Snakeheads: Anyone Take Them on the Fly?
- Thread starter kibby
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I saw a report on the orvis blog a few months back of a guy who caught one on a fly. If you search the blog you might find the report
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grassonfly
Well-known member
i havnt but i want to i knw a guy who catches them and he says you have one chance to cast as them and thats it they can feelyou step on the ground theyre very smart cast something top water move it fast snake like topwater works well
stl_geoff
Well-known member
I have heard that they are pretty tricky to catch. But if you do catch one, atleast cut its head off before you chuck it back into the water.
grassonfly
Well-known member
no need to cut it off they have very hard skin just stomp its head
I heard that streamers and topwaters work well for them. Particularly if you can cast a frog or mouse pattern near them. I believe that by law in some states they are to be immediately destroyed. Some even require that you notify the Fish & Game officer too. Some people give rough fish a bad rep and kill them, but these guys DO need wiped out. They pose a great threat to ecosystems.
definitely both destroy and notify F&G in PA.
bigjim5589
Well-known member
I've also heard they're fine to eat, but have never caught one or eaten them.
There is a guide I know, Capt. Mike Starrett (Indian Head Charters) who fishes the Potomac River and has caught them on flies & has had some clients catch them on flies as well. He fishes a lot of big deer hair bugs for bass, but don't recall if the Snakeheads were caught on them or not.
He has some pictures posted on his website of some that have been caught, but there are no captions to go with the pics, and unfortunately, he fishes with other tackle too. (Check 2011 photo's, #77 is a client with a big one & #86 is Mike with a big Snakehead!)
He posts some of his successes with some comments on another site I visit frequently, and I know he caught some Snakeheads late in the season this year on flies. I'll send him an email & find out!
There is a guide I know, Capt. Mike Starrett (Indian Head Charters) who fishes the Potomac River and has caught them on flies & has had some clients catch them on flies as well. He fishes a lot of big deer hair bugs for bass, but don't recall if the Snakeheads were caught on them or not.
He has some pictures posted on his website of some that have been caught, but there are no captions to go with the pics, and unfortunately, he fishes with other tackle too. (Check 2011 photo's, #77 is a client with a big one & #86 is Mike with a big Snakehead!)
He posts some of his successes with some comments on another site I visit frequently, and I know he caught some Snakeheads late in the season this year on flies. I'll send him an email & find out!
grassonfly
Well-known member
they are a great fight
drlaser
Well-known member
they are very aggressive I have a buddy of mine down in Houston that catches them on crank-baits all the time.
Vans
Well-known member
Never heard of them. Very prehistoric looking. What is the story on how they got there?
I think there were some Asian markets which brought in live fish. Not exactly sure how thy made it into the Maryland Pond of other areas like the Potomac river.
captmikestarrett
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2011 saw about 28 Potomac Pike caught. Most all where on horny toads. The ones that hit flies got away and only one was landed in 2011. But they like dalbergs , big dalbergs and a few on big Waldorf Hair bugs.
A lot of mis-information in this thread. They are some of the best eating fish ever. Fancy resturants buy it up head on for 10 bucks a pound. They taste like sweet flounder..
True they are invasive and so is LGmouth.. see how that turned out..
They are not easy to land either..
Capt Mike
A lot of mis-information in this thread. They are some of the best eating fish ever. Fancy resturants buy it up head on for 10 bucks a pound. They taste like sweet flounder..
True they are invasive and so is LGmouth.. see how that turned out..
They are not easy to land either..
Capt Mike
bigjim5589
Well-known member
Capt. Mike, thanks for the reply! I wasn't sure what you had success with as far as flies! Thanks for giving the low down for the folks here!:worthy:
Vans
Well-known member
How are they impacting the natives in that fishery though?
grassonfly
Well-known member
ive seen a school of bass mayan cichlids and snakehead hunting together