Twenty-two years ago, Chesapeake Channa (aka northern snakehead) were introduced to a small pond in Crofton, Maryland. Since then, their population has exploded—channa inhabit the murky shallows of just about every tributary of the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay and beyond.
Twenty-two years ago, Chesapeake Channa (aka northern snakehead) were introduced to a small pond in Crofton, Maryland. Since then, their population has exploded—channa inhabit the murky shallows of just about every tributary of the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay and beyond. While these fish taste great and are exciting to catch, doing your part to help remove these invasive critters from our local waterways is trickier than it may seem. Let’s dive into exactly what you need to get out on the water and start your search for snakehead.
Rods, reels, and tackle
Between bone-filled mouths and their knack for wrapping your line around every lilypad in the river, getting a snakehead to bite is only half the battle. Having the right rods and reels is imperative to landing your fish. I differentiate my combos between top-water and sub-surface. Heavier gear is necessary for fishing top water, it's not uncommon at all to reel in an extra 10 pounds of weeds or hook a fish 50 feet back in a padfield. On top of that, those extra boney mouths require some Bassmaster™ like hook-sets to make sure the fish gets pinned. For top-water, I like a heavy rod around 7’ with at least 40lb braid. It may sound extreme, but when you hook a fifteen pounder back in the weeds, you’ll want all the power you can get. Pair it with a 4000 size spinning reel or an equivalent baitcaster and you’re ready to start slinging frogs for snakes. For sub-surface lures like chatterbaits, I like a 3000 (baitcasting folks, you know the drill) spooled with 20-30lb braid, paired with a medium fast-action rod. You can get away with using lighter gear with sub-surface lures. The situations you’ll be using them in will generally have less cover to break off on. Don’t go too light, or you won’t be able to get a good hook set. As far as lures go chatter-baits, large in-line spinners, and weedless flukes are my go-to choices for sub-surface.
I like mice and small walking frogs when fishing top water in pad fields and grass mats, and prefer popping frogs for more open-water scenarios or when fryballs are present.
Tools of the Trade
Chesapeake Channa are illegal to bring home alive, so if you plan on keeping your fish you need a humane way to dispatch them before putting them on ice. Clubs are popular for many fish, but Chesapeake Channa are notoriously hard to kill. More than once, I’ve seen a snakehead that anyone in their right mind would say is dead jump out of the cooler at the boat ramp. An ice-pick or gig stabbed in the soft spot located in the center of their head will kill them almost instantly and is the most humane process.
Chesapeake Channa have incredibly strong jaws to the point where it is impossible to pry them open without tools. A good pair of needle-nose pliers is a must-have, and jawbreakers, a tool used to pry open their mouth and keep it open, will make retrieving lures a piece of cake.
Lip grippers will help you hold onto the fish once you’ve managed to pry its mouth open.
The last thing you’ll need (and arguably the most important) is a positive mindset and a whole lot of patience. For many anglers, no matter their experience level, finding and landing their first snakehead is a challenge compared to many other species.
Stay positive, and always pay attention to what’s going on around you while you’re fishing. Keeping an eye on the little things that take place when you do find success will teach you what to look for when it comes to finding new spots.
I went out at least a dozen times before I landed my first snakehead and lost at least that many before I finally got one on the bank. Once I knew what to look for, I started catching more fish without dedicating any extra time. The key to keeping that success consistent and increasing your numbers is getting yourself into less pressured waters. Luckily, kayaks are the best vessels to target these fish out of, and you don’t need anything fancy. All it takes is something that floats, the right gear, some perseverance, and you’ll be slamming snakes in the beautiful backwaters that Maryland has to offer.
Now that you know what you need to get after these invasive critters, all that’s left is for you to find your snakehead honey-hole. If you have any questions about how to target Chesapeake Channa in the Chesapeake or any of its tributaries, I’d love to hear your questions by emailing me at [email protected] or by messaging me on Instagram @reelinwithrudow.
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