Mattawoman Snakehead Questions. . .

[VuDism]

I was under the impression that Mattawoman creek holds plenty of Snakeheads all year round... However I haven't had much luck. I've gone 3 times this year, takes 1.5hrs drive.

1st time I went was late April and my dad caught one Snakehead, but I landed a bass. Tide was High then Low from 7am - 2pm

2nd and 3rd times i went was over the weekend... Saturday May 24th and Monday May 26th... Both days fished from 8am - 3pm and tide was mostly incoming and high when I leave. Only hooked a couple of bass.

I've seen MAYBE 2 with my eyes, but I can be seeing things. I saw like 10 long nose gar. I see crashing and movement within the spadderdock and I try to work the edges with chatterbait, topwater frog, flukes, zman diesel minnows, jigs... mostly in white/chartreuse colors. I got one bite on my chatterbait and the teeth ripped up my lure pretty good. . .

I feel like I should be seeing more and getting more bites. So my questions.. are my lures wrong? is it too early in the season for them to be there thick? Time/ tide etc? There are a ton of Gar there. I had a good time but I hate driving so far to come up empty. maybe I just gotta get lucky. Any advice is greatly appreciated !

[Snakehead Hunter]

Hey Vu,

I fish for them heavily too but usually on the VA side. I don't think there is anything wrong with your bait. SH is a lazy but easily spook fish, you need to cast the bait close enough to get its attention without spooking it. I think you need to position your kayak carefully depend on the tide. And there aren't that many around despite what people say, or maybe I need to find couple new place that nobody know about. In my opinion if you choose a well known creek that hold SH, you won't find many. Here are a few well known one that you can try if you like; Mattawoman, Dogue creek, Little hunting creek, Pohick bay.

[chimo]

Right now I think they may be spawning. My last 2 trips down there I haven't even had a bite from a snakehead. The bass are starting to be more active and are hitting topwater more agressively though as they come out of the postspawn funk so I don't think it will be long before the snakehead follow suit. All the lures you mentioned will catch a snakehead. Don't be afraid to move way back up in the spatterdock and work a topwater or buzz frog.

[VuDism]

believe me, i get all up in the spatterdock with my kayak. i try to get in slowly and creep my way in to cast and not spook fish, but i get so mad when i see bubbles and a mud trail in the water of a big spooked fish swimming away.. .

I'll keep trying... from my research and reports I've seen from DNR anglers log and various forums... Snakeheads are under a lot of pressure... from spear fishing and cast netting at chain bridge to people going through mattawoman at night bowfishing and spearing them. couple of years ago they were loaded up in Bumpy Oak pond but i think even that bite has died down.

I can't believe some of the reports too... these people are taking out coolers full, trash bags full of snakehead. I don't think they can be eradicated but with this kind of pressure from reports I've read the past few years, their population has to be declining.. I just want to catch one or two nice ones too feel the fight and to have a nice fish dinner. lol.

im seriously tired of catching bass... its not even exciting anymore.. my noob fisherman cousin with a random rod in his basement and random lures caught bass left and right yesterday at mattawoman. .which kind of surprises me as these bass fisherman with their big bass boats coming up empty handed.

[Turtle135]

I seem to run into snakeheads at high tide when I am fishing the inside weed line (between the bank and the start of a spatterdock field). Any spot where you have laydown logs extending into the pads should get extra attention. Another presentation that works is a large 7" to 12" plastic worm, texas rigged weedless but unweighted. Swim it slowly along the surface like a snake. Snakeheads frequently explode on top water frogs but manage to miss. When they wake on your worm you can stop it and allow it to slowly sink down to them, giving you a better chance for a solid hookset.

Despite the notoriety the snakeheads get there are still a lot more largemouth bass in Mattawoman than snakeheads. Those snakeheads get chased all night long by bow hunters with lights so they can be very spooky. Keep after them, you will connect.

[VuDism]

I seem to run into snakeheads at high tide when I am fishing the inside weed line (between the bank and the start of a spatterdock field). Any spot where you have laydown logs extending into the pads should get extra attention. Another presentation that works is a large 7" to 12" plastic worm, texas rigged weedless but unweighted. Swim it slowly along the surface like a snake. Snakeheads frequently explode on top water frogs but manage to miss. When they wake on your worm you can stop it and allow it to slowly sink down to them, giving you a better chance for a solid hookset.

Despite the notoriety the snakeheads get there are still a lot more largemouth bass in Mattawoman than snakeheads. Those snakeheads get chased all night long by bow hunters with lights so they can be very spooky. Keep after them, you will connect.

They are definitely spooky. I can't tell you how many times I'm minding my own business moving slowly in my yak and seeing a huge mud trail in the water of some large fish swimming off.

Thanks for the worm advice. I was actually looking into that... I was reading some guy was rigging a double hooked worm weightless fished slowly for snakehead. Was gonna try that tactic myself

Its probably not going to help their population any with that snakehead tournament in a couple weeks... im curious to see if they catch as many as they did previous years this year.

[Turtle135]

Thanks for the worm advice. I was actually looking into that... I was reading some guy was rigging a double hooked worm weightless fished slowly for snakehead.

IMHO a double hooked worm will make it harder to set the hook than a single texas rigged extra wide gap gamakatsu hook:



results (see the worm sticking out of the mouth?):

[VuDism]

IMHO a double hooked worm will make it harder to set the hook than a single texas rigged extra wide gap gamakatsu hook:



results (see the worm sticking out of the mouth?):

Oh wow. That is real nice. I'll go with your method. I was wondering what worm color also. Guess depends on water visibility and sun etc..

[Memory Maker]

Hire a guide ......... It's worth the price in gas alone and you eliminate at least 10 trips of trial and error ....... Call Mike Starett of his partner Dave ......... Money well spent

[Frogsauce]

I used to gig'em like frogs around here: 38.68696, -77.26471

Night time with a head lamp and a frog gig. That is probably a bit far, but the same tactic might apply to anywhere there is 1 ft deep waters.

[VuDism]

Hire a guide ......... It's worth the price in gas alone and you eliminate at least 10 trips of trial and error ....... Call Mike Starett of his partner Dave ......... Money well spent

Good thing I put my inflatable in my 30+ mpg scion FRS. Saves me on some of that Gas.

[Snakehead Hunter]

I don't think you're allowed to get up there. I live near by and love to go there to fish for shad at the foot bridge

I used to gig'em like frogs around here: 38.68696, -77.26471

Night time with a head lamp and a frog gig. That is probably a bit far, but the same tactic might apply to anywhere there is 1 ft deep waters.

[Frogsauce]

I don't think you're allowed to get up there. I live near by and love to go there to fish for shad at the foot bridge

I used to go there often at night, walk around the rocks and stick them or snag them with a claw hook. Success varied from 2 - 10 frankenfishes a trip. Never caught them with hook and line. Wardens don't seem to care about them either.

[VuDism]

im definitely trying to hook and line the fish only

[Snakehead Hunter]

I know there are other way to catch them. I also prefer to catch them hook&line. They do put up quite a fight.