazine and have a big interest in catching a Northern Snakehead. I see many of the most accomplished guys on the Potomac are fishing from kayaks, canoes or small boats to get into skinny water. I'd like to do a 'mini-vacation trip' to the area with my wife in the hopes of landing 1-2 decent size Northern Snakeheads. I could careless what type of stuff I need to hike or wade through to get to fish, but my wife is not much into spiders and mucks and anything else she deems disgusting. LOL I have seen photos of guys catching them from rocky areas that look more like smallmouth streams, than stagnant backwater areas. With only a day or two to fish them and a 1000+ miles of driving, any suggestions on appropriate shore access spots or anyone that guides or fishes for snakeheads seriously.
We have fished bullseye snakeheads in Florida enough and I have even fished Giant and Striped Snakeheads in Asia. Now hoping to add a Northern Snakehead to the list.
I can also be reached at sryan101@sbcglobal.net.
Thanks a ton,
Steve Ryan
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
Steve,
There are a lot of snakehead guides in the area. Most of the bass fishing guides in the area also guide for snakeheads. Also there is a lake in Quantico that they introduced snakeheads to. You can find out about it prior to your trip by contacting Quantico Marine Corps Base. Hope this helps.
Jay
Steve Ryan reply :
Thanks Jay.
As an FYI, I contacted the Quantico Marine Corps Base and was advised that there is NO lake on base that is stocked with snakeheads. Also, couldn't seem to locate any guides or individuals who are consistently on Northern Snakeheads at this time, so will likely switch plans and focus on big smallmouth bass in the Midwest.
The text of the Quantico email is as follows:
Steve,
There is no pond on base that is actually stocked with snakeheads, which are still considered an invasive species. That being said, it seems people have had success catching them in the tidal waters of Quantico Creek, Chopawamsic Creek and Aquia Creek. Of those, only the Chopawamsic is actually on base, but the other two are in the immediate vicinity, and there are a few other creeks with tidal waters in the area.
To fish on base, you’ll need a Quantico fishing permit, which you can get at the main Marine Corps Exchange. Sorry it took me a while to get back to you. Good luck!
-- Mike
CMG reply :
On 6/25/2013 at 4:23 AM, Steve Ryan said:Also, couldn't seem to locate any guides or individuals who are consistently on Northern Snakeheads at this time, so will likely switch plans and focus on big smallmouth bass in the Midwest.
Didn't find Capt. Mike Starrett did you? http://www.indianheadcharters.com/
He's doesn't advertise it, but he can certainly put you on snakeheads. He's booked for the summer as far as I know though.
Andy Andrzejewski knows where to find them too.
If you haven't contacted them, they might at least be able to suggest someone else.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 6/25/2013 at 4:23 AM, Steve Ryan said:Thanks Jay.
As an FYI, I contacted the Quantico Marine Corps Base and was advised that there is NO lake on base that is stocked with snakeheads. Also, couldn't seem to locate any guides or individuals who are consistently on Northern Snakeheads at this time, so will likely switch plans and focus on big smallmouth bass in the Midwest.
The text of the Quantico email is as follows:
Steve,
There is no pond on base that is actually stocked with snakeheads, which are still considered an invasive species. That being said, it seems people have had success catching them in the tidal waters of Quantico Creek, Chopawamsic Creek and Aquia Creek. Of those, only the Chopawamsic is actually on base, but the other two are in the immediate vicinity, and there are a few other creeks with tidal waters in the area.
To fish on base, you’ll need a Quantico fishing permit, which you can get at the main Marine Corps Exchange. Sorry it took me a while to get back to you. Good luck!
-- Mike
PROPOSAL TO STUDY GROWTH RATE OF SNAKEHEAD FISH AT
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO
INVITATION TO SCOPING MEETING
The public is invited to attend a meeting concerning a proposal to stock snakehead fish in Buffalo Pond at Marine Corps Base, Quantico (MCBQ), Virginia. The meeting will be held April 17, 5 P.M., at building 27007 (Log Cabin), at MCBQ. This meeting is held per the National Environmental Policy Act to provide the public opportunity to comment on the proposal.
Please RSVP to the fisheries program office at MCBQ if you plan to attend or need directions. Contact numbers are 703-432-6776/ 6777/ 6780 and 6782.
The proposed study will be managed by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF). The following is a description of the study.
There are no known validation studies to support the aging procedure that is currently used for snakeheads. Validation studies using known age fish are a prerequisite to completing an accurate assessment of a given population and have been conducted for other species but not for snakeheads. This is an urgent matter of not only regional but national importance, as this species continues its colonization of Chesapeake Bay tributaries and other waters throughout the United States. Buffalo Pond is located east of U.S. Route 1 in the lower Chopawamsic Creek watershed and adjacent to the tidal portion of this creek where snakeheads are already known to exist.
The study will be contingent upon successful collection of an adequate number of juveniles in spring 2013 (at least several hundred) and successfully marking them with oxytetracycline (OTC - a method currently used to stain the bony structures of fish for future evaluation). VDGIF needs a secure site (Buffalo Pond) to stock the marked fish and return annually to collect representative samples as they age. The OTC stain on the otolith (ear bone) will be the validation needed to confirm the fish's age.
An added benefit of the study will be an evaluation of the impacts of northern snakeheads on an existing warm-water reservoir fish community. The non-native sportfish assemblage currently inhabiting Buffalo Pond (including largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, black crappie and channel catfish) will be monitored annually by boat electrofishing.
The pond is currently open to public fishing on a limited basis. OCS training often closes road access to the pond, especially during the summer season. Recreational fishing will still be allowed when the roads are open but
on a catch and release basis. VDGIF will assist the MCBQ FWA Section with monitoring the fish population in Buffalo Pond over the life of the study. VDGIF will be responsible for posting signage explaining the project and any rules pertaining to fisheries management in the pond.
Per MCO P5090.2A Ch 1, Chapter 11, the release of exotic organisms into an installation's natural ecosystems is not authorized. However, the northern snakehead is already established in
tidal Chopawamsic Creek and its tributaries. This project will cause no new introduction to this watershed. The proposed research will develop biological knowledge that may contribute to future control technologies that will help restore the natural balance within the watershed. MCO P5090.2A does authorize research on invasive species to develop environmentally sound control technologies. This project is consistent with the sound working relationship established between VDGIF and MCBQ per the Sikes Act Improvement Act.
DeltaVictor01 reply :
Thanks for a great writeup Homemadebaits. As sequestration is settling in, I'll be having every Friday off and had decided to fish for food! 
j/k!
Actually, I haven't fish for years and get back into the sport again, and fishing for Snakehead is going to be my new passion!
So any tips on where to fish from shore for snakehead in the DC/MD/VA area? 
PoorBoyBassin reply :
No tips about shore fishing for them as I've only been in a boat when catching them. I fished a tournament outa Leesylvania state park last year. and our first stop was at the mouth Quantico Creek. There's a nice flat just inside the left side of the creek full of coontail grass I believe it was. FIshing for large mouths at the time. with a senko rigged texas style/ weightless. We caught some nice bass but had to weed through the snake heads to catchum though. Conditions were rainy an a bit chilly with the wind blowing a steady 10mil an hour outa the norht/east. Was making long cast's and basicaly fishing it like you would a fluke. Biggest snakehead of the day was 3.5 pounds an a fun right for sure! I know there's some sort of park right there on that point, as there were several people shore fishing an were within easy casting of the flat I was fishing... Might be a spot for you to check out.
DeltaVictor01 reply :
On 7/11/2013 at 6:32 AM, PoorBoyBassin said:No tips about shore fishing for them as I've only been in a boat when catching them. I fished a tournament outa Leesylvania state park last year. and our first stop was at the mouth Quantico Creek. There's a nice flat just inside the left side of the creek full of coontail grass I believe it was. FIshing for large mouths at the time. with a senko rigged texas style/ weightless. We caught some nice bass but had to weed through the snake heads to catchum though. Conditions were rainy an a bit chilly with the wind blowing a steady 10mil an hour outa the norht/east. Was making long cast's and basicaly fishing it like you would a fluke. Biggest snakehead of the day was 3.5 pounds an a fun right for sure! I know there's some sort of park right there on that point, as there were several people shore fishing an were within easy casting of the flat I was fishing... Might be a spot for you to check out.
Great!
Thanks for the tip.
I think that point is part of the MCB Quantico.
The base MWR boat slip is near by also. Hopefully they have rental boats there.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
Delta I can't give up any of my spots but I can say this. All the creeks, coves, and marshes that feed down into the river are good. All the public fishing areas in Fort Belvoir are good too. Just try to use the info I provided. It will get a snakehead on your hook.
Tight lines..
Jay
Sam reply :
First one I caught was in the back of Potomac Creek on a falling tide.
Great fight.
Have seen only one since then. A small one on the main river.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
I am curious to know if anyone has read this thread and used what I have writen to catch some of these amazing fish. Post your snakehead experience please! Maybe someone will tell there story and make something click for those people who have not yet caughten a snakehead!
Jay
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
Thanks all who have posted! 
MDBowHunter reply :
A budy and I went last weekend, we had some hits but couldn't get one hooked up. We'll be back though!!!
biscaynenative reply :
I know I'm posting on this thread after the fact, but I thought I should chime in.
I worked in China for a few years, and did a lot of fishing over there. I was almost always targeting Northern Snakehead. Over there, I found that the ideal bait was a blue/white spinner bait with silver blades, or a chartreuse/ black with black and gold blades. I’d run them right along grassy edges or around downed trees (or trash, most places were essentially dumps), and they’d come out of cover and slam the baits. Topwater frogs worked as well, but these were really better on the southern varieties, down in Thailand. Buzzbaits, especially black and red, worked well at night.
I don’t know why I never had as much success on topwater, because it’s not as if there weren’t frogs. Moreover, I was without a doubt the only person to target them the way we do. I never once saw someone fish with anything other than a bamboo pole or net, so my lures were the first they’d ever seen. Granted, I was only one data set, so my results are probably very skewed. I did have a lot of tackle (and still do!), but I found that most of my bass kit wasn’t as effective as I’d imagined.
The only other thing I’ll mention is that in China (at least in my part of Fujian Province), the fish were really, really sluggish. When they hit, they hit hard. But more often than not, I could bonk them on the head and they’d hardly flinch. Maybe it was because there was no bass equivalent, so there is less competition for food. Regardless, however, their aggressiveness is definitely an American thing, as their overseas cousins are lazy more than anything.
Just my thoughts.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 7/31/2013 at 1:51 AM, biscaynenative said:I know I'm posting on this thread after the fact, but I thought I should chime in.
I worked in China for a few years, and did a lot of fishing over there. I was almost always targeting Northern Snakehead. Over there, I found that the ideal bait was a blue/white spinner bait with silver blades, or a chartreuse/ black with black and gold blades. I’d run them right along grassy edges or around downed trees (or trash, most places were essentially dumps), and they’d come out of cover and slam the baits. Topwater frogs worked as well, but these were really better on the southern varieties, down in Thailand. Buzzbaits, especially black and red, worked well at night.
I don’t know why I never had as much success on topwater, because it’s not as if there weren’t frogs. Moreover, I was without a doubt the only person to target them the way we do. I never once saw someone fish with anything other than a bamboo pole or net, so my lures were the first they’d ever seen. Granted, I was only one data set, so my results are probably very skewed. I did have a lot of tackle (and still do!), but I found that most of my bass kit wasn’t as effective as I’d imagined.
The only other thing I’ll mention is that in China (at least in my part of Fujian Province), the fish were really, really sluggish. When they hit, they hit hard. But more often than not, I could bonk them on the head and they’d hardly flinch. Maybe it was because there was no bass equivalent, so there is less competition for food. Regardless, however, their aggressiveness is definitely an American thing, as their overseas cousins are lazy more than anything.
Just my thoughts.
I like what you added to this thread. The blue & white spinner is very interesting. I have notice how ever something with a tight vibration like a rattle trap or chatterbait gets them to come from a few yards away. That said I have not tried a blue and white chattrbait and will definitely have to give that a try.
The snakeheads here can be extremely moody at times also. Its almost hit or miss with their aggression. I have seen them may of times swim away from a bait no matter how slow of a presentation. Other times I have had them crush a frog or chatterbait with ill intentions and even fly a few feet out of water. There is still tons to learn about these fish but two things are certain 1) They are fun to catch. 2) "They taste grrrrreat" (Tony the Tiger)!
Jay-
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
Oh yeah and IMHO the best way to catch them at night is with a arrow. 
Thanks for sharing Biscayne!
Jay
Traveler2586 reply :
On 7/11/2013 at 5:47 AM, DeltaVictor01 said:Thanks for a great writeup Homemadebaits. As sequestration is settling in, I'll be having every Friday off and had decided to fish for food!
j/k!
Actually, I haven't fish for years and get back into the sport again, and fishing for Snakehead is going to be my new passion!
So any tips on where to fish from shore for snakehead in the DC/MD/VA area?
Look for Riverside Park along the GW Parkway at Fort Hunt, VA 22308 . Work the shoreline in both directions from the parking lot; also work all sides of the Little Hunting Creek bridge. Keep your catch and enjoy the food.
Tight Lines
Greeneye8181 reply :
I saw one in the Potomac earlier this season that dwarfed a 8-pounder I caught yesterday.
It surfaced about 5 feet from the boat, seemed to look at me, then slowly and quietly submerged. My jaw almost hit the water. I don't even want to know how big it was.
I tried to post a pic of the 8-pounder but it's on my Android phone and my Apple computer is having none of it.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 8/16/2013 at 5:04 AM, Greeneye8181 said:I saw one in the Potomac earlier this season that dwarfed a 8-pounder I caught yesterday.
It surfaced about 5 feet from the boat, seemed to look at me, then slowly and quietly submerged. My jaw almost hit the water. I don't even want to know how big it was.
I tried to post a pic of the 8-pounder but it's on my Android phone and my Apple computer is having none of it.
I hooked one that I swear was over 20lbs, hooked not landed. In my experience when they slowly go back down that means they didn't see you and can be caught. Usually when I see them sink straight back down, almost tail first they will surface again in the same spot about 15 minutes later. A black and blue jig worked like a shakyhead or buzzing a rattle trap near the bottom will get you hooked up.
Jay
bigbill reply :
Ok they taste great but there really ugly. Will we ever have a snakehead tornie? Could this be bigger than bass tornies someday?
How many states have snakeheads in there waters?
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 8/22/2013 at 12:36 AM, bigbill said:Ok they taste great but there really ugly. Will we ever have a snakehead tornie? Could this be bigger than bass tornies someday?
How many states have snakeheads in there waters?
Bigbill,
There already is a bunch of snakehead tournaments out there in a lot of different states, dont quote me but I think its like 10 states and counting . IMHO yes I do believe that snakeheads will take over any given body of water given enough time. I do believe 30 years from now they will be in direct competition with bass tournaments.
It's going to suck! But only time will tell.
jay
NHBA Charlie reply :
Over the past two weeks, I have been fishing club tournaments out of Leesylvania State Park. Each day, we ran to Chickamuxen Creek and fished topwater and Senkos for bass. Each day, we caught at least two Snakeheads in the 6-8 pound class on topwater frogs. On sunny days, we fished frogs with white bellies and on overcast days we used black frogs. In all cases, after we set the hook, the fish launched themselves out of the water at least one foot and in one cast over two feet, STRAIGHT UP. Heavy braided line and long casts are a must, but the fish are there. You can generally tell a snakehead from a bass, as a snakehead will come up and "nose" the bait where a bass will annihilate it. In addition to catching the fish daily, we also had many snakehead come up and nudge the baits without taking them. We could see these fish on the surface as they came up behind the baits.
---=Martin=--- reply :
On 8/22/2013 at 1:48 AM, NHBA Charlie said:Over the past two weeks, I have been fishing club tournaments out of Leesylvania State Park. Each day, we ran to Chickamuxen Creek and fished topwater and Senkos for bass. Each day, we caught at least two Snakeheads in the 6-8 pound class on topwater frogs. On sunny days, we fished frogs with white bellies and on overcast days we used black frogs. In all cases, after we set the hook, the fish launched themselves out of the water at least one foot and in one cast over two feet, STRAIGHT UP. Heavy braided line and long casts are a must, but the fish are there. You can generally tell a snakehead from a bass, as a snakehead will come up and "nose" the bait where a bass will annihilate it. In addition to catching the fish daily, we also had many snakehead come up and nudge the baits without taking them. We could see these fish on the surface as they came up behind the baits.
interesting... i can tell i have a snakehead on the line because 1) very distinct sound and feel when they hit top water lure and 2) they NEVER jump but instead always dive down. i am yet to see or catch one (and I've gotten 20+ maybe more, i've lost count) what will NOT dive down and deep; never jump.
NHBA Charlie reply :
It is kind of difficult for a Snakehead to dive down when he hits in 6" of water. I see that you are from Florida. Perhaps the snakeheads
that you fish for in Florida live in deeper water than those on the Potomac River. Here, we find these fish in less than two feet of water as
they have no gills and must come to the surface to breathe every 3-4 minutes. We are fishing THICK grassbeds in very shallow water. As a
matter of fact, if you stay too long on the outgoing tide, you may be there for another 3-4 hours waiting for the incoming tide to refloat the boat.
NHBA Charlie.......
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
You all have to keep in mind that you are both talking about 2 different types of snakeheads. They are similra but also very different!
Jay
On 8/23/2013 at 10:19 AM, NHBA Charlie said:It is kind of difficult for a Snakehead to dive down when he hits in 6" of water. I see that you are from Florida. Perhaps the snakeheads
that you fish for in Florida live in deeper water than those on the Potomac River. Here, we find these fish in less than two feet of water as
they have no gills and must come to the surface to breathe every 3-4 minutes. We are fishing THICK grassbeds in very shallow water. As a
matter of fact, if you stay too long on the outgoing tide, you may be there for another 3-4 hours waiting for the incoming tide to refloat the boat.
NHBA Charlie.......
On 8/23/2013 at 2:13 AM, mvorbrodt said:interesting... i can tell i have a snakehead on the line because 1) very distinct sound and feel when they hit top water lure and 2) they NEVER jump but instead always dive down. i am yet to see or catch one (and I've gotten 20+ maybe more, i've lost count) what will NOT dive down and deep; never jump.
---=Martin=--- reply :
On 8/23/2013 at 10:19 AM, NHBA Charlie said:It is kind of difficult for a Snakehead to dive down when he hits in 6" of water. I see that you are from Florida. Perhaps the snakeheads
that you fish for in Florida live in deeper water than those on the Potomac River. Here, we find these fish in less than two feet of water as
they have no gills and must come to the surface to breathe every 3-4 minutes. We are fishing THICK grassbeds in very shallow water. As a
matter of fact, if you stay too long on the outgoing tide, you may be there for another 3-4 hours waiting for the incoming tide to refloat the boat.
NHBA Charlie.......
Norther Snakeheads you're catching up north HAVE GILLS sir 
FL ones do too, and they also hang out in shallow water, but when I hook one they dive.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 8/23/2013 at 7:48 PM, mvorbrodt said:Norther Snakeheads you're catching up north HAVE GILLS sir
The ones I've hooked dive as well, until they get close to the boat, then they'll jump a bit or do a tail walk.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
Just simply stating that different fish sometimes have different characteristics. I have seen one of our northern snakeheads not on a hook jump 3 feet out of the water and once I set the hook on one that jumped about 2 feet out of the water. Our northern snakeheads give themselves away kind of by big head turns but catfish here are also known to do that.
J-
Greeneye8181 reply :
I've been meaning to ask. Has anyone notice the possibility of two different types of Northern Snakehead in the Potomac? I caught one a couple years back that had different pelvic and anal fins. Lighter color too.
Greeneye8181 reply :
Now look at this one
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
The one in the top photo looks like it's sustained some sort of injury earlier in life.On 8/25/2013 at 12:52 AM, Greeneye8181 said:I've been meaning to ask. Has anyone notice the possibility of two different types of Northern Snakehead in the Potomac? I caught one a couple years back that had different pelvic and anal fins. Lighter color too.
Greeneye8181 reply :
I dunno... you could be right but the heads are shaped different too. The fins go farther up the body on the top one. I did some research a while back and there actually is a different pheneotype (not sure if that is the right term) from China and Russia. Not sure if this applies here but just a thought.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
I'm with SW on this one. The local biologists have done a lot of studies and electrofishing for them they would have noticed 2 types if it was true. Just some sort of birth defect or injury. Cool catches none the less.
Jay
Brian Needham reply :
On 7/11/2013 at 9:18 AM, homemadebaits said:Delta I can't give up any of my spots but I can say this.
I have to chuckle at this....I thought the point was to catch and kill as many as possible, it is a trash fish after all.
also sounds like many keep and eat them........how do you store them while fishing, as getting them out of the livewell could get interesting with those teeth!
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
Blasphemy!On 8/26/2013 at 11:56 AM, Brian Needham said:I have to chuckle at this....I thought the point was to catch and kill as many as possible, it is a trash fish after all.
Simple... since it's illegal to possess a live snakehead, it's not lawful to keep them in a livewell. This has been a controversial issue here as folks don't want to mess up the carpets on their bass boats by killing the fish immediately. To compound things it is a federal offence to transport a live snakehead over state lines (e.g. if you live in Virginia and carry a live fish across the river from Maryland you have commited a crime, regardless of the fact that the fish is established in both places.) On a side note, the fish are docile once taken from the water (they won't bite like a pike will.)On 8/26/2013 at 11:56 AM, Brian Needham said:also sounds like many keep and eat them........how do you store them while fishing, as getting them out of the livewell could get interesting with those teeth!
In Maryland you must dispatch the fish immediately and do what you wish with the carcass. In Virginia you can do this, or you can release the fish back into the water. In DC this is a somewhat grey area. Regardless of where you live it is frowned upon to release a snakehead by most anglers. I have released some when legal to do so, but I've harvested the majority of them that I've caught. Sometimes it is just not realistic to harvest them (no cooler available, no freezer space, etc.) I refuse to kill a fish and throw it on the bank. Snakeheads are quite impressive fish and they did not ask to be put here. They deserve our respect like any other animal. I do, however, advocate harvesting these fish.
Eradicating them from the Potomac is impossible. The fish are common, widespread and hearty as well as reproducing well. The main issue is preventing their spread to other areas and mitigating the damage (if any) that they are causing. LMB and SMB are both introduced species to the Potomac, btw.
Greeneye8181 reply :
Two subspecies are distinguished – C. a. argus originating from China and Korea and C. a. warpachowskii originating from eastern Russia.
I got that from Wikipedia.
Anyway, I use a icepick. One good whack on the head and they are done for. Then two plastic shopping bags and in the live well it goes.
I do like the fish and I am a protect animals and the environment kind of guy but they have confirmed a virus that kills LM Bass and is spread by snakeheads. That's not good news. I think the kill on catch is good. Won't ever eliminate them as a whole but the population can be somewhat controlled.
DeltaVictor01 reply :
On 7/31/2013 at 9:31 AM, Traveler2586 said:Look for Riverside Park along the GW Parkway at Fort Hunt, VA 22308 . Work the shoreline in both directions from the parking lot; also work all sides of the Little Hunting Creek bridge. Keep your catch and enjoy the food.
Tight Lines
Thanks Traveler2586.
For 4 weeks now, I've been all over the Riverside/Quantico area with not even one hit. Other anglers also told me that they haven't have a snakehead bite over 2 weeks. I wonder if the snakeheads are going through some kind of "retreat" or something? Anyone caught a snakehead in the Potomac in the last two weeks?
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
Haven't fished the tidal river in weeks, so none here.On 9/12/2013 at 7:20 AM, DeltaVictor01 said:Thanks Traveler2586.
For 4 weeks now, I've been all over the Riverside/Quantico area with not even one hit. Other anglers also told me that they haven't have a snakehead bite over 2 weeks. I wonder if the snakeheads are going through some kind of "retreat" or something? Anyone caught a snakehead in the Potomac in the last two weeks?
What kind of habitat are you fishing? The most productive area there is by far the spatterdock field West of the bridge, not sure if you can access it by shore though. Little Hunting Creek is also a great spot, but shore access there is almost non-existant there. If you're shore bound and looking to catch a snakehead I would try hitting the smaller feeder creeks in tidal water, or some ponds that are on the flood plain of tidal water. In Southern MD there are many public ponds that have snakeheads, but I don't know of any in VA.
If you can make it out there, the pond at Bumpy Oak Road and the Indian Head Rail Trail near Pomonkey, MD is full of them. Fishing there is hit or miss. Some days you can catch many, other days you're lucky if you nab 1. The pond also has a decent population of largemouth and chain pickerel. The spot is no secret; if you google bumpy oak pond snakehead you'll get lots of results. I've also heard of lots of catches at 4 Mile Run in Alexandria. I'm pretty sure most are caught off the rip-rap near the water treatment plant, and also across from there in the small creek next to the park. Shoreline access here is pretty good, and I believe it's wadeable (please make sure it's legal if you decide to wade.)
Bladensburg waterfront park and the area near RFK stadium/Kingman Island in DC are also both good snakehead spots (but I wouldn't eat anything out of the Anacostia river if it were me.)
It's also a good idea to think outside of the box when snakehead fishing. Watch some of the Japanese videos on youtube and you'll see these guys catching them out of drainage ditches and retention pools. Anything on the flood plain of the river is fair game. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in DC is overrun with them, but unfortunately fishing the ponds there is not legal.
Greeneye8181 reply :
Great info Snakehead Whisperer! You know your stuff.
In regards to the Anacostia. I remember reading an article in the post about eating fish from there and there were fisherman interviewed that said they eat large catfish from there on a regular basis. Wow is all I have to say to that. I value my health and sanity so I will pass on that.
I fish from Ft.Belvoir to Aquia so while I am familiar with the areas you stated had no clue about fishing there.
The spots I've had luck with Snakehead are Aquia Creek, Mattawoman Creek (my biggest at 11lbs), and Chopawamsic.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 9/12/2013 at 8:03 AM, Greeneye8181 said:Great info Snakehead Whisperer! You know your stuff.
In regards to the Anacostia. I remember reading an article in the post about eating fish from there and there were fisherman interviewed that said they eat large catfish from there on a regular basis. Wow is all I have to say to that. I value my health and sanity so I will pass on that.
I fish from Ft.Belvoir to Aquia so while I am familiar with the areas you stated had no clue about fishing there.
The spots I've had luck with Snakehead are Aquia Creek, Mattawoman Creek (my biggest at 11lbs), and Chopawamsic.
National Geographic did a write up about that a while ago. US Fish & Wildlife did extensive studies on brown bullheads in the Anacostia and found that there was a nearly 80% probability that adult female fish would develop liver tumors by the time they reach 11 inches. That is the highest rate in the country. The rates of tumors are declining but there are a number of factors that come into play, so it's still a mystery for the most part as to why that is. The other alarming thing is that tumor rates were nearly identical in fish harvested from Piscataway Creek and the Roosevelt Island area of the Potomac when these studies were conducted. Here's a link to a write up on the report.
http://www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/pdf/BrownBullheadTumorsFactSheet%2004162013.pdf
Hard to argue with Aquia Creek; apparently it's a world class snakehead fishery now
Also found the link to the National Geographic article.
DeltaVictor01 reply :
On 9/12/2013 at 7:49 AM, Snakehead Whisperer said:Haven't fished the tidal river in weeks, so none here.
What kind of habitat are you fishing? The most productive area there is by far the spatterdock field West of the bridge, not sure if you can access it by shore though. Little Hunting Creek is also a great spot, but shore access there is almost non-existant there. If you're shore bound and looking to catch a snakehead I would try hitting the smaller feeder creeks in tidal water, or some ponds that are on the flood plain of tidal water. In Southern MD there are many public ponds that have snakeheads, but I don't know of any in VA.
If you can make it out there, the pond at Bumpy Oak Road and the Indian Head Rail Trail near Pomonkey, MD is full of them. Fishing there is hit or miss. Some days you can catch many, other days you're lucky if you nab 1. The pond also has a decent population of largemouth and chain pickerel. The spot is no secret; if you google bumpy oak pond snakehead you'll get lots of results. I've also heard of lots of catches at 4 Mile Run in Alexandria. I'm pretty sure most are caught off the rip-rap near the water treatment plant, and also across from there in the small creek next to the park. Shoreline access here is pretty good, and I believe it's wadeable (please make sure it's legal if you decide to wade.)
Bladensburg waterfront park and the area near RFK stadium/Kingman Island in DC are also both good snakehead spots (but I wouldn't eat anything out of the Anacostia river if it were me.)
It's also a good idea to think outside of the box when snakehead fishing. Watch some of the Japanese videos on youtube and you'll see these guys catching them out of drainage ditches and retention pools. Anything on the flood plain of the river is fair game. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in DC is overrun with them, but unfortunately fishing the ponds there is not legal.
Thanks for the info Snakehead Whisperer.
BTW - anyone knows where I can launch to fish Aquia creek? I have a fishing kayak that can be launched anywhere. I drove to Aquia Creek boat club and it turned out to be a closed to public community. The only place on the map that I see is way out by the river entrance, which is too far to paddle into the creek.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 9/13/2013 at 8:30 AM, DeltaVictor01 said:Thanks for the info Snakehead Whisperer.
BTW - anyone knows where I can launch to fish Aquia creek? I have a fishing kayak that can be launched anywhere. I drove to Aquia Creek boat club and it turned out to be a closed to public community. The only place on the map that I see is way out by the river entrance, which is too far to paddle into the creek.
No prob.
There used to be a place to launch at the end of Delaware Dr., right near where it intersects with Aquia Dr. Can't vouch for whether it's currently a good launch point or not. Might be houses there now. Please report back on what you find if you go there.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 9/13/2013 at 8:30 AM, DeltaVictor01 said:Thanks for the info Snakehead Whisperer.
BTW - anyone knows where I can launch to fish Aquia creek? I have a fishing kayak that can be launched anywhere. I drove to Aquia Creek boat club and it turned out to be a closed to public community. The only place on the map that I see is way out by the river entrance, which is too far to paddle into the creek.
Look up HOPE SPRINGS MARINA.
Jay
DeltaVictor01 reply :
On 9/13/2013 at 8:46 AM, Snakehead Whisperer said:No prob.
There used to be a place to launch at the end of Delaware Dr., right near where it intersects with Aquia Dr. Can't vouch for whether it's currently a good launch point or not. Might be houses there now. Please report back on what you find if you go there.
I was there. It has a retaining wall (can be seen from Google map) about 3-4' high and cannot launch my kayak.
Jay: I may try Hope Spring Marina. It's a long way to paddle into the creeks.
Thanks Gent-
dave reply :
On 8/27/2013 at 9:05 AM, Greeneye8181 said:Two subspecies are distinguished – C. a. argus originating from China and Korea and C. a. warpachowskii originating from eastern Russia.
I got that from Wikipedia.
Anyway, I use a icepick. One good whack on the head and they are done for. Then two plastic shopping bags and in the live well it goes.
I do like the fish and I am a protect animals and the environment kind of guy but they have confirmed a virus that kills LM Bass and is spread by snakeheads. That's not good news. I think the kill on catch is good. Won't ever eliminate them as a whole but the population can be somewhat controlled.
but they have confirmed a virus that kills LM Bass and is spread by snakeheads. That's not good news
Did you read the entire article? The virus that kills largemouth bass is...LARGEMOUTH BASS VIRUS. Snakeheads don't give it, they get it. They then have the potential to transfer it to other bodies water that they may migrate to.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 9/16/2013 at 10:30 AM, dave said:but they have confirmed a virus that kills LM Bass and is spread by Snakeheads. That's not good news
Did you read the entire article? The virus that kills largemouth bass is...LARGEMOUTH BASS VIRUS. Snakeheads don't give it, they get it. They then have the potential to transfer it to other bodies water that they may migrate to.
Which means the virus will spread faster? If the Snakehead picked up the virus from the Bass, will other fish pick it up from the Bass or Snakehead as well?
dave reply :
So far (and the biologist can correct me if I am wrong) the LMB Virus only affect the bass, not other fish. When I first heard the report on the radio and then got to work and read the article, the title and first part are very misleading. It seems the media doesn't seem interested in really paying attention to the biologists, only sensationalizing snakehead stories. There was a recent story by the BBC regarding the shifting attitudes regarding snakehead. The two entities that they chose to provide the information was the head of potomacsnakehead.com (or something to that effect) and Pro Fish. potomacsnakehead are bowfishermen who are bowfishing them at night and Pro Fish, the company that buys the meat. I'll try to find the article and post it. The crux is, people need to read the real facts about the snakehead before making judgements on the fish.
dave reply :
Here it is.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23887809
Greeneye8181 reply :
Not sure if the virus I mentioned is LBV but there is a virus that the Snakehead carries but doesn't get sick from. That same virus does kill LMB.
dave reply :
It is LMBV, not a new and different virus.
Greeneye8181 reply :
More reason to keep the population in check
KyakR reply :
Have often wondered about snakehead (read about them 10 yr ago when there was panic)! This thread has been totally fascinating. We don't have them in Maine. But NY and the Chesapeake aren't far. As a neophyte, I can tell you I was put off by the name and Jeremy Wade (he!) Thanks for so many knowledgable posts here! Now gonna try 'em out
Greeneye8181 reply :
I doubt they could survive the winters in Maine. Maybe they can? They are Northern Snakeheads. The Snakehead Jeremy Wade fished for was the giant snakehead. Unless there was a new episode I missed.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
I truly believe they would survive in Maine. A few years back we had a pretty harsh winter and it did not seem to effect them at all. They will seek out a power plant with a warm water discharge or some other way to get by. I am not honestly sure what they do in the winter, but I do know they are a highly adaptable species.
Jay
Kmumps reply :
Anyone still finding any snakeheads now that the water temps are dropping? Thinking of making a trip down to the Potomac soon. Hoping to find a few more snakeheads to fill the freezer for the winter.
dave reply :
There is a biologist on the Virginia side that says when doing shock surveys, typically no snakeheads are shocked up in October.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 11/1/2013 at 9:39 AM, dave said:There is a biologist on the Virginia side that says when doing shock surveys, typically no snakeheads are shocked up in October.
Last year I caught several in November, and if you can remember it was quite a bit colder than this year.
Most were caught in less than 2 feet of water in areas of concentrated tidal current (small inlets, etc.) I was fishing for stripers.
I also caught one last year in late October in deeper water while crappie fishing. The fish was 8lbs. and I caught it on an 8' UL-XF rod spooled with 2lb. test. The fight was epic.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
Just remember this, snakeheads are predators fish of the river just like most other game fish. Find the baitfish and find the snakeheads. Once the water gets in the mid to lower forties I start looking for the warmest water I can find. Usually there will be big concentrations of other fish and the snakeheads are soon to follow. I must admit though I do more deer hunting than snakehead hunting in late fall and winter.
Jay
john81 reply :
This thread has a great amount of info thats useful, i cant wait to try for snakeheads this spring!
Stlbob reply :
I dont think we have them this far south.Have not heard of any.
Correct me if im wrong arent this species invasive and wreck the eco system anywhere they are..??
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 2/5/2014 at 10:23 PM, Stlbob said:I dont think we have them this far south.Have not heard of any.
Correct me if im wrong arent this species invasive and wreck the eco system anywhere they are..??
None in MO, as far I know. The threat of snakeheads was largely blown out of proportion by the media.
The species found here in the tidal Potomac is the northern snakehead, and yes, it is considered invasive. The northern snakeheads are reproducing efficiently and found in almost all portions of the tidal Potomac river (none have yet been captured in the free flowing portions of the river above Great Falls, although there was a false report of one a few years back.) With this said, there is very little evidence to suggest that they are a threat to native species or to introduced species (such as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, etc.)
Most fisheries biologists around here are more concerned with the blue catfish than the northern snakehead, as far as threats to the balance of the ecosystem are concerned. Bass year classes have been strong since the introduction of the snakehead, and bass fishing continues to be great out here (with the chance of nailing a big snakehead to boot.) In fact, the world record northern snakehead was caught right here last year, beating a long standing Japanese record. The fish is also an introduced species in Japan, though the introduction was intentional.
There is really nothing that can be done at this point to eradicate the northern snakehead from the Potomac river, as they are already present in great numbers and have proven to be well suited to survival in this river. At this point most efforts are focused on preventing the proliferation of snakeheads to nearby watersheds, which is also probably futile as snakeheads in general are well adapted to this. As of late there are several confirmed catches on Maryland's Eastern Shore (Wicomico River) and in the tidal Delaware River as far up as Philadelphia.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 2/5/2014 at 10:23 PM, Stlbob said:I dont think we have them this far south.Have not heard of any.
Correct me if im wrong arent this species invasive and wreck the eco system anywhere they are..??
To keep it short and sweet, only time will tell. There are different types of snakeheads all over the USA. They taste great and are fun to catch. Some people are very ignorant and may try transpanting them near you. After all that's how they got here.
J-
dave reply :
Bow fisherman are putting a hurting on them as well. We'd like to see some limits placed on them. They are shooting them at night and selling through the back door. Charles County, MD is holding a contest to rename them. One of the favorites is Potomac Pike. I guess it is a first step in recognizing that it is here to stay and let's start treating them as game fish. We have a customer that caught a confirmed 22# fish last year out of a kayak, the fish was 37" long.
john81 reply :
On 2/11/2014 at 1:15 AM, dave said:Bow fisherman are putting a hurting on them as well. We'd like to see some limits placed on them. They are shooting them at night and selling through the back door. Charles County, MD is holding a contest to rename them. One of the favorites is Potomac Pike. I guess it is a first step in recognizing that it is here to stay and let's start treating them as game fish. We have a customer that caught a confirmed 22# fish last year out of a kayak, the fish was 37" long.
isnt the world record only like 17lbs and was caught in va?
dave reply :
Officially yes. This fish was weighed, photographed and released.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 2/11/2014 at 2:04 AM, dave said:Officially yes. This fish was weighed, photographed and released.
Pics, or it didn't happen
But seriously, I've caught them up to 16lbs. and have seen some that were far larger. I believe that 22#ers are probably lurking in the Potomac. The fish in my avatar is 11-12lbs. at best.
I'm a firm believer in treating snakeheads humanely (even if dispatching them,) btw. They never asked to be put here.
On 2/11/2014 at 1:43 AM, john81 said:isnt the world record only like 17lbs and was caught in va?
Yes, and this is why I want to call BS on this story. I release almost all of the snakeheads I catch nowadays (when fishing in VA/DC waters, that is, it is required by law to dispatch them in MD.) But if I caught a 22lb. snakehead I would be calling the IGFA immediately and getting the fish weighed on a certified scale, regardless of where I caught it.
dave reply :
On 2/12/2014 at 11:28 AM, Snakehead Whisperer said:Pics, or it didn't happen
But seriously, I've caught them up to 16lbs. and have seen some that were far larger. I believe that 22#ers are probably lurking in the Potomac. The fish in my avatar is 11-12lbs. at best.
I'm a firm believer in treating snakeheads humanely (even if dispatching them,) btw. They never asked to be put here.
Yes, and this is why I want to call BS on this story. I release almost all of the snakeheads I catch nowadays (when fishing in VA/DC waters, that is, it is required by law to dispatch them in MD.) But if I caught a 22lb. snakehead I would be calling the IGFA immediately and getting the fish weighed on a certified scale, regardless of where I caught it.
I am looking for a digital image now. The person that caught, it caught it from a Kayak. He is the son of a writer named Joe Bruce. The are snakehead addicts. They've kept and eaten a number of times. They are not interested in records, only promoting the gaming nature of this fish.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 2/12/2014 at 8:45 PM, dave said:I am looking for a digital image now. The person that caught, it caught it from a Kayak. He is the son of a writer named Joe Bruce. The are snakehead addicts. They've kept and eaten a number of times. They are not interested in records, only promoting the gaming nature of this fish.
That reminds me, I've been meaning to check out his book on snakehead fishing.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
I had one shake my jig once that I know weighed over 20lbs. The record will be broke, rebroke and then broke again. Mark my words! Anyone that fishes for them knows this to be true. I would have to agree with snakeheadwhisperer though, I know if I catch and weigh one over 17lbs I will for sure make a call or two or 40.
Jay
Stlbob reply :
I have to ask is the only reason Snakeheads arent down here is because of the cold winters.like this am it was flippin 4 degrees out.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 3/4/2014 at 3:49 AM, Stlbob said:I have to ask is the only reason Snakeheads arent down here is because of the cold winters.like this am it was flippin 4 degrees out.
Cold weather doesn't seem to effect them at all. They adjust but keep this in mind they are called northern snakeheads and are even found in Russia where it gets very cold. The temp here is about 5 degrees tight now.
If they they are not there yet it's because no one has introduced them there yet be glad. If they ever get there they will thrive like they do everywhere they have been introduced.
J-
D805 reply :
A lot of great info. Looking on catching my first snakehead this year. Can't wait.
Traveler2586 reply :
Here's some breaking news - - - - - The Charles County Government has just changed the name of the Snakehead in order to make it more appealing to people as a food fish - -- - - - -
"Thanks to my colleagues, county staff and the hundreds who participated in making this contest a great success. The winning entry comes from Gilbert C., who heard about it on WTOP Radio. The winning name is…Spotted Channa! Channa is a genus of the Channidae family of snakehead fish. The winners will be honored at a Spotted Channa Tournament that will be held later this Spring on the Mattawoman Creek at Smallwood State Park in Marbury."
Don't believe the name will ever catch on though it will confuse a few people for a while....
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 3/27/2014 at 12:32 AM, Traveler2586 said:Here's some breaking news - - - - - The Charles County Government has just changed the name of the Snakehead in order to make it more appealing to people as a food fish - -- - - - -
"Thanks to my colleagues, county staff and the hundreds who participated in making this contest a great success. The winning entry comes from Gilbert C., who heard about it on WTOP Radio. The winning name is…Spotted Channa! Channa is a genus of the Channidae family of snakehead fish. The winners will be honored at a Spotted Channa Tournament that will be held later this Spring on the Mattawoman Creek at Smallwood State Park in Marbury."
Don't believe the name will ever catch on though it will confuse a few people for a while....
I have heard them called a lot of things spotted channa is a first though. I am with you traveler I dont think it will catch on either. I don’t think people around where I live have any issues eating them they are tasty. I actually catch them on my lunch break (none this year so far) and give them away. It started with one or two people taking them from me. Now there is a waiting list LOL. I have shown a lot of people that work with me how to catch them for their selves.
Thanks for the update Traveler stay safe and tightlines.
J
Greeneye8181 reply :
On 3/27/2014 at 12:32 AM, Traveler2586 said:Here's some breaking news - - - - - The Charles County Government has just changed the name of the Snakehead in order to make it more appealing to people as a food fish - -- - - - -
"Thanks to my colleagues, county staff and the hundreds who participated in making this contest a great success. The winning entry comes from Gilbert C., who heard about it on WTOP Radio. The winning name is…Spotted Channa! Channa is a genus of the Channidae family of snakehead fish. The winners will be honored at a Spotted Channa Tournament that will be held later this Spring on the Mattawoman Creek at Smallwood State Park in Marbury."
Don't believe the name will ever catch on though it will confuse a few people for a while....
Man that Gilbert C. is one smart fellow. Wonder who he could be... Could be on this forum, ya never know... 
Traveler2586 reply :
On 3/31/2014 at 6:41 AM, Greeneye8181 said:Man that Gilbert C. is one smart fellow. Wonder who he could be... Could be on this forum, ya never know...
Never met the gentleman, but he can fish on my boat any day.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
He may be a great guy and all but still don't believe his name for snakeheads will ever catch on.
Lol
J-
Greeneye8181 reply :
You mean Spotted Channa? lol
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 4/1/2014 at 9:41 AM, Greeneye8181 said:You mean Spotted Channa? lol
Yeah something like that....
J
MDBowHunter reply :
Spotted Channa, thats stupid. Why not just leave well enough alone. But it was a government official that thought of this so I guess that explains it...
Traveler2586 reply :
On 4/1/2014 at 6:28 PM, MDBowHunter said:Spotted Channa, thats stupid. Why not just leave well enough alone. But it was a government official that thought of this so I guess that explains it...
You got it..........
Greeneye8181 reply :
Lol
I figured you guys would catch on with my previous posts. Its me. Geez.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
We kind of picked up on that. We were just picking fun at ya. But really that name is a little rough though.
J-
dave reply :
Spotter Channa Whisperer...?
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 4/3/2014 at 2:19 AM, dave said:Spotter Channa Whisperer...?
Lol.
Traveler2586 reply :
Found this on WTOP.COM (a Washington, DC news org) today and thought you might enjoy it. There is also some interesting links at the bottom of the story.
http://wtop.com/546/3598721/River-Monsters
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
To funny I actually heard the interview on the radio while at work! It was very interesting. That being I personally don't 100% agree with it all. The fact remains only time will tell.
J-
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
Sorry for the short response previously I am not a big fan of sending big messages from my phone.
Basically what I gathered from the live interview with Mr. Wade is:
He believes that the snakehead will hit its equal Librium in the river and take a slice of the pie chart. I am no so sure I agree.
I spoke with he Fort Belvoir biologist and he told me that studies show now that the number of snakeheads in the river have stop expanding and have peaked. I was curious and asked him how that assessment was reached. He said that they had been studying a 100 yard stretch of river by electric fishing and the numbers have leveled out. The numbers may have leveled out for that 100 yard strip of bank along the river but that is a drop in the bucket compared to the size of the river. With all the real-estate on the river there is no need for them to bunch up, YET!!!!!
I think about the fact that they were allegedly introduce less than 15 years ago. In that time they have expanded their territory to reach the brackish waters of the bay. I read somewhere that when salt levels are low due to rainfall they will travel further into the bay and as soon as the salt levels raise they retreat into the nearest fresh water creek. What is going to happen when they have no more new real estate to expand too? The studies show the numbers leveling out but in fact they are not they are still expanding. The effects are not going to show up for a long time but I think they will indeed show up.
Like I said before, people are going to think that fishing is getting better. They are going to catch bigger fish and more often, and I think that will be because the snakehead will have thinned the population of edible size dinks. I feel that after that happens and once numbers get a lot bigger snakeheads will start eating the bass out of house and home. Then eventually turn on a bigger size fish diet. It may not happen this way just my prospective.
J-
Traveler2586 reply :
On 4/9/2014 at 11:58 PM, DelfiBoyzBaits said:..........................................
Basically what I gathered from the live interview with Mr. Wade is:
He believes that the snakehead will hit its equal Librium in the river and take a slice of the pie chart. I am no so sure I agree.
I spoke with he Fort Belvoir biologist and he told me that studies show now that the number of snakeheads in the river have stop expanding and have peaked. I was curious and asked him how that assessment was reached. He said that they had been studying a 100 yard stretch of river by electric fishing and the numbers have leveled out. The numbers may have leveled out for that 100 yard strip of bank along the river but that is a drop in the bucket compared to the size of the river. With all the real-estate on the river there is no need for them to bunch up, YET!!!!!
I think about the fact that they were allegedly introduce less than 15 years ago. In that time they have expanded their territory to reach the brackish waters of the bay. I read somewhere that when salt levels are low due to rainfall they will travel further into the bay and as soon as the salt levels raise they retreat into the nearest fresh water creek. What is going to happen when they have no more new real estate to expand too? The studies show the numbers leveling out but in fact they are not they are still expanding. The effects are not going to show up for a long time but I think they will indeed show up.
From my reads, territory and population within an area (or levels) are two different subjects, and are similar throughout nature. When a new species is introduced into an favorable area their population will increase. As this occurs the available food source of choice will start its decline, and depending on its reproductive abilities may be depleted or attain a maintainable level; and based on the available food, the new species population will level out to what the food source can support in any given area.
Expansion of a species into new areas can be driven by several things, i.e. the search for food, over population, environmental issues, human intervention, or just a natural wanderlust. Any species has a naturally strong survival instinct that will drive them to adapt to the environment given enough time and resources. Therefore, given enough time, I see a day when the Snakehead will be found from its max cold limits to the north on down to the gulf, Fla, and west to Calf, Mexico, and South America due primarily to human intervention. I believe the only thing that can stop them will be a catastrophic disease to the species in a given area. The spread of the Snakehead can be modeled from the historical records of the spread of the Black Bass.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
Traveler I agree they will spread but here is another point. What other native species can grow in numbers as fast as the snakehead? I wonder if they will reduce offspring or their instinct to reproduce when they start to out grow the river? I thinks it's only a matter of time before their impact it truly felt.
That all being said it won't be long till we start wacking em again. Mr.Wade is right about one thing, they sure are a good thing for the sport fishermen.
J-
Traveler2586 reply :
On 4/10/2014 at 8:41 AM, DelfiBoyzBaits said:Traveler I agree they will spread but here is another point. What other native species can grow in numbers as fast as the snakehead? I wonder if they will reduce offspring or their instinct to reproduce when they start to out grow the river? I thinks it's only a matter of time before their impact it truly felt.
That all being said it won't be long till we start wacking em again. Mr.Wade is right about one thing, they sure are a good thing for the sport fishermen.
J-
I don't have a good understanding of the Snakeheads reproduction rate, I've read that they lay fewer eggs than other fish, and like other fish they protect their young. But we both know how a nest can be overwhelmed by other fish. I would like to see a better feeding study done between the Snakehead, Bass, Catfish, etc. to see who is feeding on what throughout the year; and have the study conducted along the entire tidal Potomac as food sources change from area to area in much the same way the grass beds and bottom composition do.
I haven't caught a Snakehead yet this year, but I'm looking......
P.S. I believe that throughout nature as the food source dwindles so does the offspring's.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
The may have less eggs than other fish but they also can reproduce several times a year. That is how they have populated the river so quickly and they protect their offspring more aggressively than most or all other fish. Someone once told me that they will even attack a Grey Heron if they get to close.
Last year at this time I was already catching them. Once the buck bass start to get shallow (which is now I have been catching them left and right) the snakeheads are very very very close to follow.
On 4/10/2014 at 10:13 AM, Traveler2586 said:I don't have a good understanding of the Snakeheads reproduction rate, I've read that they lay fewer eggs than other fish, and like other fish they protect their young. But we both know how a nest can be overwhelmed by other fish. I would like to see a better feeding study done between the Snakehead, Bass, Catfish, etc. to see who is feeding on what throughout the year; and have the study conducted along the entire tidal Potomac as food sources change from area to area in much the same way the grass beds and bottom composition do.
I haven't caught a Snakehead yet this year, but I'm looking......
P.S. I believe that throughout nature as the food source dwindles so does the offspring's.
J
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
UPDATE:::: Today while out on the potomac I seen 3-4 snakeheads caught! 2 or 3 of them came on a rattle trap and the last one (15lbs) got caught with a bobber and white grub combo (crappie fishing technique). Get your rods and reels ready folks its that time of year again! Going to see if I cant snag me one tomorrow!!! Oops did I call them snakeheads again!
J-
CMG reply :
On 4/10/2014 at 6:34 PM, DelfiBoyzBaits said:The may have less eggs than other fish but they also can reproduce several times a year.
I've been present at club meetings where DC and VA biologists have spoken about the Potomac and snakeheads. They say they don't have any solid evidence of fish spawning more than once. What is likely happening it that spawning occurs throughout the warmer months.
They also say that blue cats are a far greater threat to the fishery. Once they get to 25" or so they become almost completely piscivorous.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 4/25/2014 at 5:47 AM, CMG said:I've been present at club meetings where DC and VA biologists have spoken about the Potomac and snakeheads. They say they don't have any solid evidence of fish spawning more than once. What is likely happening it that spawning occurs throughout the warmer months.
They also say that blue cats are a far greater threat to the fishery. Once they get to 25" or so they become almost completely piscivorous.
Good info thanks for posting. I gave seen them spawning throughout the summer so perhaps they spawn once a year throughout the spring and summer. I can't agree though cause how can they spawn just once a year and explode to the numbers they have reached? If I were to release 2 or for that matter 5 bass in dough creek what are the chances that in 10-15 years being able to catch them from DC to near the brackish waters of the bay? Who knows?
Thanks again CMG
J
Traveler2586 reply :
Here's some links you may find interesting on snakehead nesting.
http://fishwild.vt.edu/snakeheads/nesting_habits.html
http://fishwild.vt.edu/snakeheads/reproduction.html
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
http://blogs.fredericksburg.com/newsdesk/2012/06/16/snakeheads-are-invasive-and-on-the-move/
Here is another good read on the migration of Snakeheads!
J
CMG reply :
On 4/25/2014 at 8:36 AM, DelfiBoyzBaits said:Good info thanks for posting. I gave seen them spawning throughout the summer so perhaps they spawn once a year throughout the spring and summer. I can't agree though cause how can they spawn just once a year and explode to the numbers they have reached?
Because they don't get eaten as fry and they grow very fast. The DC biologist said they've seen fish that have grown to 8lbs in three years.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
Yeah maybe so, but I believe what I believe, and that is that they spawn more than once a year. I am no biologist but from what I gather from what I read and observe they do have predators that catch kill and eat them. Not to mention all the fishermen who catch and kill them yet they still are thriving to big numbers covering hundreds of miles in only 10-15 years.
Jay
MDBowHunter reply :
We also have to take in account that the world record Snakehead is from the Potomac. I find it incredibly that the record is from this side of the world and not where they're from.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 4/26/2014 at 8:51 PM, MDBowHunter said:We also have to take in account that the world record Snakehead is from the Potomac. I find it incredibly that the record is from this side of the world and not where they're from.
I too think it's pretty incredible that the world record was caught right here in the Potomac watershed.
To be fair though the previous record is from Japan, and northern snakeheads are an introduced species there too (albeit they were purposefully introduced and not considered invasive.) It is geographically much closer to their native range though.
On 4/26/2014 at 4:49 AM, DelfiBoyzBaits said:Yeah maybe so, but I believe what I believe, and that is that they spawn more than once a year. I am no biologist but from what I gather from what I read and observe they do have predators that catch kill and eat them. Not to mention all the fishermen who catch and kill them yet they still are thriving to big numbers covering hundreds of miles in only 10-15 years.
Jay
I'm not sure whether they spawn more than once each year here, but I have seen Osprey nab some pretty large snakeheads out of the water (like over 12".)
Smallmouth Hunter reply :
The Potomac produced the world record verified snakehead, but that doesn't mean there aren't bigger snakeheads overseas.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 4/26/2014 at 11:35 PM, aprw1 said:The Potomac produced the world record verified snakehead, but that doesn't mean there aren't bigger snakeheads overseas.
That being said I think there are several more snakehead records to be broke here on the Potomac river. Were I catch my snakeheads there are a number of 16 pounders caught regularly. That is incredible if you put it in this perspective, the world record bass is 20 something pounds imagine catching 15 pounders regularly. I know I had one around 20lbs on my line that I didn't land.
J-
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 4/27/2014 at 1:31 AM, DelfiBoyzBaits said:That being said I think there are several more snakehead records to be broke here on the Potomac river. Were I catch my snakeheads there are a number of 16 pounders caught regularly. That is incredible if you put it in this perspective, the world record bass is 20 something pounds imagine catching 15 pounders regularly. I know I had one around 20lbs on my line that I didn't land.
J-
x2.
I've caught snakeheads up to 17lbs. or so, but I am certain that I've seen some that were at least 5lbs larger than what I've caught around these parts.
On 4/26/2014 at 11:35 PM, aprw1 said:The Potomac produced the world record verified snakehead, but that doesn't mean there aren't bigger snakeheads overseas.
There definitely are. It's not uncommon for toman/giant snakeheads to grow upwards of 25lbs in Thailand. These 2 are possibly over 20lbs.
As for northern snakeheads, this may be true; but I am doubtful. Who knows? DPRK (North Korea) is crawling with them, but it's anybody's guess what size they grow there. From what I've seen of northern snakeheads in South Korea, China, Russia and Japan; the average size is larger on the Potomac.
Brick reply :
I fish out of pohick bay and mason neck park from my kayak. Any suggestions on snakeheads in this area? I catch tons of bass, and a fair share of catfish on lures, but as of yet not one snakehead. I've fished back into cane creek, little cane creek, and so far no luck. Do they like certain types of grass over others? Anyways, any help would be appreciated. I may just be fishing too deep most of the time.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 6/14/2014 at 11:16 AM, Brick said:I fish out of pohick bay and mason neck park from my kayak. Any suggestions on snakeheads in this area? I catch tons of bass, and a fair share of catfish on lures, but as of yet not one snakehead. I've fished back into cane creek, little cane creek, and so far no luck. Do they like certain types of grass over others? Anyways, any help would be appreciated. I may just be fishing too deep most of the time.
Most likely you are fishing to deep. Most snakeheads I catch are in 3fow or less with 90% being in 2' or less. I have caught them as shollow as 4-6" of water. They seem to be more active early in the A.M. or late afternoon. High tide going out is a very awesome time as the snakeheads seem to get way up on the bank tucked into shore grass and the dropping tide pushes them out. Most important thing is areas not completely effected by tides, like areas with more slack water out of the current.
Hope that helps.
p.s. From a kayak I would imagine it would be hard to sight fish which in my opinion is the most fun.
Jay
Brick reply :
On 6/15/2014 at 5:55 AM, DelfiBoyzBaits said:Most likely you are fishing to deep. Most snakeheads I catch are in 3fow or less with 90% being in 2' or less. I have caught them as shollow as 4-6" of water. They seem to be more active early in the A.M. or late afternoon. High tide going out is a very awesome time as the snakeheads seem to get way up on the bank tucked into shore grass and the dropping tide pushes them out. Most important thing is areas not completely effected by tides, like areas with more slack water out of the current.
Hope that helps.
p.s. From a kayak I would imagine it would be hard to sight fish which in my opinion is the most fun.
Jay
Actually, I have a wilderness systems ride 135 kayak. Very good boat for standing. A little too windy to stand today, but i managed to snag a 23" snakehead today! First one! Great fight. Knew it wasn't a bass or a cat the second I hooked it. Smoked it on the smoker, and it was delicious! Caught him on a chatterbait real shallow. Also, there was some talk of stomach contents earlier. This one had a 10" snake in its belly! Couldn't tell the species as it was half digested. I've got pics on my friends phone. I'll try and post them when he gets them to me. I guess reading this thread answered my own questions. Thanks guys!
Brick reply :
On 6/15/2014 at 5:55 AM, DelfiBoyzBaits said:Most likely you are fishing to deep. Most snakeheads I catch are in 3fow or less with 90% being in 2' or less. I have caught them as shollow as 4-6" of water. They seem to be more active early in the A.M. or late afternoon. High tide going out is a very awesome time as the snakeheads seem to get way up on the bank tucked into shore grass and the dropping tide pushes them out. Most important thing is areas not completely effected by tides, like areas with more slack water out of the current.
Hope that helps.
p.s. From a kayak I would imagine it would be hard to sight fish which in my opinion is the most fun.
Jay
Actually, I have a wilderness systems ride 135 kayak. Very good boat for standing. A little too windy to stand today, but i managed to snag a 23" snakehead today! First one! Great fight. Knew it wasn't a bass or a cat the second I hooked it. Smoked it on the smoker, and it was delicious! Caught him on a chatterbait real shallow. Also, there was some talk of stomach contents earlier. This one had a 10" snake in its belly! Couldn't tell the species as it was half digested. I've got pics on my friends phone. I'll try and post them when he gets them to me. I guess reading this thread answered my own questions. Thanks guys!
Brick reply :
Weird. It double posted, and didn't include the pic I attached. Lets try this again.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 6/15/2014 at 9:28 AM, Brick said:Weird. It double posted, and didn't include the pic I attached. Lets try this again.
Congrats man!!! Good one!
MDBowHunter reply :
My brother and myself are going to head down and try and catch a few this Sunday. Any good reports.
D805 reply :
Nice one!!
dbeam reply :
This is a really great post. It has gotten my interest peaked, I hope to get chance to bring the yak out that way and try for one of those. They have really beautiful markings. I have caught a few bowfin which fight like an anger pit bull. If you were planning a trip what time of would be the best. Is there any campgrounds in the area.
Thanks
Darrell
Greeneye8181 reply :
On 6/15/2014 at 5:55 AM, DelfiBoyzBaits said:Most likely you are fishing to deep. Most snakeheads I catch are in 3fow or less with 90% being in 2' or less. I have caught them as shollow as 4-6" of water. They seem to be more active early in the A.M. or late afternoon. High tide going out is a very awesome time as the snakeheads seem to get way up on the bank tucked into shore grass and the dropping tide pushes them out. Most important thing is areas not completely effected by tides, like areas with more slack water out of the current.
Hope that helps.
p.s. From a kayak I would imagine it would be hard to sight fish which in my opinion is the most fun.
Jay
The Snakehead's aren't biting for some reason. I went out with the Snakehead shockers on Tuesday and they scooped up 16 I believe it was. Almost all of them had empty stomachs. Like 2 maybe had one small fish.
They said it's been the norm lately. They aren't feeding.
The biggest we pulled out of Aquia Creek was 13 pounds. Big ugly one.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 7/4/2014 at 5:18 AM, Greeneye8181 said:The Snakehead's aren't biting for some reason. I went out with the Snakehead shockers on Tuesday and they scooped up 16 I believe it was. Almost all of them had empty stomachs. Like 2 maybe had one small fish.
They said it's been the norm lately. They aren't feeding.
The biggest we pulled out of Aquia Creek was 13 pounds. Big ugly one.
Caught my PB this year of 17lbs. Other than that it's been extremely slow snakehead fishing. Caught a few other dinks (5-8lb range, lol.) Caught my PB on a drop shot in 6 FOW and heavy current, for what it's worth. All fish I've caught have also had empty stomachs, with the exception of a killifish or 2.
Greeneye8181 reply :
17? Yikes thats a monster. My eyes got pretty big when they netted that 13 pounder.
My PB is 9lbs. Had to cut his head off to get my frog back!!
I was interested to hear them say that the larger ones are male. Not what I'm used to hearing about fish. Usually the females are the big ones.
Weird how they aren't eating... they should be done spawning (we also found a "nursery". They netted about 50 juvenile's and put them in a bucket). I wonder what it is.
BassWhole! reply :
Hey guys, a couple of quick questions on SHs. Has this year been much slower than in the past (here on the Potomac) or is it just me? Also with soft plastics, do you think color makes a difference? Particularly as it concerns different light levels/time of day. I'm headed out this week, and I don't have a solid plan, other than frogs.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 7/11/2014 at 10:15 PM, reason said:Hey guys, a couple of quick questions on SHs. Has this year been much slower than in the past (here on the Potomac) or is it just me? Also with soft plastics, do you think color makes a difference? Particularly as it concerns different light levels/time of day. I'm headed out this week, and I don't have a solid plan, other than frogs.
This year has seemed to be slower for reaction bites with all of the fish species I target, snakeheads included. I have not caught one snakehead this year on a spinnerbait, buzzbait, frog, crankbaits, etc. I have caught several on finesse presentations in natural colors. Caught my pb on a dropshot with a 3" Havoc Sick Fish in Green Penny, and others on soft plastics. Most recently I caught a 5lber on a wacky rigged 5" senko in baby bass, fish struck the lure about 5' from the boat. Caught one earlier this year on a night crawler while catfishing at night too.
They're definitely still there. I see them often, catch them less often, and watch bow hunters shoot them too often. They really seem to feed more agressively in late summer/early fall, as well as in the spring when the water temps reach the high 40's low 50's.
When I'm going after snakeheads I fish the usual frogging areas and flip/pitch a jig or soft plastic, and fish it as slow as I can stand to. Punching can also be productive.
Sam reply :
Snakeheads can really fight.
I get so excited when I have one on thinking it is one of those large Potomac bass.
Greeneye8181 reply :
On 7/12/2014 at 6:47 AM, Snakehead Whisperer said:This year has seemed to be slower for reaction bites with all of the fish species I target, snakeheads included. I have not caught one snakehead this year on a spinnerbait, buzzbait, frog, crankbaits, etc. I have caught several on finesse presentations in natural colors. Caught my pb on a dropshot with a 3" Havoc Sick Fish in Green Penny, and others on soft plastics. Most recently I caught a 5lber on a wacky rigged 5" senko in baby bass, fish struck the lure about 5' from the boat. Caught one earlier this year on a night crawler while catfishing at night too.
They're definitely still there. I see them often, catch them less often, and watch bow hunters shoot them too often. They really seem to feed more agressively in late summer/early fall, as well as in the spring when the water temps reach the high 40's low 50's.
When I'm going after snakeheads I fish the usual frogging areas and flip/pitch a jig or soft plastic, and fish it as slow as I can stand to. Punching can also be productive.
I've done good this year with Bass. As far as numbers go. Size-wise I haven't caught one over 3lbs this year. Where are the big ones?!
Snakehead fishing has been slow.
Good info SHW
DrDSays reply :
the fishing has been pretty good for me on Aquia Creek and Potomac Creek. A top water, pumpkin seed, weedless, popper frog is the best color I have found. Buzz baits that are bright orange are working on the outside edges of the weed beds and lily pad lines. But top water is my favorite just love that explosive hit that these guys do!
Anyone have any info on the toxic or pollution levels on these fish? Or where can I read more on general pollution levels in the river? How much heavy metal crap and hormones (from those Birth Control factories up river) are in these great tasting fish? Only eating 2-3 lbs a month right now and taking my detox vitamins. (I am a nutritionist).
Dr D
www.DrDSays.net check out my radio show
DrDSays reply :
Here are two nice ones from Potomac Creek. about 10-12 lbs each.
Dr D
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 7/20/2014 at 10:52 AM, DrDSays said:
Anyone have any info on the toxic or pollution levels on these fish? Or where can I read more on general pollution levels in the river? How much heavy metal crap and hormones (from those Birth Control factories up river) are in these great tasting fish? Only eating 2-3 lbs a month right now and taking my detox vitamins. (I am a nutritionist).
While this is a bit outdated, it gives you a good overview of what is in the river.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/wsp/2233/report.pdf
My guess is that it would be safe to adhere to the bass consumption advisories for whatever stretch of the river you are catching the snakeheads. I've heard anecdotal stuff about how snakeheads don't have the high levels of PCB's because they grow so quickly, etc... but this doesn't sound plausible, as they are top predators and eat just about everything in the river. I've never seen a scientific study conducted which determined the levels of metals or other pollutants in the flesh of snakeheads out here.
There have been several studies on what forage species the snakehead eats, which could help you make a more informed decision. Can't find the article now, but I posted it earlier in this thread IIRC.
:edit: Found the article here.
Traveler2586 reply :
Quote
WTOP, WASHINGTON, D.C. -- There's a new incentive to go out and catch a nasty-looking fish nicknamed the "Frankenfish" in Maryland.
For years, Maryland has documented record-size catches of dozens of different sport fish caught in its waters.
Now, the state has started awarding records for catching several invasive species including the Northern Snakehead.
And interestingly, the first state record for a snakehead was held for only a few hours.
It was a 16.78 pound fish caught June 1 in Pomonkey Creek by Jay Berry of Chesapeake Beach. Not long after, another snakehead was officially weighed in at 16.94 pounds. That one was caught in Mattawoman Creek by Teddy McKenzie of Upper Marlboro. Both fishermen are getting plaques to reward them for their record- setting catches.
Read more at: http://wtop.com/46/3668557/New-incentives-to-catch-a-Frankenfish-in-Maryland
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 7/24/2014 at 10:31 PM, Traveler2586 said:WTOP, WASHINGTON, D.C. -- There's a new incentive to go out and catch a nasty-looking fish nicknamed the "Frankenfish" in Maryland.
For years, Maryland has documented record-size catches of dozens of different sport fish caught in its waters.
Now, the state has started awarding records for catching several invasive species including the Northern Snakehead.
And interestingly, the first state record for a snakehead was held for only a few hours.
It was a 16.78 pound fish caught June 1 in Pomonkey Creek by Jay Berry of Chesapeake Beach. Not long after, another snakehead was officially weighed in at 16.94 pounds. That one was caught in Mattawoman Creek by Teddy McKenzie of Upper Marlboro. Both fishermen are getting plaques to reward them for their record- setting catches.
Read more at: http://wtop.com/46/3668557/New-incentives-to-catch-a-Frankenfish-in-Maryland
People jump on this opportunity there are bigger ones out there!!! I had one I know would have been close to 20lbs if not over but it got off :'(. !!! Get you some!!!
J-
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
PO'd ....Confirmed and official there are snakeheads on the Occoquan reservoir now. One was caught during today's tournament. Although it is legal to catch and release now please kill and eat them or give them away dead!!! transporting them alive is still illegal.
J-
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 8/4/2014 at 7:54 AM, DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only said:PO'd ....Confirmed and official there are snakeheads on the Occoquan reservoir now. One was caught during today's tournament. Although it is legal to catch and release now please kill and eat them or give them away dead!!! transporting them alive is still illegal.
J-
Whoa... that's heavy.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 8/4/2014 at 11:42 AM, Snakehead Whisperer said:Whoa... that's heavy.
It was a matter of time I know. It just urks me that I feel someone put it there.
J-
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
I can't imagine that they could breach the dam. It could be something as simple as a duck transporting eggs from the river to the reservoir on it's feet. I'd like to think that people weren't involved, but who knows?On 8/5/2014 at 1:05 AM, DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only said:It was a matter of time I know. It just urks me that I feel someone put it there.
J-
Traveler2586 reply :
On 8/4/2014 at 7:54 AM, DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only said:PO'd ....Confirmed and official there are snakeheads on the Occoquan reservoir now. One was caught during today's tournament. Although it is legal to catch and release now please kill and eat them or give them away dead!!! transporting them alive is still illegal.
J-
X2,
However, to the best of my knowledge Catch & Release of Snakeheads is only in Va. waters, not in Maryland. Maps show the PRFC boundary markers for the main Potomac if your interested in where the Va. waters end.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 8/5/2014 at 3:57 AM, Traveler2586 said:X2,
However, to the best of my knowledge Catch & Release of Snakeheads is only in Va. waters, not in Maryland. Maps show the PRFC boundary markers for the main Potomac if your interested in where the Va. waters end.
I was referring more to the Occoquan reservoir which is all in VA. Post the boundaries though for people who may catch them in the river and not know.
thanks Traveler2586,
J-
dave reply :
Please copy and paste the MD regulation that mandates the killing of northern snakehead.
(hint...there is none...if you find it, I stand corrected) The verbiage in the text and in videos says that you SHOULD, not that you have to kill Northern Snakehead.
Illegal to have in your livewell alive. Illegal to transport alive. Not Illegal to catch and release.
Traveler2586 reply :
On 8/6/2014 at 12:25 AM, dave said:Please copy and paste the MD regulation that mandates the killing of northern snakehead.
(hint...there is none...if you find it, I stand corrected) The verbiage in the text and in videos says that you SHOULD, not that you have to kill Northern Snakehead.
Illegal to have in your livewell alive. Illegal to transport alive. Not Illegal to catch and release.
"What can you do? If you catch a northern snakehead, kill it and DO NOT put it back in the water. If the snakehead has a tag, measure the length, make note of the exact location of capture, and call the toll free number printed on the tag. Information that you provide is important in determining control and management strategies."
Bottom of the page at: http://dnr2.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/snakehead.aspx
This is just one of many Maryland DNR statements.
dave reply :
The key is in the words. "what CAN you do?" I saw this "statement" and it is just that, a statement. It is not a regulation or law. The only regulation is not to possess live snakehead.
I am just pointing out the difference. Most fisherman are mislead by the the "statements" and assume "regulation." The government can't regulate that you kill anything. They can ask you to kill but, not make you do it.
Traveler2586 reply :
OK, search as I might I could not find a "law" stating anglers "must" kill snakeheads, just repeated statements that tell you how to kill them and Maryland doesn't want them in their waters.
Dissatisfied with my searches I sent a email to Maryland DNR asking for information with the understanding that their answer would be posted here.
Please note: the term "possess" (on the water) is defined as having the fish within the gunnels (sides) of the boat.
Here is the DNR response.
START QUOTE
"Hello - - - -,
There is a web of state and federal regulations on snakeheads. I hope that my explanation will be more clarifying than it will be confusing.
The federal regulations are found at 50 CFR 16.13 - you may not import, transport, or acquire live snakeheads. I won't speculate on how the feds use those words, as they may well be different from how we use those words.
In Maryland, the restrictions are found at COMAR 08.02.19.06. Specifically, see sections C and D:
C. Except as provided in §D of this regulation, a person may not possess the viable eggs or live snakehead fish of the species:
(1) Blotched snakehead (Channa maculata); and
(2) Northern snakehead (Channa argus).
D. The Department may issue a permit for the possession of a live snakehead fish for scientific purposes to a properly accredited person of known scientific attainment.
So an individual MAY NOT possess a live snakehead if they do not have a permit issued to them by the Department. There is NOT a requirement that a snakehead be killed upon capture, but the only two options someone has are to 1) return the fish immediately to the water or 2) kill it. There are no other options.
In addition to any federal laws which someone may be in violation of (as we do not work for USFWS I would decline to interpret the federal regulations or speculate on what the possible penalty would be), someone in possession of a live snakehead would be subject to a minimum fine in Maryland of: $750 for 1-3 fish, $1,000 for 4-10 fish, and would be required to appear in court for 11 or more fish. The maximum fine in Maryland for any snakehead violation, regardless of the number of fish is $25,000." END QUOTE
Hope this helps.
dave reply :
That is exactly how we understand it. We kill and eat or, snap a picture and release. Our summer schedule is booked solid from June until the end of August with people wanting to catch a snakehead. They either want just to catch one (or more) for sport or they want to eat it.
CaptMikeStarrett reply :
Following up Capt Dave's last post 2016 is looking good with a greater appreciation of this fine game fish and with a lot of catch and release. 2015 saw a much better catch rate that 2014 and from the huge clouds of fry we have seen in 2015 and the numbers of smaller "AKA Potomac Pike" in 2015 the year 2016 looks to be even better. The number of spot light boats has dwindled since the black market for the meat has dried up and Restaurants are refusing to buy the fish back door any more. This has many positive effects as the pads and grasses are not mowed down every night.
Also LGMouth have adapted to the new food source "baby snakeheads" and the ones caught over the last year are fat and full.
We have many evenings open and would be glad to show you all our tricks and will work hard to get that bite for you. We will be booked up by March however. Both boats..
This Potomac Pike is our target fish on summer evenings. June-July and August. In Sept we chase another fish people love or hate..A real THUG of a fish.
Capt Mike
Blixx reply :
This is the kind of areas I look for when fishing for Snakesheads. One thing I would like to add is I have moved to a heavy braded line and steel leaders. I also switched to a stiff pole as it can be difficult to set the hook through the head bone.
I caught this one on memorial day weekend with a Blue and pink zoom bait worm. It was the only thing they were hitting on all weekend.
14lbs 46” Northern Snakehead. I would like to add Snakehead is the best freshwater fish I have ever eaten.
I would like to hear more on successful bait types and dates used.
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
Typically they can be caught on any bait that a Bass will hit. But the most common ones I have had luck with is Chatterbaits or rattletraps in the day, top water in the morning and night, and slack tides sinko's /flukes. If you have one that surfaces in the same spot over and over, a jig or shaky heads can be effective.
biscaynenative reply :
Hi all,
I realize this thread is quite old, but I wanted to post nonetheless to see if anyone has noticed any changes in the Potomac snakehead fishery since 2014. I fish from shore, and have noticed that 2016 has been a much better year for snakeheads than prior years, at least for me.
I used to catch these fish pretty consistently while working in China (their native range), but found their Potomac cousins to be a bit more tricky. Recently, however, I've been hooking up on 2-4 fish per day, much more than in the past (and by "day" I mean the few hours I can sneak out to fish, not a full day on the water). Granted, this is partly due to refining my tactics for Potomac snakeheads (in the area of Fujian Province where I fished, blue/white spinner baits with silver double willow blades were hard to beat, but not so much back stateside), but I'm also wondering if the population hasn't stabilized, but is instead continuing to grow. This year I've pulled multiple fish out of basically the same location on consecutive casts on a few occasions, but hadn't previously hadn't had that happen. For instance, the two fish in the photos (one 10.5lbs, one 6lbs) came off of the same piece of structure, one right after the other.
Any thoughts/ comments are much appreciated.
soflabasser reply :
Nice snakeheads
biscaynenative reply :
Blixx,
Have you noticed a decrease in strikes due to steel leaders? I started fishing for snakeheads with essentially a bonefish setup, 10lb braid, and a 10lb fluoro leader, and it worked just fine. I then switched over to 20lb braid and 30lb leaders (my snook setup), mostly to not lose lures while overseas, which were painfully hard to replace. Now that I'm back in the States and can easily replace lures via the internet, I've gone back to a 16lb fluoro leader, and 10lb braid. I haven't really been cut off by snakeheads so much as lost fish due to them getting behind structure.
I'm using a St. Croix Avid medium-light fast action rod and a Stradic 2500 as my dedicated snakehead rod. I find it has more than enough muscle to pull fish out of cover, as they don't make screaming runs like an equivalent-sized mangrove dweller would. The rod is quite stiff for its size, and isn't noodly like some of the other St. Croix rods I use, even though the other rods are rated as being stronger.
I agree with the comment on the fish's jaw/ head bones, but to get around that I just make sure my hooks are razor sharp, and I switch them out every few fish. By and large, I've found that a good hook (e.g. Gamakatsu) almost always sets itself, as snakehead strikes are pretty violent, especially combined with their tendency to make an almost immediate sideways thrashing motion after the strike.
As for baits, I mostly target snakeheads with wake baits and shallow-running crank baits.
Edited by biscaynenativeWanted to add additional info.
Blixx reply :
So far I have found that waning high tide and mornings seem to be the best. Tides and time of day seems to be largest governing factor. As far as line and leaders… 30lb green braid without any leaders if I am casting into heavy vegetation or debris. I use this setup with a float and live bait for casting into small opening in heavy vegetation. I turn off the drag and power them into the boat, I try not to let them run. For my cast rod running lures, I am using a 10lb mono with a black 6 inch 20lb steel leader. For shore casting I would move to a 15lb green braid without a leader. The heaver braid just does not cast very well with light weight lures and mono just does not have the strength to pull the fish out of the weeds. If you move to a heavy mono you lose the benefits of the light weight lines for long distant casting. On lures I have had no luck on frogs. I have a dozen different types of frogs and have had no luck with anyone them. My best lure so far is a shiny purple worm. Live baits- bass minnows or small blue gill. Hope this helps and would like to hear more feedback on best practices for snakeheads. Please share what you find successful…
DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only reply :
On 10/4/2016 at 1:55 AM, Blixx said:So far I have found that waning high tide and mornings seem to be the best. Tides and time of day seems to be largest governing factor. As far as line and leaders… 30lb green braid without any leaders if I am casting into heavy vegetation or debris. I use this setup with a float and live bait for casting into small opening in heavy vegetation. I turn off the drag and power them into the boat, I try not to let them run. For my cast rod running lures, I am using a 10lb mono with a black 6 inch 20lb steel leader. For shore casting I would move to a 15lb green braid without a leader. The heaver braid just does not cast very well with light weight lures and mono just does not have the strength to pull the fish out of the weeds. If you move to a heavy mono you lose the benefits of the light weight lines for long distant casting. On lures I have had no luck on frogs. I have a dozen different types of frogs and have had no luck with anyone them. My best lure so far is a shiny purple worm. Live baits- bass minnows or small blue gill. Hope this helps and would like to hear more feedback on best practices for snakeheads. Please share what you find successful…
I have had tremendous luck with chatterbaits just make sure to cast past where you think they are and not land to close to them as they will often spook when something splashes near them. Also Flukes and Senko's work great to when a stealthier or weedless presentation is required. Frogs work great when they are in very deep cover like pads or grasses. Poppers fished with quick pauses is probably the most exciting when you cant see them. My favorite is the chatterbait when I can see them though. The snakehead will cover a lot of water in a hurry to get at one. There is nothing like watching one take off like a missile after your bait. That's my two cents tight lines.
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