Three bites - three species caught

[J.A. Veil]

I have been fishing quite often in the Severn during the past two months. Today, I fished in the upper Magothy looking for pickerel and possibly yellow perch. Over three hours of fishing, I had only three bites and caught each of those fish -- each one was a different species. Two of them were my target species (pickerel and perch), but the third one was a big surprise.


I came to a bend in a tidal creek where I had caught fish on several prior visits. I cast to some pilings and BOOM -- I felt weight on the line and some head shake. As the fish was partway in and pulling a bit, I could see a light-colored underside and an elongated body – I thought this was a citation-sized pickerel. As I looked closer, the girth of the fish was wider than any pickerel or pike I have caught. A minute later, I saw the side of the fish. It did not have the chain pattern of a pickerel – instead, it had a snakeskin pattern. After making three trips to the Blackwater area last summer looking for snakeheads and failing to get a bite, here I caught a snakehead while trying for pickerel. What irony! The fish measured out at 25” and was as big around as my lower leg.

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I caught the heavy snakehead on a 6’ ultralight rod, 10-lb braid, and 20-lb mono leader. Despite the toothy mouth and significant weight, the leader held up as I lifted it into the kayak for measurements and photos.

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A few minutes later, just 30 yards away, I caught my only pickerel of the day at 19.5” (no photo taken). I moved off, then returned to the same spot 30 mins later and caught a small yellow perch.

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[Shady]

Wow, that's the first confirmed snakehead in the mag that I've heard of

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[J.A. Veil]

Ryan -

I agree with you -- I thought the same thing. But as I returned to the launch I met another kayak angler who told me he caught them often in the warm weather way upstream. I do not visit there often, and usually it is during the winter months.

[Big Mike]

I always thought they went semi-dormant during cold water. Proves that wrong.

[J.A. Veil]

I always thought they went semi-dormant during cold water. Proves that wrong.

I think you are on the right track. For an aggressive fish species that large, I should have had a tough fight on any tackle, and especially on ultralight gear. But the fight was unremarkable. Like nearly all fish, they are cold-blooded, such that their metabolism slows as the temperature drops.

[DanMarino]

That’s a nice looking snakehead John! Really amazing how the snakeheads have expanded their range.

[DuffDynasty]

Out of curiosity John, lure or live bait?

[J.A. Veil]

Out of curiosity John, lure or live bait?

I fished a live minnow on a 1/8-oz jighead -- bring the hook up through the bottom lip and out the top lip.

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When pickerel are around it is the top performer. I cast it out and work it back as slowly as possible without hitting the bottom and getting slime on the hook. A fresh, lively minnow attracts more attention than a dead or subdued one. I have heard that many anglers suspend live minnows under bobbers for snakeheads at Blackwater as a winter fishing technique. I have not fished there in the winter. I did not expect to find a snakehead in the Magothy.

[DuffDynasty]

John,

Thanks for your response and the additional information on how you rig for pickerel. I fished the Bodkin for years and would use super rooster tails and would tear the pickerel up. I just started fishing the Magothy this year and have been fortunate to find some good producing fishing spots. I'm sure there are many more spots that haven't discovered yet but that's the fun part about this sport. Now that you have validated that there are snakehead present in the Magothy, I might have to target the skinnier water locations that I would normally pass by.

Thanks again for your reply John.

[YakMan1731]

Wow, awesome day John! A monument to the "You'll never know if you don't go" mantra. That's a really beefy snakehead. Seems like with a smaller population there he must not have a lot of competition and is happily fattening up for winter. Thanks for sharing!

[J.A. Veil]

Wow, awesome day John! A monument to the "You'll never know if you don't go" mantra. That's a really beefy snakehead. Seems like with a smaller population there he must not have a lot of competition and is happily fattening up for winter. Thanks for sharing!

I agree that you must be out there trying or you will catch nothing. In the same vein, even when I am doing primarily a cast and retrieve trip, I often troll paddletails when moving between different creeks or spots. I have caught some fish when I did not expect to -- I consider those bonus fish. Those surprise catches are also helpful in augmenting my mental database that helps me decide where to go on future trips.

[captmikestarrett]

Snakehead do go dormant during the winter. They often find a nice mud flat and just lay around. But on a sunny day they will move about and catch those mud minnows, who also are on the mud flats during winter time. A method I heard used often in colder months is to use a bobber and minnow on jig head floated on a mud flat.
Good catch John.
Capt Mike

[Jman]

Do yall purchase your minnows for pickerel or is it possible to throw a cast net for them in places?

[J.A. Veil]

Do yall purchase your minnows for pickerel or is it possible to throw a cast net for them in places?

I buy minnows at Anglers when I use them. I do not have water access at my home or in my neighborhood. If I had access, I might buy a minnow trap.

[Shady]

$5 for 1/2 pint will last up to 3 trips. You can keep them alive for weeks in a bait bucket with aerator and changing the water every week.

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