Tag Archives: bass fishing

Snakehead Season

A Beast of a Snakehead

Leave a comment

Huge Snakehead on Top Water!

Some of my best video, up close  and personal.

I was scouting for a Bass Fishing Tournament this Sunday and headed to Aquia out of Hope Springs Marina.  It was a sunny day started at 3 pm and fished until dark.  There was a slight northeasterly wind but a great day to kayak fish.  I headed around the entire bay area across from the marina fishing the shores and got a few nice 2-3 lb. largemouths on chatterbaits and crawfish jigs (that short video is coming).   No snakeheads in in the clear water.

So then I headed to the lillies…  Worked the inner channles between the large lillies that went out into the main water and the tall grass swampy banks that go back for 100 yards or more and are unfishable even in a kayak.  These shallow sideline channels are where I have been finding snakeheads this year.  No action in the open water or even the edges of the big lilly patches that border the “big water” which were good last year.  The smaller channels and little lilly lined “smaller” rivers is where I am getting bit.  This 9.52 pounder (thought it was closer to 15 lbs. but the scale said different) faught hard and pulled my kayak as I reeled him in.

big snakehead Aquia Creek
Snakehead caught in Aquia Creek July 12, 2016. 9.52 lbs well over 30 inches.

Sight fishing for snakeheads is one of the best ways to catch them as their numbers are way down now compared to years past. Seeing the serpentine ripples that slowly ungelate through the back channels can get you a nice one. It is hard to see the ripple in this video as there is no zoom on my Ion Air Pro 3 which takes these nice HD videos so you have to squint a bit.  But if you look hard right as it starts before I cast you can you see what I saw just before I through the Stanley top water frog at him.

On an ecological note, the bass population seems fine I am catching nice ones and some days I catch bass and no snakeheads! I definately see a drastic decline in the Potomac River snakehead population compared to previous years. At Pohick Creek up by Mason Neck(I hate the I-95 traffic to get there but try it once or twice a season) I got one small one just as I was paddlng back to the ramp on July 1, 2016 and it looked like perfect snakehead territory.  I spoke with a local bass/snakehead kayaker that I ran into who said the bow fisherman are out in numbers every weekend shooting everything they see, 10-20 boats!  Ah Northern Virginia so calm and “not crowded”, that is why I live down here by Charlottesville and head southwest or up a mountain whenever I can!  But I digress….   So us rod and reel guys are not seeing big snakehead catches like years past because the bow guys are killing ’em fast and the years past of catching 10 and 20 fish in one day and keeping them is showing up now.  Many days this summer I have not caught any snakeheads which is unusual compared to years past.  So I have released all my snakeheads this year and most of the ones I caught last year.  I want to see and hook more of them when I go and big ones like this one.  Now I know Virginia/Maryland Wildlife said, “They’ll mess up the enviornment and eat all the local fish…” just not true.  Have snakeheads had an impact on the ecosystem, sure but the bass, perch and crappie seem to be balancing out just fine. I am catching more big bass this year than last so things are working out.  I just want to catch more snakeheads though.  Nothing fights as hard or does so much acrobatic leaps in fresh water as a snakehead.  So keep one or two big ones for the frying pan as they are the best eating fish out there but release the rest for someone else to catch and enjoy.

 

Dr. D, Chiropractic Nutritionist and Snakehead Enthusiast!

www.totalchiro.net

 

Bass Fishing, Catfishing

Bass Fishing Now Since Snakeheads are “Sleeping”

Leave a comment

Bass Fishing Time Since Snakeheads Seem to Hibernate

Well no snakehheads this time of year for sure but the bass fishing has been good on jigs and creature baits  for me.  Crankbaits and swim baits have been slow but then I have not fished as much as some of you this winter I am sure.  Especially with all the warm weather I am sure many of you are killin’ it.

Catfishing is On!

North Carolina Blue Catfish State Record 12/20/15
North Carolina Blue Catfish State Record 12/20/15

I have a few catfish friends that have done great this winter hitting the James or Potomac Rivers in central Virginia. Jamie caught a 60lb channle catfish on the Potomac River at Leesylvania by the power plant bridge just before Christmas on that 72 degree sunny Saturday- way to go!  (I will get that photo and post it here next week).  What about that new North Carolina state record that went around Facebook, a channel cat weighing in at 105lbs. and the 94lb blue catfish another state record!

 

So drop a helpful winter tips bass fishing comment below and I will do my best to get it up here soon!

 

Snakehead Season

A great 12 lb. Snakehead with video too!

3 Comments
12lb Snakehead caught on green floatin' Toad top water
12lb Snakehead caught on green floatin’ Toad top water

A Great Way to End a Snakehead Fishing Trip!

I fished all day that day on Potomac and Aquia Creeks, it started out well with a 6 pounder and a 9 pounder in the first 45 min

Two nice Snakeheads, 6-9lbs.
Two nice Snakeheads, 6-9lbs. Gave the smaller one to a nice young couple fishing on their aunt’s dock. I have plenty in my freezer.

of an outgoing tide that morning but then it died for the rest of the day only 3 bites.  Two of those strikes missed the lure but tore up the weeds as they dove back down and one bite spit the hook, that’s fishin’.  But as high tide came in the late afternoon and then started going out again the evening bite picked up.   That is when I missed 4 and caught 3 more by dark, one of which is the 12lb monster you see pictured at the beginning of my post.

They were again in the large grass or weed flats along the edges at low tide and across the flats in the higher tide times.

but not in the leafy lillies that stick up above the waterline where you “usually” find them hanging out. But as fish change habbits with many factors you never know for sure and have to just start your day figuring out their current pattern.

 

See you on the water!

 

Dr D

For nutrition or chiropractic check out my office webpage.  www.TotalChiro.net

Snakehead Season

The Snakehead fishing is DEFINATELY SLOW THIS YEAR

5 Comments

Snakehead Fishing  2015 is DOWN

4Lbs. and 7lbs. both got filleted and tasted great!
4Lbs. and 7lbs. both got filleted and tasted great!

But the good news is that the bass fishing on the Potomac River and its creeks seems to be up!  I have caught more largmouths this year than Snakeheads which for me is a bummer but I will take it as the bass have all been nice ones in the 2.5 to 4 lb. range…a bit skinny but long.  Now since I am fishing 90% top water my numbers are not huge on the bass, 3 or 4 most days and on a slow day  just 1 or 2 bass.   The snakeheads which I am targeting not bass have been hard to find, at least for me in my kayak.  I have caught a few each day but no numbers and definately not like last year.  A average day on the water for me in my kayak is 1 or 2 landed and 4 or 5 misses- but spectacular misses!  The acrobatics, jumpsand head shakes wear the spit the lure most of time is awesome!  I have to get a better video system on board and try to get some their areals on film.

This is one of the best things about fishing for snakeheads that I love.  Not to mention their shark like attack, they see or hear the lure and charge it from a distance fin up leaving a huge wake like Jaws as they SMASH the lure and dive.  As  you set the hook they dive deeper and swim hard, many times coming right up and out of the water like a minature swordfish or marlin tail-walking on the water thrashing their head side to side trying to spit the hook- which many times they do!  Their areal moves are great to watch even when you lose them.

This year though I have not seen many of those great water walks, just not catching that many fish.  In my conversations with other snakehead anglers on the waters where I have been fishing they all say the same thing.  “This year has been really slow and the lowest catches in 5 years”, Stewart told me yesterday on the Potomac Creek.

Now these fisherman have been fishing snakeheads hard for 4 or 5 years and can remember in 2011, 2012 and 2013 catching 10 to 20 fish in the boat between 8lbs. and 15 lbs. regularly!  Even last year 5 to 15 fish caught regularly was common by many snakehead fishermen.  But this year so far it’s 2 to 5 a day most of the time with a few big ones at 34″ and 12 lbs. but it a long day finding them.

I have fished Quanico Creek, Aquia Creek and Potomac Creek mostly this year and did one long day on the Maryland side at Matawoman Swamp(didn’t catch one, only missed one small one!)  So it’s been hard, I don’t hear as many breaking the surface this year either.  Last year was my first year targeting snakeheads I heard them all day long smashing the surface inside the lilly pads but this year it is sporadic and not so many “KIRSPLASH’S” in the weeds a sure sign the catch and kill regulations have greatly reduced their numbers if you aske me.

 

So I will keep hitting the water till deer season wish me luck.  Hope to see y’all on water sometime soon!

Dr D

I would love to hear your comments so please post them here and I will read and approve them.   Please post ONLY fishing stories, I appreciate the “nice blog comments…keep up the good work, etc” but most of those are just people trying get their sales weblinks which they post in the contact part of their comment posted on my blog and I willl not approve those types of posts.

Snakehead Season

2015 Potomac River Snakehead Tournament Has Come and Gone

1 Comment

Well another great tournament my hat is off to the organizers!

A Very Nice Snakehead Mount
A Very Nice Snakehead Mount

They did a lot of work and it went off beautifully, lots of FREE food, I loved the fried snakehead nuggets and the bagget sandwich with grilled snakehead and gourmet sauce!  MMMMM!  There were free donuts and IPA beer too.  Darn if more people knew about the free beer we would had to beat them off at the gate of the park!

Potomac River Snakehead Tournament 2015
Potomac River Snakehead Tournament 2015

Over 1500 lbs of snakeheads were caught mostly by bow fisherman(is that really fishing…I call it fish hunting, I do it too…just wondering I guess it’s just semantics)  These boats just glide over the water and at night with all their lights going they look like UFO’s- very cool!

One of the many bow fishing night rigs
One of the many bow fishing night rigs
Bukket of Snakeheads at weigh-in
Bukket of Snakeheads at weigh-in

I watched as hundreds of pounds of dead snakeheads(rules all fish must be killed when landed- no live snakeheads) were weighed in and it was impressive…took over 2 hours!  The rod and reel contestants of which I was one were a few but the top rod and reel team(2 guys) had over 60 lbs of fish, 11 in total which is a good day on the water this time of year!  The #2 rod and reel team was a family event, Dad and daughter and Uncle with 45 lbs. and also 11 fish, just a bit smaller than the other team.

Great fish from last year courtesty of Potomacsnakehead.com
Great fish from last year
courtesty of Potomacsnakehead.com
Bow fishing for snakeheads in Mattawoman Creek, MD
Bow fishing for snakeheads in Mattawoman Creek, MD

As a side note, Dad is the current world record holder for the largest snakehead ever caught, 17 lbs. 9 oz.   which he caught last May in Quanico Creek, Virginia of his dock!  That is where he liesurley fished this year for the tournament, a heck of lot easier than the hectic week-weekend I had and I got skunked!  It was very cool to meet Louis and his family and see his cooler full of fish as we stood in the weigh-in line.

No snakeheads for me this time but thats’ why they call it ‘fishin’ and not ‘catchin”!  I did get 3rd place in the Blue Catfish Division with an 8 lb 4 oz fish but then there were only 4 people to weigh in any catfish this year as it was the first year they had the catagory.

8lb. 4 oz Blue Catfish
8lb. 4 oz Blue Catfish

First place as a monster at 38 lbs big and ugly about 3 1/2 – 4 feet long!  Second was a 20 pounder so I was never really in contention for any prize, LOL!

All in all I had a blast fishing all night in my new bass boat.  But as I learned a bass boat is not the best boat to get into the lilly pads and fish, that is where the snakeheads were back deep in the pads not in the main current.  A flat bottom boat, kayak, or canoe would have been much better and maybe got me on the board.  Lesson learned I will be ready next year going back to my kayak!  But I did catch 2 nice bass at 4 lbs each. (In addition to my catfish).

See ya’ll on river!

Dr D

For health tips or to hear my weekly radio show on natural health alternatives check out my other blogs, www.drdsays.net and www.totalchiro.net

Snakehead Season

Maryland Snakehead Tournament May 30th

2 Comments

Okay time to fish for Snakeheads

7lbs. Potamac Creek, 8 pm on a white Ribbetts Floatin Toad
May 5, 2015 – 7lbs. Potamac Creek, 8 pm on a white Ribbetts Floatin Toad

Let’s go fishin’ and maybe win $1,500.00 prize money!  Well Maryland Wildlife is holding their anual Snakehead Fishing Tournament May 30, 2015 6 pm to May 31, 2015 12:30 pm.  No age restrictions just have your Maryland, Virginia, or DC fishing license and you’re set!

Read more here  and don’t forget to post your catch totals here afterwards!

 

See ya’ on the Potomac next weekend!

 

Dr D, Snakehead Hunter

Snakehead Season

The Snakehead Waters are Warming Up!

1 Comment

Out last week, 4/21/2015 and the water was warm on Potomac Creek.  After the wind calmed down by 7 pm the water was smooth and the fish were jumping!  Caught one nice 8 lb snakehead about 28 inches and one nice largmouth 4 lbs. in the same set of pads.

Sorry left the camera in the car that day but will have pictures next trip.

Let me know how you are doing and where you are fishing.

 

Dr D

Snakehead Season

Windy Fishing in Early April!

9 Comments

Snakeheads Were Being Picky!

Soft plastic white frog lure
I use the large ones, 5-6″ for big snakeheads justy like you would for Muskies

Wow hit the water on a warm but windy day! Made kayaking hard work, it was low tide when I put in and I paddled till most of high tide came in but no luck on Potomac Creek in Stafford area. I saw some nice snakeheads jumping up river in the shallow flats but no takers on my rattle traps, 6″ white frog with a red head or my orange buzz bait! They seemed to be cruising and not staying in one area since no weeds were growing yet. The protected little cutouts with less wind were where I saw the few jumpers of the day as opposed to the windy side of the river which makes sense. Scared a lot of carp and a few big catfish as I paddled around these low areas but not many snakeheads yet.

Snakehead Season

Snakehead Season is Finally Here!

2 Comments

Wow  what a long and COLD winter it has been here in Virginia but now it is finally warming up!  Can’t wait to get out on the water next week and find some snakeheads!   They should be out of the mud and moving around a bit now that the water is above 40 degrees.   I would recommend noisy deep water divers for now.  Rattle Traps, large ones and bright colors over dark.   Orange deep diving rattle bugs are my favorite for now.   But cannot wait for the water to warm up more and hit the top water frogs!