Snakehead strikes - aggresion vs feeding?

[Slackdaddy]

I have fished sneakheads where I got what were not really strikes, more like "Bumps with a roll over" and where I could see the fish charge the top water lure then just go by it "hitting it" but never biting. Are these territorial aggression moves?? if so is there any way to get them to "Bite" the lure when in this mode ?? I was using a single hook buzz bait and a double hoof popper frog.

Thanks for any insight or links to reading about this behavior.

Slack

[Mark]

I have caught only one snakehead so I speak with no authority on them.

However, local snakehead expert Joe Bruce says that what you described is a common snakehead behavior.

His approach is to immediately toss a different lure from a waiting rigged rod toward the fish.

He says that the quick presence of an alternate lure form will often encourage the fish to strike.

[J.A. Veil]

Joe Bruce has a tremendous amount of experience fishing for and catching snakeheads. He wrote a small book about snakeheads.

http://www.joebruce.net/fiforsnbo.html

[whenican]

Hey Slack,
I have caught many snakeheads & it is frustrating when that happens. Often, they will be protecting their babies. They will bodyslam, bump, knock away, chase any other fish that get too close. Keep tossing the lure or even another style to get em pissed off....eventually they will really bite it. Then you need to be patient & pause before setting that hook or they may get airborne on you & hock that lure back at you with a nice headshake. I even witnessed it this weekend.

[jhov02]

I would think a treble hook lure would help too, if they aren't too far into the thick stuff


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[zeebyrd]

Mark,

Thank you for that awesome bit of info! While I have caught snakehead before, I've often wondered the same thing. I'll be trying this next time I go out.

[zeebyrd]

John,

There's nothing like good old learn by doing. There is so much to learn from going out and learning where the snakehead are, how they act, what lures worked, etc. Mark's bit of info is the first thing I've learned from anyone else. All the rest came from time put in on the water. Catching snakehead is an awesome experience. Sometimes just them striking and missing is an awesome experience too.

Joe Bruce has a tremendous amount of experience fishing for and catching snakeheads. He wrote a small book about snakeheads.

http://www.joebruce.net/fiforsnbo.html