Mattawoman 9-28

[Slackdaddy]

Took the 2 boys, Z - 12 y.o., S - 10 y.o.
Got to the Mattingly ramp at 6:15, still dark. No other boaters. in the water at 6:30
Turned left, about 3-400 yards up stream we split, Z on the right, S and I on the left.
In 10 Min Z got a nice LM on the Rebel wee frog, I was fishing a chartr buzz bait, S was using a Ribbit and spinner w/3" grub.
It was 2 more hours with no hits, I finaly landed a 14"ish LM.
about another 1.5 ( with no hits) and we where by the steel piling retaining wall, and decided to turn around, the bite lit up for about a half hour (about an hour before low tide), then was off again.

Total - Z= 3 LM, 1 yellow perch, 1 white perch, Me = 4 LM, S= 0 (he did not fish on the way back.

NO Snakeheads !!!!! Thats what we were after, but they never showed,, I may have to hire a Guide for 1 trip to learn this creek?

Slack

[BassMoore]

snakeheads will not bite again until very late fall when they spawn 1 last time.. snakeheads are onlybagressive during spawn n watching their young. they spawn 4 times a year, twice in the summer.. but in between spawns you can hit them in the head with lures with no reaction

(my buddy is a marine scientist n studies snakeheads)

[Slackdaddy]

Zach,
Thanks, all the reading I did on sneakheads the last few days,, never mentioned it but makes perfect sense.
When is that spawn? or exactly when will that bite happen? if you could pick your freinds brain, i'd really be indebted to ya

Thanks,
Slack

[BassMoore]

He lives on the potomac as well . He bow fishes forthem .

He says they spawn 4 times a year.
Twice in summer . Once in early spring . Last in late fall before it gets
Realy cold


Late fall n spring time they crush spinner baits and chatterbaits .

Summer time is all top water . Anything to make them
Feel threatend .

He says they wont move a muscle if they are not protecting anything .
They are not as aggressive as people say, very smart and territorial fish

[beerums]

Last time I was out I saw quite a few SH's just hanging out near the surface with their backs sticking out of the water. I threw everything I had at them but like you said, they didn't even budge until I moved the yak closer than they got spooked and swam off.

This summer I fished off of bumpy oak road quite a few times and saw just how protective they are of their young. All you had to look for was small schools of fry and throw towards them. One of the parents would almost always hit the lure but not in a feeding way, more of a way to knock the frog out, making them extremely difficult to catch. Definitely an interesting fish!!

[ictalurus]

Thanks for the report. Snakeheads are definitely mysterious in their motivations.

[Slackdaddy]

Soo, do snakeheads not eat when not spawning??

Slack

[frettr00]

Soo, do snakeheads not eat when not spawning??

Slack

They have to eat something, they must just feed less and stay less active.

[DanMarino]

Slackdaddy, your trip sounds like a pretty typical Mattawoman trip to me. Sometimes you catch a period of the day where the fish are more aggressive and sometimes you don't. My 14 year old son has been with me there 3 times and has been skunked each time.