Weekend Snakeheads - Where, When, How (southern MD)

[Slackdaddy]

Told #2 I would take him kayak snakehead fishing this Sat.
From the reading I did, I see they are skidish and weekend boat traffic could be a downer.

Does anyone have any experiance on fishing them on weekends ?? is there any out of they way places that would have less traffic??

Do they bite early AM? Mid AM, late PM? High tide, low tide, ebb tide?

anyone want to give it a try this Sat? (Ken)

Nick

[yakersaltlife]

Im sure others will chime in on this and give you other spots, but Mattawoman seems like a no brainer to me. If you go up-stream i think you should be OK with the boat traffic. The M&G day we were there, and we had boats around us, but not too many and we were still catching snakeheads. biggest thing is to be quiet, and with kids, that can be hard. I would recommend throwing topwater close to the weed line. I might be interested in going down there Sat, but will have to see.

just my $.02!

[chimo]

I've had some success at mallows bay and mattawoman but it seems most Potomac tribs have them. Pohick bay and leesylvania get mentioned a lot as well. My best success has come around the end of the incoming through the middle of the outgoing back in the slop on top water frogs but I am not sure what the cooling water temps will do to that pattern. If the bite isn't on for top water I would switch over to soft plastic jerk baits thrown in and around the slop.

[ictalurus]

I haven't caught enough snakeheads to say when they bite best. The time I hit Leesylvania State Park in Virginia, Dad and I had a lot of blow-ups in the early evening, and we landed 1 snakehead each. I like fishing evenings because the boat traffic usually (but not always) starts dying down. I guess people want to be home for dinner, and a lot of power boaters I know don't like piloting their boat at night, which I can understand. Hitting something in the water while going 20-30mph is much different than hitting something going 3-4mph in a yak.

Chatterbaits throwing around breaks in the spatterdock and at the mouths of guts work well, too. I like a 1/4oz white chatterbait with a 4" white fluke as a trailer as suggested by Justin (camelbird). It'll pick up some nice bass, too. Be sure to bring a net. It makes them a lot easier to handle in a confined space. Lippers and pliers are good to have as well since snakeheads have teeth. Good luck.

[beerums]

I have caught them from land off of Bumpy Oak Road but not from the yak yet. I'm honestly not sure that I'd want to catch one while in the yak, they are pretty squirmy and will snap at you if you come close to their mouths. Definitely bring a net, grippers and a sharp pair of scissors or knife to cut their gills with.

As far as places to go, Mattawoman at low tide would be my best recommendation. They will be easier to spot with the lower water levels. If you do go to Mattawoman, head left out of Mattingly Park and go down to where the barge is at. Just before the barge there is a small inlet, follow that all the way back around the spatterdock and you should have some luck. I have had luck with weightless worms and jerk shads.

Good luck!

[camelbird]

Given your location I would suggest Mattawoman. Either Mattingly Park (boat launch) or off of rt 225 right where it goes over the creek. 225 can be a little tricky since there is no boat ramp. If you launch at Mattingly I suggest going up river past the barge. Find thick weeds and pockets in the spatterdock.

Best tides for me have been end of a falling tide into low tide in the morning or evening. Mid day was always slow for me.

Most productive lures:

- Early morning or evening: Top water frogs, hollow body, like a spro or strike king twitched over slop. Rage Tail toads (5/0 wide gap hook) steady retrieved along weedlines and over pockets through slop.

- Mid-morning: White chatterbaits 1/4oz with a fluke as a trailer. Fished along weedlines and spatterdock. Steady retrieve with an occasional pop.

- Rest of the day: Black or Black and Blue Senko, texas rigged, weightless. Look for bubbles along weedline and pockets in the spatterdock. Deadsticking to a lively pop retrieve.

Long casts, sharp hooks, net, grippers, scissors and patience.

Good luck

[Slackdaddy]

Thanks for all the info,, postponed till Friday the 28th when the kids are off school,, don't want to deal with weekend boat traffic.

Slack