Return to Mattawoman Creek

[chimo]

John,


Cats (Blues, channels, bullhead), bass, crappie and maybe snakehead.

Cut bait on the bottom in the deep holes will find you some cats. I think most people are using 4/0-6/0 circles with cut bunker anchored with 1-3 ounces of lead but you can lighten that up depending on the gear you want to use.

Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, soft plastics fished around the vegataion / downed timber / channel breaks ecspecially when there is some current for the bass.

Small soft plastics and minnows fished around cover. The best spot I have found is by the sunken barge upstream from the Slavins launch but I have also caught a few sporadic fish around the breaks into the deeper holes.

I have no idea on the snakehead. Sounds like people fish for them just like bass around slack water and lots of cover.

Chimo

[J.A. Veil]

Thanks bignose and Chimo. I hope the catfish bite is on tomorrow -- I want to catch my first Maryland catfish. This afternoon, I visited Leo James at LJ Marina (next to Cantlers seafood restaurant in Annapolis) to buy some freshly caught alewives for bait. I plan to fish chunks of alewife on circle hooks with a sliding fishfinder rig. I will have other poles rigged for casting lures.

[Shady]

Hope you guys do better than I did. The only thing that I caught today was a skunk!

[moc]

Alright everyone, I plan on getting to the ramp around 9:30am (Unless it is pouring down rain, then I will delay my arrival) instead of the 11 or 11:30am that I mentioned before. This is because the winds will be picking up in the afternoon. My first target will be crappie, catfish, then bass.

[Rockchaser]

I had a great day at Mattawomen on Saturday. Blood worms were a big hit with the catfish.

Several 20 to 30 inch catfish caught and 3 small white perch.

[ronaultmtd]

All of those are really good eating sized fish Rockchaser- and fun to catch- did you see any snakeheads?

[Rockchaser]

We didn't see any snakehead. We did see a group of guys going out just before dusk in a snakehead hunting boat. A 12' johnboat with 6 or 7 18" X18" spot lights mounted on the sides. They bow fish for snaehead and expect to get at least 2 dozen every time out. Quitethe set up.

[CB kayak 02]

We didn't see any snakehead. We did see a group of guys going out just before dusk in a snakehead hunting boat. A 12' johnboat with 6 or 7 18" X18" spot lights mounted on the sides. They bow fish for snaehead and expect to get at least 2 dozen every time out. Quitethe set up.

I'm trying to do that on my pro angler!!!

[Southerly]

re the snakehead hunter; i saw some guy posting on md angler's log about bowhunt for snakeheads. i got the impression he was working their spawning grounds maybe. whatever it was, it seemed like he knew what he was doing by his results, but i never would have guessed a specialized setup like you describe.

not my thing, but really interesting - thanks for the report.

[WST120]

I saw the guys with the johnboat setup last summer trying to launch at Mattawoman Creek right before dusk, but the DNR Police would not let them. They stated the boat did not have the proper navigation lights??? That drew a laugh from everyone watching, since those guys had enough lights on the boat to light a small city...

[moc]

The Jon Boat setup was something to watch. I think at least 3 guys were going out. If they did not get a dozen snakeheads then it was a bad day. But on to Mattawaman. Fishing for me was slow at first all morning. Same for John . I had some mackeral looking fish that I got and cut up form the Asian Market. I also had some beef liver. I got nothing on the cut fish. I did get alot of nibbles on the beef liver. The Beef liver worked great for me last time when I was on the Potomac River and caught blue cats up to 28 inches. But today, I only go nibbles, but no takers. Rockchaser was nailing them with the bloodworm and also night crawlers. Lesson learned, alway bring some nightcrawlers as backup, since all fish in fresh/brackish water will at least eat a worm. Anyway, Jim (Rockchaser) donate a few worms to me and after mid day I started slamming some kitty kats and a few white perch. The surprise of the day was a struggle with a giant carp. This was the biggest fatest carp that I ever have caught. It was golden brown in color. I thought he was a big blue at first. He peeled alot of line during the struggle, but I finall tired him out and got him to the side of the boat. I went for my net, but it was way too small to use on him. I decided to go for my grippers. As soon as I got the grippers and started to move it towards the fish mouth, then he slapped the water with his tail, and jerked his head and freed himself. At least I got to see him. I go him on video, but no pictures were taken. The fish was big. somewhere between 34 and 36 inches along side of my yak. He was also fat and round like a football. After that battle, it was getting late and time for me to go....with a smile on my face. Thanks for Rockchaser for providing me with the bait of choice....this week. The fish will want something else next week. In the end, besides the carp along side of my boat, I got three white perch, and 4 blue catfish at 19.25., 22,23,24 inches by the end of the day. Once note, Chexone and myself saw this brave cute ground hog eating some plants at the shoreline. Nature at its best.

[Rockchaser]

I saw the guys with the johnboat setup last summer trying to launch at Mattawoman Creek right before dusk, but the DNR Police would not let them. They stated the boat did not have the proper navigation lights??? That drew a laugh from everyone watching, since those guys had enough lights on the boat to light a small city...

They were laughing about that day they couldn't goout because of nav lights. More lights then a gas station but wrong colors. They were screwing a little D cell battery white anchor light on the stern and joking that should keep them safe.