snakehead

[cheezyridr]

anyone else like fishing for them? the local place where i fish for smallmouth is over run with them below the falls. they removed the fish ladder years ago, and they can't get up above them. (thankfully) 

seems like the smaller ones fight real hard, then lay over.  the big ones fight like mike tyson.  last year i caught 2 of them about 24" long. i stabbed them in the head with an awl, and threw them in a bag.  3 hours later, i brought them home to give to a neighbor who eats them.  i put them on the drive way to hose the slime off of them, and  they started flopping about. 

[TnRiver46]

We don’t have any but they sound fun. They can probably hop out the water and just walk around the fish ladder…….

 

 

[dave]

My partner and I have guided for them for the last 12 years.  At the beginning, it was difficult to generate any love for them. Now,  go to Youtube and search "snakehead fishing",  nothing but LOVE!   Awesome fish and tastes great ta boot.

[Bird]

We have one particular lake that is full of Snakehead, shallow and full of Lilly pads.

 

Crappie fisherman say they are incredibly tasty fish, better than Crappie.

Every fish I intend to eat, simply cut them behind the gill and no flopping.

[TnRiver46]

3 hours ago, dave said:

My partner and I have guided for them for the last 12 years.  At the beginning, it was difficult to generate any love for them. Now,  go to Youtube and search "snakehead fishing",  nothing but LOVE!   Awesome fish and tastes great ta boot.

How do you cook them? I’ve had friends try bowfin and they said it was pretty bad, like jelly. But I’m guessing snakehead is much more flaky/white meat because every seems to love it 

[CountryboyinDC]

If you're snakehead fishing, most bring along a baseball bat (I bring a foldable entrenched tool).  I'd have to be hungry to eat one of those, in spite of what people say about how tasty.  The slime that a catfish gives off is nothing in comparison in terms of quantity and stench.  

[Bird]

1 hour ago, CountryboyinDC said:

If you're snakehead fishing, most bring along a baseball bat (I bring a foldable entrenched tool).  I'd have to be hungry to eat one of those, in spite of what people say about how tasty.  The slime that a catfish gives off is nothing in comparison in terms of quantity and stench.  

I've never eaten one, just can't get past the appearance.

They look like a fish from Hell. ?

[flyfisher]

It is on my list of fish to target this summer.  I have a buddy who is really into fishing for them and loves it.

[TOXIC]

We get into them regularly on the rivers we fish.  It’s the law here that you cannot put them in a livewell or transport them alive, so if you want to keep them, you have to kill them. I have eaten them and they are very tasty but in order for us to keep them we would need to bring a separate cooler full of ice to keep them on the hot summer days.  Lots mistake Bowfin for Snakeheads but they are very different.  My biggest is a little over 14 pounds.  There are now guide services for them, tournaments for them and a favorite target of bowfishermen.  We have had a lot of friends come in from out of state just to catch them. 

[Spankey]

I try like heck to get down and bass fish the tidal part of the Potomac at least once a season. I thought I would have caught a snakehead by now. But have not. The claim is they will hit bass lures. Not sure if there is a particular way to fish for them. 

[CountryboyinDC]

@Spankey, tie a new $12 frog on, and cast into water that looks a little too shallow and dirty for a bass to be hanging out in.  Some juvenile snakehead will be sure to make sure that frog never floats again.

[TOXIC]

1 hour ago, Spankey said:

I try like heck to get down and bass fish the tidal part of the Potomac at least once a season. I thought I would have caught a snakehead by now. But have not. The claim is they will hit bass lures. Not sure if there is a particular way to fish for them. 

We used to throw frogs in the slop for them and they will readily hit spinnerbaits and chatterbaits but most of ours come on the good old Ned rig.  We usually aren’t targeting them.  The last pic of my 14 pounder was caught on a Senko with 8lb test in Quantico Creek on the Potomac. The others are the Rappahonock River. 

[Spankey]

5 hours ago, TOXIC said:

We used to throw frogs in the slop for them and they will readily hit spinnerbaits and chatterbaits but most of ours come on the good old Ned rig.  We usually aren’t targeting them.  The last pic of my 14 pounder was caught on a Senko with 8lb test in Quantico Creek on the Potomac. The others are the Rappahonock River. 

When I’m down that way I fish the Mattawoman Creek area. I’m sure you know the area better than I. I love coming down there for the bass. I’ll stumble on one someday. 

[Darth-Baiter]

i WILL fish for this thing one day!!  i made a promise to myself.  i'll drag my brother along.

 

and i will try eating one.  i learned a fish is really, "you cannot judge a book by it's cover"  what they look like on the outside, really doenst predict how it will taste.    pure aesthetics, i wouldnt ever eat a catfish.  NOT a looker.  

[TOXIC]

2 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

i WILL fish for this thing one day!!  i made a promise to myself.  i'll drag my brother along.

 

and i will try eating one.  i learned a fish is really, "you cannot judge a book by it's cover"  what they look like on the outside, really doenst predict how it will taste.    pure aesthetics, i wouldnt ever eat a catfish.  NOT a looker.  

They are now sold in supermarkets here under the name Channa.  Much more appealing than snakehead. ?

[Darth-Baiter]

44 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

They are now sold in supermarkets here under the name Channa.  Much more appealing than snakehead. ?

awesome!!  i guess they have hired PR.

[Spankey]

1 hour ago, TOXIC said:

They are now sold in supermarkets here under the name Channa.  Much more appealing than snakehead. ?

Are they buying them from you guys who catch them?

 

They were at one time wanted to be killed when you did catch one?

[MassBass]

They are on my bucket list to. I still remember the hysteria about this new invasive when they were becoming established. I guess now all that is a lost cause. What do you think they prey on mostly?

[TOXIC]

1 hour ago, Spankey said:

Are they buying them from you guys who catch them?

 

They were at one time wanted to be killed when you did catch one?

I don’t know where they are sourcing their fish. It’s not us.  If you keep them you have to kill them.  If you plan on releasing them, you have the option of releasing alive or killing them.  DNR has requested that they be killed but it’s not a requirement.

26 minutes ago, MassBass said:

They are on my bucket list to. I still remember the hysteria about this new invasive when they were becoming established. I guess now all that is a lost cause. What do you think they prey on mostly?

Studies have found they do not feed on bass fry as much as was initially feared.  On the Potomac I think their main prey was small baitfish.

[dave]

Tn

On 6/15/2023 at 11:17 PM, TnRiver46 said:

How do you cook them? I’ve had friends try bowfin and they said it was pretty bad, like jelly. But I’m guessing snakehead is much more flaky/white meat because every seems to love it 

The gut sack is right behind the head, between gills .  They are a filet from there to the tail.  A favorite way to prepare here locally is to the cut the filets into nuggets, season and deep fry. Cook them any way you like to eat fish.  Get past the way they look (beautiful fish) and give them a try.

[cheezyridr]

wow, it's cool to know so many others enjoy fishing for these.  i catch them mostly on chatterbaits, and  square bills and wakebaits. i have caught them on spinnerbaits too

[TOXIC]

They are still biting good on the Rappahonock River.  This was yesterday.  Caught on a 5” Senko.