Seriously!

[TOXIC]

Just an FYI, the new Ned Senko will catch a lot more than largemouth and smallmouth.  We were having a tough day and this brute hit my Ned on 6lb mono.  Tried a new grip on it since my partner had one knock his Boga Grips out of the boat and I had to hand land this one.  I warned him, mine are on a massive float plus I always wrap the strap around my wrist.  Expensive piece of equipment to lose.  

[slonezp]

Is that a snakehead?

[TOXIC]

14 hours ago, slonezp said:

Is that a snakehead?

Yes, yes it is.  More specifically a Northern Snakehead.  Fun to catch, great to eat but a real mess to catch.  They destroy lures, have rows of teeth and are the slimiest thing that swims.  

[CountryboyinDC]

Pretty good to get that on 6 lb.  

[TOXIC]

11 hours ago, CountryboyinDC said:

Pretty good to get that on 6 lb.  

For sure.  Thanks.  I have adopted most all of my fishing to finesse and light lines.  I still pitch and flip with 35lb braid but most everything else is 6-8lb mono.  I have a baitcaster with 10lb mono for cranks and chatterbaits.  Good equipment is the key.  

[Further North]

Cool.

Any catch of toothy fish on ight line without a leader is a gift from the fish gods and should be celebrated.

[gim]

4 minutes ago, Further North said:

Any catch of toothy fish on ight line without a leader is a gift from the fish gods and should be celebrated.

Not sure I'd call hammer handle after hammer handle a "gift from the gods."  Those slime darts are more annoying than they are a gift.  And right now they are on a rampage too lol

[TnRiver46]

2 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Not sure I'd call hammer handle after hammer handle a "gift from the gods."  Those slime darts are more annoying than they are a gift.  And right now they are on a rampage too lol

I love it when fish go on a rampage. I usually turn it into a feeding frenzy for myself

[gim]

3 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I love it when fish go on a rampage. I usually turn it into a feeding frenzy for myself

I think your opinion would change if you experienced this.  Its like a snake with fins, completely covered in slime.  They ruin lures nonstop.

 

The daily bag limit is 10 under 22 inches though and if you know how to clean them properly they taste pretty good.  In fact, if you want to haul ass up here in the next two weeks, I'll take you out and we'll fill our livewell with as many as legally possible for you to take home.  The kicker is that you'd have to abandon the purple worms and use something more flashy like a spinner bait lol

[TnRiver46]

4 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I think your opinion would change if you experienced this.  Its like a snake with fins, completely covered in slime.  They ruin lures nonstop.

 

The daily bag limit is 10 under 22 inches though and if you know how to clean them properly they taste pretty good.  In fact, if you want to haul ass up here in the next two weeks, I'll take you out and we'll fill our livewell with as many as legally possible for you to take home.  The kicker is that you'd have to abandon the purple worms and use something more flashy like a spinner bait lol

I caught one in Alaska and they required they be killed, it was quite tasty. It followed and engulfed a gold spoon, pretty intense. All those pains unhooking are quickly forgotten when you’ve got meat in the box 

[Further North]

16 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Not sure I'd call hammer handle after hammer handle a "gift from the gods."  Those slime darts are more annoying than they are a gift.  And right now they are on a rampage too lol

?

Fair enough. 

...but I'd rather have that than donating a bunch of lures and flies...

[TOXIC]

Northern Snakehead are pretty common around here.  There are actually guides targeting them and there are a lot of bow fishermen going after them as well.  I have broken a few off but it’s not as common as you might think. There are markets here selling them whole for $9 a pound. 

[Further North]

They're an aggressive fish, right?

Seems like a good target for flies.

[TOXIC]

8 minutes ago, Further North said:

They're an aggressive fish, right?

Seems like a good target for flies.

Super aggressive when guarding fry.  Since they gulp air, the topwater hits are explosive.  Most are caught on hollow body frogs for those targeting them.  I have caught them on chatterbaits, Ned’s, Senkos, DShads, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. They are not that picky.?

[Further North]

9 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Super aggressive when guarding fry.  Since they gulp air, the topwater hits are explosive.  Most are caught on hollow body frogs for those targeting them.  I have caught them on chatterbaits, Ned’s, Senkos, DShads, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. They are not that picky.?

Perfect for flies!

[CountryboyinDC]

I usually catch them on brand new $12 frogs - they seem to know when I tie one on.  They have some crazy teeth - never had them cut 50 lb braid or 17 lb leader that I use if fishing a spinnerbait, etc.  Their favorite thing to do is roll and wrap your line around spatterdock stems, but I'm sure the day will come when I'll get my line chewed in 2.  The ones @TOXICcaught have some pretty coloration and several are a good bit larger than anything I've caught.  Just really impressed that he was able to boat them with 6 lb line.  He says they're not picky, but I haven't found them super easy to catch either.

[slonezp]

8 hours ago, gimruis said:

Not sure I'd call hammer handle after hammer handle a "gift from the gods."  Those slime darts are more annoying than they are a gift.  And right now they are on a rampage too lol

They are fun though. I had one jump into my boat chasing a swimjig as I lifted it out of the water after a cast. 

[Darren.]

Slimier than an American Eel?? Those things are soooo slimey.

[Further North]

43 minutes ago, slonezp said:

They are fun though. I had one jump into my boat chasing a swimjig as I lifted it out of the water after a cast. 

A buddy who was giving me static about tying 13# wire in front of my bass poppers was trying my fly rod, and the new wire leader set-up...said it'd kill the action.

He had a 28" musky rocket up from under the fly, grab it, clear the water completely, and land back in the water 3 ft. away...it hooked itself, and the wire held.

He thinks it's a great idea now.

Not as cool as in the boat, but esox can be acrobats.

[slonezp]

10 minutes ago, Further North said:

A buddy who was giving me static about tying 13# wire in front of my bass poppers was trying my fly rod, and the new wire leader set-up...said it'd kill the action.

He had a 28" musky rocket up from under the fly, grab it, clear the water completely, and land back in the water 3 ft. away...it hooked itself, and the wire held.

He thinks it's a great idea now.

Not as cool as in the boat, but esox can be acrobats.

Took my dad panfishing on Lake Tichigan WI. The pike were attacking the bluegill as we reeled them in, at probably 50% of the spots we fished for them. Follow the bait. The snot rockets were already present waiting for the opportunity. 

[TnRiver46]

18 hours ago, TOXIC said:

Northern Snakehead are pretty common around here.  There are actually guides targeting them and there are a lot of bow fishermen going after them as well.  I have broken a few off but it’s not as common as you might think. There are markets here selling them whole for $9 a pound. 

Have you ever tried cutting one up? I was just wondering how tough they are. I’m guessing they would stay alive all day provided they actually fit in a livewell 

[TOXIC]

11 hours ago, Darren. said:

Slimier than an American Eel?? Those things are soooo slimey.

If not as bad, they are a close second. ?

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

Have you ever tried cutting one up? I was just wondering how tough they are. I’m guessing they would stay alive all day provided they actually fit in a livewell 

We have filleted some but since we don’t actually target them, there is a DNR regulation that you cannot put them in a livewell or transport them alive, you need a cooler of ice to keep them in after you kill them.  Otherwise it would be a little suspect to fillet them after spending a summer day in the livewell dead so we just don’t keep them.  DNR also requests that they be killed when caught but it is not required and they can be live released.  

[TnRiver46]

Hmm sounds like they might ruin a cooler with that slime haha

[TOXIC]

39 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Hmm sounds like they might ruin a cooler with that slime haha

Yep, and it’s not pleasant what they do to a livewell either.  We have kept some in the past.  They also goober up a net pretty good. 

[TnRiver46]

Sounds like it should be legal to put them on a stringer and eat them