Potomac River Snakehead Fishing

[DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only]

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]

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!

[Deleted account]

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]

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]

2 words...

 

Wake Bait

 

 

[Snakehead Whisperer]

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]

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.]

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]

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]

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]

 

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]

LOL Awesome.  I am going to have to make a little duckling lure......

Jay

[DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

  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]

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.