Mattawoman Snakeheads 9/5

[whenican]

I launched "The W" w/ a friend who normally outfishes me. On the incoming tide and bright afternoon I thought it would be great fishing. After an hour the winds sure did pick up and continued blowing hard thru sunset. Just as I paddle from the left side of the creek to the right side my friend catches a sh in the lilly pads about 200 yds before the sunken barge. We fish the pads w/ each of us losing a couple follows, complete w/ V-shaped submarine wake! I lost one that leaped over a clump of lilly leaves as if to tease me , then it let go. Then just slas it was getting dark and I wondered where the sh were hiding, my friend attributes the lack of success due to the windiness spooking the fish. I change position to try to cast outside of the wind when BAM! Strike 1! I re-cast to same spot & BAM!! Strike 2! My 3rd cast gets the torpedo action & as my heart skips a beat, I stall the frog and KaBAM! I wait a moment then I set the hook hard. Splish splash I am not taking a bath as I keep my line taught and I dont give an inch. The beast dives into the grass but I keep the pressure on. This is, by far, my biggest snakehead this year approaching my yak. As I bully it out of the thick grass it rolls but cannot cut my 50lb braid. I lift it out of the water after clearing some space for it in my kayak. I knock the beast out w/ my pliers. We return to the launch as the wind dies down and the tide just starts to turn. She measures 26.25" and 7lbs. Finally, I am no longer just catching lil ones or being Net-man for others catching the bigguns. I finally have caught what many others have caught: a snakehead big enough to cut some filets! The snakeheads are in the lilly pads... Now you go catch one!

[Goody]

Nice action there. Congrats on the catch. SH is on my bucket list still.

[FishAholic929]

Good stuff, I wish I could catch smaller ones as I've heard they are better eating. My smallest all year has been a 27". I'll be chasing them again tomorrow and monday at Pohick.