Snakehead Fishing Drop Off?
I am not a biologist just a fisherman who spends a lot time on the lower Potomac River chasing snakeheads. It has become my addiction! I am new to this and only started May 2014. But last year I noticed that by the end of August the fishing had slowed down dramatically. Now this year was a “slower” year all together compared to last year and everyone I spoke with who was snakehead fishing agreed with me. The fishing this year did have a little peak in certain creeks like Accokeet off Potomac Creek in July and early August then it died by September 1st. Like I said earlier I saw the same pattern last year and think this may be a seasonal change in snakehead fish behavoir more than a population change.
One interesting thing I noticed the last few weeks is that I get fair amount of “follows” and short strikes now they are much less aggressive so the “misses” happen more often now than the pole bending slammers of July. I am also catching and seeing mostly small fish under 20″. In the past 3 weeks I have only seen 4 “bigger” snakeheads (caught one 27″). When you seem them they are the ones that just crash out as you get close to their sunbathing spot or when you cast a bait over them and it scares them. I assume they think it’s a bird trying to eat them! Early last month even when catching them was slow I was still spooking 10 or 12 big ones with their characteristic big swirly splashes as I cruised by them in the weeds! Now nothing but small ones bugging out occassionally and only a few.
So maybe the big ones move to deeper water and hang in the channels as opposed to their summer haunts in the weeds. No sure. Any observations you have please leave your comments below, all us snakehead fishing fans would appreciate it.
See you on the water but the woods will be calling me soon as bow season is not far away and I have a buck or two that I’ve been watching all summer!
Dr. Demetrios Kydonieus, Chiropractic Nutritionist with a passion for the outdoors!
Check out my chiropractic website or radio show pages. www.TotalChiro.net or www.DrDSays.net, my weekly radio show.