Tag Archives: Virginia snakehead fishing

Snakehead Season

NEW WORLD RECORD NORTHERN SNAKEHEAD!

2 Comments

19 lbs. 5oz Northern SnakeheadNEW WORLD RECORD caught May 15, 2018

As I was texting with Emanuel Tankersley congratulating him on his world record and explaining why I haven’t texted him any new photos of my own this season (wine wine wine..)  So far I have only hit the water 3 afternoons as of writing this and been skunked each time!  I know life gets in  the way but I’m really getting itchy for fishin’.  I haven’t landed anything yet just some misses from nice but average snakeheads and a few bass.  Wind, timing and bad luck for me good luck for the snakeheads though (LOL), have all put me behind this year.   In addition to Emanuel I have run into a few other hardcore snakehead hunters on the water who have put 20-30 fish in the boat or kayak  since April 20th (it was too cold for me back then).  So far this season some nice fish have been landed around 12 lbs. but mostly 4-8 lb. fish seem to be being caught so far according to most reports.  Well a I guess the “big” fish have come out to play as of this last week!

What  a great story to start my snakehead fishing, seasonal blog off with.   You read correctly, Emanuel who you seen on my blog in photos from last year where he had over 20 BIG snakeheads all  34+” and 15 lbs.!  Here he is last summer (2017) with one of those 20 fish, a 16 pounder measuring in at 37″.  We weighed it on my hand scale at 9:30 PM on the shore in the dark with no flashlight. Cellphone light.

16l lb snakehead
Emanuel a Stafford Cnty with one of his 16lb, 37″ snakeheads from 2016

Now he has the NEW WORLD RECORD FOR THE LARGEST NORTHERN SNAKEHEAD caught on rod and reel.  His fish even beats the Maryland bowfisherman, Emory Baldwin, III that stuck an 18.42 lbs. snakehead last year.

18.42 lb snakehead
Emory Baldwin “Dutch” with his 18.42 lb. Northern Snakehead that he shot with his bow on the Potomac River on May 26, 2016

Now IFGA does not consider bow fishing, fishing they are strictly rod and reel catches so on “world record” for him.  He was cruising the Maryland side of the Potomac River by Mattawoman Creek.  He was sailing up the river on the Maryland side by what is called the “Flats”just a few hundred yards north of where Mattawoman Creek starts.  He does hold the Maryland snakehead record as they count bow fishing and rod & reel fishing equally.  Not my idea of fishing but that’s how they do it in Maryland.   Don’t get me wrong I love bow  “fishing” I just don’t consider it “fishing”, it’s more like “fish hunting” and shooting.  But back to topic, sorry to digress.

Emanuel caught on rod and reel a 19Lb. 5 oz Northern Snakehead(Channa Argus) that measured 36.5″ long!  WOW…WOW… is all I have to say.  I am ahead of the IGFA as I write and post this blog as the previous record holder, Louis Aragon is still listed with his 17 lb. 12 oz whopper form Quantico Creek, on the IGFA website(click the Louis’s name and follow the link).

Luis Aragon 17 lb 12 oz Offical World Record Northern Snakehead Caugth May 2014

But Emanuel has turned in his paperwork last week to the IGFA (International Game Fish Association) and is waiting to be recognized and receive his place in the record books and the official certificate.

Emanuel and I fish together in kayaks on the the lower creeks off the Potomac where he caught this monster.  We don’t hang out and plan to fish together we just paddle into each other on the water since we are there so much.  So I was honored when he texted me the photo and the news.  Like I said we don’t arrange to meet and hang out we just both happen to paddle the same creeks and have become casual fishing friends always talking when we see each other.  I wrote about him last year as he had a great year with some big fish.  So when he landed this monster snakehead last week he texted the photo to me right away!  Bragging rights and all.  I am very grateful for him sharing this with me as one of the first ones to announce his success to the world, blogging about it here with his blessings.

So down to the meat and potatoes of the situation

He fishes from a sit-inside, 12′ Pungo kayak not a sit on- top model.  The water is 1′-3′  deep, mud bottom as most of the wide creeks that feed the Potomac are.  He works the lilies just  off the bank out 200 yards in this shallow water creek which is about 1/2  mile across!  Soon it like all the creeks that feed the Potomac River will be choked with hydrilla (no hydrilla yet of course) and the snakehead fishing really heats up then!

He uses a 6’6″ – 7′ medium heavy baitcasting set up with an upper end reel, sorry forgot the brand.  Your basic heavy cover bass rig with 50lb braid.

Lure of choice is a Top Water 4″ Scum Frog, black/dark green twitched through the lilies or a Ribbits 4″ soft plastic frog.  Reeled slowly between the weeks with the occasional twitch…then hold when the water explodes!  I can only imagine what it looked like when that Moby Dick of a snakehead nailed his frog!

Well that’s all for now from me, I gotta get my new camera on my kayak and get some footage for you folks!  So check back for some videos and photos over the summer months and subscribe to my Youtube Channel as well by clicking here.   See you on the water.

 

Dr. Demetrios Kydonieus, “Snakehead Hunter”

 

For natural therapies for severe diseases contact me in Ruckersville, Virginia or check out my webpage for more details.  www.LifeEnhancingWellnessCenter.com

Snakehead Season

Spring is Here and Snakeheads are Biting!

Leave a comment

Spring Snakeheads are Back!

cropped-snakehead-mount.jpg
Not my fish but a great mounted Snakehead from the Maryland Snakehead Tournament in 2015

Of course the camera was on the blink and my cell phone died so no stills when I caught my first snakehead and some small largemouth bass on my first Spring fishing trip to the Potomac River two weeks ago.  I wore out the screw on mount on my Ion AirPro 3 it kept falling off the camera pole that I have installed on my kayak.  When I got home that night I filled it with gorilla glue and it seems to work now and not fall off the camera pole on my kayak, LOL!  Always have your outdoor cameras secured with an snapable safty line as even the best mount will come loose. I know dropped my new Ion Airpro 3 in the river two years ago!  Expensive lesson.  But now I am ready so the next time I blog here I should be able to have some good footage for you.  It will be posted here and on my Youtube channel soon!  I’ve been very busy with work and have limited time on the water but am clearing my schedule for the warm weather Potomac River season so you will be hearing a lot from me.

So in summary the water is still cool, the weed beds are growing but still not that big so the snakeheads are roaming more this time of year.  I had to cover a bit of water in my kayak to find a few nice ones.    The bass were holding on the drop offs too early for bedding in early April but by now that should be changing.  You bass specialists can keep me updated on that.  I found some nice snakeheads hunting the “soon to be weed beds” which that day were still just barren mud flats. I caught my snakeheads on this trip about 30 feet off the shoreline in two feet of water at a very high tide.  They were just randomly cruising (at least randomly to me since I am sure the fish had a plan, lol).  Snakeheads do not school so to speak although at times in the hot summers they seem to be a lot in certain areas.  They are solitary fish for the most part.

If someone has information on some scientific research that is contrary to this please let me know. I am not a fish biologist just and observant fisherman.

Make sure to visit and subscribe to my Youtube Channel if you want to see all my Snakehead trips this year.  New films weekly starting in May.

___________________________________________________________________________

Make sure to check out the Helo if you want to monitor your health, like a Fitbit on Steroids will even measure your blood sugar without a needle stick!  www.DrDak.Worldgn.com

Watch my 5 min video here.

If you are concerned about your health you HAVE to get one of these
If you are concerned about your health you HAVE to get one of these
Snakehead Season

Fall is Here…the Water is Chilly

2 Comments
12 lb snakehead
My last big one, 12lbs. 33″ caught late September

Well they were hitting pretty good till the cold October nights started.  Granted the number of bites was down but if you fished the lilly pads long enough you got a few.  Even my friend Emanuel saw a slow down but we both were able to land some nice fish on those hot September days.  Now as the leaves change color and the weed beds die off a few snakeheads can be found if you are out there.   I will give it a try again unless it gets downright cold but you will find me now in the woods looking for deer or on my boat striper fishing!

Comment below on your winter fishing plans.

Snakehead Season

Well It’s Getting Cooler and the Snakeheads are Slowing Down

Leave a comment

As I have seen every year so far the snakehead bite slows as September rolls around and is basically done by the end of the month.  Sure a few here and there may show up on some lucky fisherman’s hook but for us ‘addicts’ they just seem to hide in the mud till April or May.  Now it has been very warm this month so they may bite a little longer this year but I am seeing hit or miss days now.

To wrap up the season here are some pics of some real nice fish my friend and fellow Snakehead addict, Emanuel Tankersley caught.  He had a lot of fish this season and about 8 over 35″ and 15 lbs plus! Way to go Emanuel… he also is one hell of of kitchen cabinet maker/carpenter.

16l lb snakehead

A friend of mine who knows my passion for catching these fish  forwarded me this picture of his buddy’s snakehead but forgot to tell me his name!  He caught back in July, a very nice fish caught over by Aquia.  It looks to be around 8-10 lbs.

aquia snakehead 2016
Aquia Snakehead July 2016

 

Send me your snakehead pics and some info like where caught what lure did you use what were the water, weather conditions and I will post them here!  DrD@snakeheadfishing.net

 

 

Bass Fishing, Snakehead Season

Snakeheads in the Lillies

2 Comments

Snakehads Deep in the  Back End of Potomac Creek

For me this year’s snakehead fishing has been slow but many of my fellow anglers have had really good snakehead catches, 13 and 16 lb fish.  Huge!  When I have of their photos I will post them for you all.  Most days I manage to catch 3 or 4 average fish 20″ to 28″ weighing between 2 and 8 lbs.  The video below has some nice footage of a 2 and 4 pounder,  explosive bites.   The  bass have been biting in the early mornings and just before dark when it cools down.  I have not been out in the “big” river so I can’t say what they are doing there.  I just love the snakehead fishing action and am addicted!  They fight lke a fish twice as big as they are (like bluefish in the surf) so I almost always go for them.

Enjoy the latest videos and post yoru comments here and on my Youtube channel page (click the link here to go to my Youtube channel)  While checking out my videos on Youtube make sure to give them all a complete watch and then a “thumbs up”.  Subscribe if you can as Youtube rates the channels by the number of likes and  subscribers.  I am trying to get a simple channel name but need more “likes” and subscribers.  Thanks in advance!

Keep the line wet!

 

Dr Demetrios Kydonieus, Chiropractor and outdoor enthusiast!

www.TotalChiro.net

 

Snakehead Season

Snakehead Fishing Fall Drop Off?

Leave a comment

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.

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

They’re Back! Snakehead Fishing Has Exploded!

4 Comments

Snakeheads in the Potomac Creek and Aquia Creeks Are Out and Biting!

10 lb Female Snakehead on a 5" bubblegum swimbait
10 lb Female Snakehead on a 5″ bubblegum swimbait
2 nice ones, about 10 and 8 lbs almost 30"
2 nice ones, about 10 and 8 lbs almost 30″

Now they have come out of hiding,  the grass beds at low tide on the creek last week is where they were, stacked!  I ran over a bunch as I kayaked up the grass edge.  A change from the week before when they were in the lillies and large expanses of water plants that grow above the water while they swam in between the stems.  Now there were some in those big lilly expanses but most were out in grass at low tide.  I found the incoming tide better than the outgoing and things slowed down dramatically at high tide, even in the lilly fields.  But after 9 hours on the water I landed 9 nice ones 5 of which were 6-10lbs and 4 smaller ones.    And the largemouths, bigs ones were hitting at the end of the day, 4-7 lbs!

 

Here is one I caught two days later on the bass boat.  Only had 4 snakeheads that day.  But over all they have really picked up, saw 3 pods of babies being guarded by mom and dad but they weren’t biting anything just hanging by the “kids”.

a nice 6lb largemouth on a floatin Toad top water
a nice 6lb largemouth on a floatin Toad top water

Other anglers on the water that day were having success too.  Jason here had a nice 10+ pounder that did a lot of jumping as he fought to get him to his kayak.  Way to go Jason!

Jason with a 10+ Pounder
Jason with a 10+ Pounder
Snakehead Season

Snakehead Fishing is Picking Up!

Leave a comment

Ah the Snakeheads are Still There!

Well another day on Potomac Creek and I found a few fish. The days are hot now and the fish are active.  Still casting to the banks by any vegitation, lillies and grass seem the best. The weed flats are slow as the fish seem to be underneath and aren’t coming up to grab the top water stuff (the only thing you can fish in the thick weed flats, drop shotting hasn’t worked for me).

This average 5 pounder was right at the bank mid day and very hot 92 degrees. He was sitting inbetween the thick weed matts that the low tide was exposing when he slammed my  white “Floatin’ Toad” straightened the hook a bit too!

Potomac Creek pretty far back
Potomac Creek back way back up in the small part of the channel

The nicest one of the day was this 8 pound female that also killed my “Floatin’ Toad’, green/silver pattern in the morning.  She also almost go off by straightening the hook!

Nice 8lb female Snakehead
Nice 8lb female Snakehead

 

Here was real nice largemouth right at dusk in the main channel of the creek, about 5 lbs. It was real wild hard to hold and snap a photo with my phone so this was all I could get.  Wiggled right out of my grip when I was holding it up for a nice classic pic and went back into the river!  So you just get my foot(size 12) and the fish, so you can get an idea of the fishes size! LOL!

5lb. Largemouth on a White Floatin Toad top water
5lb. Largemouth on a White Floatin Toad top water

Well see ya’ll next time on the water.  Share your bass and snakehead fishing stories, tactics and locations(if you don’t mind that is..)  We’d love to learn from you too.

 

Dr. D (Dr. Snakehead) signing off till next time!

 

Check out my radio show on nutrition and chiropractic, www.DrDSays.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.