Topwater on the Mattawoman 07/21 and 07/22

[Nitefly]

I launched from the 225 bridge on Sunday morning and Monday evening. The tides looked like they should be good for the times I planned so I opted for this launch instead of Mattingly ave. Sunday morning I missed several topwater strikes and had one massive hit that I though I had hooked but lost in the weeds in the bottom. I was pretty sure that one was a Snakehead, but didn't get a visual. As the day wore on, I worked my way down to the wall and caught a 22 inch Channel cat on a Rat L Trap and that was it for my day. I went home thinking I came close to my first Snakehead and I had a better idea of where to look. I was off work on Monday to so I headed back down to get on the water at around 5pm. I went with a larger frog this time and fished some areas I went past on Sunday. I had my knot on my fluorocarbon leader fail as I sent one frog far into the shore on a hard cast! Fortunately, I had another frog of the same size and just tied it directly to the braid. As I was casting towards shore a minute later, there was a giant splash behind me about 5 feet from the kayak. It made me jump a bit, but I hoped it was a really big fish going airborne for dinner. After I got turned around, I saw a beaver head poke up out of the water. The beaver was trying to chase me off I think... it worked. Not wanting to become the first Md beaver fatality, I moved on downstream a bit and continue casting along the grass on the shore.

I got a few strikes this way, but hadn't hooked anything yet. As I reeled in my latest cast, I got about 3 yards from the shore, thinking I could probably start reeling in faster now as it would have been hit by now, when I see something hits it hard. The Snakehead came out of the water, so I knew I finally hooked one for sure. I was pretty excited and got him up to the side of the boat. I tried grabbing him with my boga grips, but he wasnt obliging, so I had to feel around for my net. I got him on the boat in the net and held him down with one foot and force fed him the boga grip. Once I got that in there, I jammed a dive knife in through his gills and cut down. They bleed a lot for a fish. I held him over the side with the grips to let him bleed out a bit, then put him in my cooler bag. Measured him at about 23". Mission accomplished! I was only about an hour into the trip and I caught him in an area I wasn't sure would hold them.

Once I got to the lilly pad field I was planning on working, I got another violent topwater strike and thought I hooked the fish good. This was another Snakehead. He breached with speed and came at least a foot out of the water parallel to the surface. He shook my hook, but it was the most exciting miss I have had! I caught a few bass in there after that, but that was the end of my Snakehead action for the evening. I'm debating whether to try cooking this fish Masgouf style or coat it in salt and stuff with lemongrass for the grill. A 23" Snakehead looks pretty meaty. The big ones must be great served family style! I also got to see what I think were two otters this trip.

It took 5 trips to finally get the Snakehead. I'll probably visit the Mattawoman less frequently now so I can explore other places, but what a great river! On to my next target... a keeper Striper.

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[Mike]

Nice job & great report! Congrats on your 1st snakehead too, I'm still a snakehead virgin

Also, how do you like your Frontier? I'm looking at upgrading my sit-in yak next year and the Frontier is appealing to me but I haven't heard many reviews locally.

Thanks,
Mike

[Berto]

Sweet! Congrats on your 1st snakehead!

[jet]

+1 on the great report, thanks and congrats

[ronaultmtd]

Congrats- snakes can be tough to hook- I have had better luck with a slight delay in setting the hook with top water hits and then try to break the rod to get the hooks into them- my theory on why so many come unbuttoned is they clamp down so hard on the frogs that the hook doesn't get into them and when you start reeling the snakehead opens his mouth and the lure comes out

[Memory Maker]

Congrats on some FINE eatin .........

[Jeff Little]

Nice job on the snakehead. Now about those beavers.....

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/05...le-in-belarus/

Just don't try to get your picture taken with one.

[sparky1423]

Congrats on the snakehead!!! Also got my first this year...sometimes I still stare at the picture

[Nitefly]

Nice job & great report! Congrats on your 1st snakehead too, I'm still a snakehead virgin

Also, how do you like your Frontier? I'm looking at upgrading my sit-in yak next year and the Frontier is appealing to me but I haven't heard many reviews locally.

Thanks,
Mike

Mike,
Thanks! I'm really enjoying the Frontier so far. Lots of room solo and it can be set up for tandem. It can handle two 200lb + guys in calm water. I haven't taken it in the bay yet, but I hope to rectify that soon. I did recently buy an aftermarket seat base and it is better than the stock one. I've floated the Susquehenna in it and been in some pretty good chop and boat traffic in the Severn. It has been very stable. I'm hoping to get out to a meet and greet one of these times. You'd be welcome to try it out then or perhaps we end up fishing together at one of these ad hoc trips.

[Nitefly]

Thanks for all the congrats everyone. And Jeff Little, my coworkers laughed at me a bit when I told them I got chased off by a beaver. I sent them that link

[Jeff Little]

Not much spooks me out there, but a rat with a chainsaw in it's mouth staring me down does. I spoke with a guy a few years back who had his canoe sunk by one. He was paddling through the wide water section of the C & O Canal near Mather Gorge, not lingering and fishing as we do. The beaver without tail smacking, without provocation sunk its teeth into the bow of the canoe. The guy tried paddling it to shore and the beaver came back and sunk it's teeth through another mid section part of his boat. That's when he swam, leaving the boat. Might have been a rabid one, but his account and the way they are territorial mean that I steer clear. So when's your next snakehead coming!?

[whenican]

Congrats on your sh catch. They are exciting to land. A few yrs ago there was a rabid beaver incident @ Loch Raven Reservoir. The beaver attacked and bit an illegal swimmer. It was killed by another person in this group.

[camelbird]

Nice work on the snakehead

[AbuMasgouf]

Awesome going bro and a big congrats!! They are one of the most exciting fish to have on the other end of the line!

As far as cooking, I would obviously recommend Masgouf Style.... but then again I may be a little biased! Full disclosure, the one I caught unfortunately had to be filleted because the weather didn't look like it will hold up in order to Masgouf it out back. Whichever way you cook it, you won't be disappointed. It is one of the tastiest fish out there.

Again, a big congrats bro. I pray for many more your way!

[Nitefly]

Not much spooks me out there, but a rat with a chainsaw in it's mouth staring me down does. I spoke with a guy a few years back who had his canoe sunk by one. He was paddling through the wide water section of the C & O Canal near Mather Gorge, not lingering and fishing as we do. The beaver without tail smacking, without provocation sunk its teeth into the bow of the canoe. The guy tried paddling it to shore and the beaver came back and sunk it's teeth through another mid section part of his boat. That's when he swam, leaving the boat. Might have been a rabid one, but his account and the way they are territorial mean that I steer clear. So when's your next snakehead coming!?

That would have me heading for shore! I can see the makings of a good horror movie here: Beavernado! After saying I'd probably give the Mattawoman a rest, I got invite to go out with a friend tomorrow and I might just go. Catching Snakehead is addictive! I'm cooking the first Snakehead tonight, going with the salt encrusted stuffed with lemongrass recipe.