Catching snakeheads on topwater lures is particularly popular, since the angler gets to see spectacular explosions. In warming conditions and especially during the summer, most snakehead anglers use lures. Photo courtesy of Caz Kenny Best Snakehead Fishing Lures Topwater frogs are a common lure pick for snakehead anglers. Conversely, a cold snap can weaken the bite on lures while live bait anglers suddenly do better. But this can vary quite a bit with weather patterns, and a sudden warm-up in the spring or fall can create great conditions for lure fishing when live bait worked best just days before. As a general rule of thumb lures tend to be more effective during the warmer months of the year and bait works best during the cooler months of the year. Snakeheads can be caught on both lures and live bait. Think of fishing for them like fishing for bass, but bigger, meaner, and more likely to swim into snags when hooked up. Snakeheads are big, ugly, and vicious, and often are hooked near heavy cover, so heavy line on a heavy rod with a stiff tip is in order.
If you're looking to hunt snakeheads in Maryland, check out our article Destination: Snakeheads. In fact, in some places they can be caught from roadside ditches and canals. They thrive in shallow waters, especially those with extremely thick vegetation and in low-oxygen areas where other predator fish usually don’t do well. Today, they’re found in various waterways throughout the area including both fresh and brackish water. Northern snakeheads can now be found in 14 states, including Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. But in 2004 they were found in the Potomac River near Washington, DC. In 2002, snakeheads were first identified in a pond in Crofton, MD, where they were soon dealt with by poisoning the water to prevent their spread. It beats Cox’s larger fish as the world record because the IGFA does not recognize records for fish shot with a bow and arrow. In May of 2018 Emanuel Tankersley caught a 19 pound, five ounce snakehead in Potomac Creek.
Interestingly, however, the IGFA world record all tackle snakehead was caught in Virginia waters. Virginia doesn’t keep records for the northern snakehead. In Mattawoman creek off the Potomac River, his fish hit 19.9 pounds and was over 35 inches in length. On May 24, 2018, the Maryland record for snakehead was broken by bow fisherman Andy Cox. It tipped the scales at 12 pound, 12 ounces. The Delaware record snakehead was caught by Bobby Smith in 2017 in the Nanticoke River. Fish & Wildlife Service Record Northern Snakeheads This species of fish looks somewhat similar. Snakeheads are distinctive and easily identified, except for in areas where native bowfin are present. More Information on identifying Snakeheads can be found here in Snakehead Identification. Pelvic fins located beneath the pectoral fins.They can be identified with the characteristics listed below. Snakeheads reach sexual maturity at about age two and approximately 12 inches long.
Snakehead fish skin#
Their ability to breathe air can allow snakeheads to live out of water for days at a time as long as their skin stays moist, which is one way they migrate and infest new areas. They also have the ability to breathe air because of a labyrinth organ. Snakeheads are freshwater fish but can handle low-salinity waters. Snakeheads can also be referred to as Amur snakehead, eastern snakehead, and mudfish. Northern snakeheads are the variety commonly found in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Channa incorporate 18 of those species and originate from Asia, while the Parachanna only contains three of the species and can be found in tropical Africa. Snakeheads refer to the fish family Channidae which includes 21 species separated into two genera, Channa and Parachanna. Photo courtesy of Caz Kenny What are Snakehead Fish? Snakeheads are an invasive species but are now widespread throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Snakeheads were first spotted in the region in 2002, when they were feared as an injurious species, and even today studies are being done to find out the effects of snakeheads in the environment and the best ways to combat them. Some areas were so desperate to prevent the spread of snakeheads that in 2012 if you posted a picture of yourself with a dead snakehead on Maryland’s Angler Log you could receive a $200 gift card. The northern snakehead is a species of fish originally from Asia that has been classified as invasive, but has thrived in Mid-Atlantic areas such as the Blackwater complex, the Potomac River, and the Rappahannock River.
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