Enough with the tackle. LETS SEE SOME FISH!

[mark poulson]

Really nice fish!!!

[uljersey]

Snakehead I caught yesterday. I don't target them specifically but this body of water has quite a few. New Jersey F&W has a kill mandate on them as they are considered an invasive species but this one got released. I'm not going to behead it in the canoe and have a bloody slimy mess to deal with and I don't carry a cooler. They've been here for decades now and have not negatively impacted the fishery as far as I can tell. I was catching healthy fat 3 lb LM bass within the same casting range. The fight is pretty intense, they pull like a catfish but will torpedo out of the water at times. I was throwing tubes into heavy cover in the shallows when it hit. This one was kind of small, I landed one back in 2017 that was,without exaggeration, as long as my leg. Many people up here target them exclusively.

0318DDA0-C940-4FE9-B375-7ECA3CCD9A79.jpeg (113.65 KiB) Viewed 2610 times

[mark poulson]

Wow! I'd be afraid it would bite me!

[uljersey]

Wow! I'd be afraid it would bite me!

While they do have have a daunting set of teeth, they tend to clamp their mouths shut when caught to the point of it's almost impossible to get them open. That being said, I still handle them with the utmost of caution as I'm sure they could inflict some serious damage.

[dhottle]

Wow! I'd be afraid it would bite me!

While they do have have a daunting set of teeth, they tend to clamp their mouths shut when caught to the point of it's almost impossible to get them open. That being said, I still handle them with the utmost of caution as I'm sure they could inflict some serious damage.

They are like a pitbull with sharp teeth.

[hoohoorjoo]

9-2 and 23", from a mid-morning trip today. That's a #11F silver/black back Rapala.

[John2204]

Got a 4 1/2 lber on a 4” Scottsboro Swimbait the other day… cid:39BE9A08-C9B3-4C91-9BFB-ABA931EAE6A9

[John2204]

Hopefully the pic comes through on this one….

[hoohoorjoo]

Snakehead I caught yesterday. I don't target them specifically but this body of water has quite a few. New Jersey F&W has a kill mandate on them as they are considered an invasive species but this one got released. I'm not going to behead it in the canoe and have a bloody slimy mess to deal with and I don't carry a cooler. They've been here for decades now and have not negatively impacted the fishery as far as I can tell. I was catching healthy fat 3 lb LM bass within the same casting range. The fight is pretty intense, they pull like a catfish but will torpedo out of the water at times. I was throwing tubes into heavy cover in the shallows when it hit. This one was kind of small, I landed one back in 2017 that was,without exaggeration, as long as my leg. Many people up here target them exclusively.

0318DDA0-C940-4FE9-B375-7ECA3CCD9A79.jpeg

When I catch them down in Florida, I just stick my edc blade thru the eye socket and drop them back in the water. Turtles take care of the rest.

[4g63power]

9-2 and 23", from a mid-morning trip today. That's a #11F silver/black back Rapala.

Damn what a fish. Congrats!

[4g63power]

Stuck a few at some of the most pressured waters known to mankind over the weekend

[mark poulson]

Stuck a few at some of the most pressured waters known to mankind over the weekend

Really nice fish!

[DirtyD64]

Snakehead I caught yesterday. I don't target them specifically but this body of water has quite a few. New Jersey F&W has a kill mandate on them as they are considered an invasive species but this one got released. I'm not going to behead it in the canoe and have a bloody slimy mess to deal with and I don't carry a cooler. They've been here for decades now and have not negatively impacted the fishery as far as I can tell. I was catching healthy fat 3 lb LM bass within the same casting range. The fight is pretty intense, they pull like a catfish but will torpedo out of the water at times. I was throwing tubes into heavy cover in the shallows when it hit. This one was kind of small, I landed one back in 2017 that was,without exaggeration, as long as my leg. Many people up here target them exclusively.

0318DDA0-C940-4FE9-B375-7ECA3CCD9A79.jpeg

Haven't seen a snakehead down here in Arkansas, but people report them. I think sometimes they mistake Grinnell or Bowfin for snakeheads, and sadly kill them. I have never seen or caught one of them either. Grinnell have more of a peg looking tooth, and snakehead have a sharper tooth. There are some obvious color pattern differences too, but they are not far evolved from each other. I would be worried a snakehead's teeth would cut certain line and lose my good lures! Do the people that exclusively target them use steel leaders like big Pike/Muskie fisherman?

[uljersey]

Snakehead I caught yesterday. I don't target them specifically but this body of water has quite a few. New Jersey F&W has a kill mandate on them as they are considered an invasive species but this one got released. I'm not going to behead it in the canoe and have a bloody slimy mess to deal with and I don't carry a cooler. They've been here for decades now and have not negatively impacted the fishery as far as I can tell. I was catching healthy fat 3 lb LM bass within the same casting range. The fight is pretty intense, they pull like a catfish but will torpedo out of the water at times. I was throwing tubes into heavy cover in the shallows when it hit. This one was kind of small, I landed one back in 2017 that was,without exaggeration, as long as my leg. Many people up here target them exclusively.

0318DDA0-C940-4FE9-B375-7ECA3CCD9A79.jpeg

Haven't seen a snakehead down here in Arkansas, but people report them. I think sometimes they mistake Grinnell or Bowfin for snakeheads, and sadly kill them. I have never seen or caught one of them either. Grinnell have more of a peg looking tooth, and snakehead have a sharper tooth. There are some obvious color pattern differences too, but they are not far evolved from each other. I would be worried a snakehead's teeth would cut certain line and lose my good lures! Do the people that exclusively target them use steel leaders like big Pike/Muskie fisherman?

I'm sure most do use a leader of some type but haven't really looked into it. The biggest issue with them is getting the hook to penetrate their mouths - think using an awl to poke a hole in a leather belt. I've hooked up with many of them over the years but have only landed but a few of them. I suspect it was them clamping their jaws shut solid on the bait and NOT having the hook penetrated. Surprisingly I have only lost one bait due to a biteoff, just lucky in that respect I guess, plus the fact that most of the rods I'm using, with the exception of my frog rigs, are woefully underpowered for them.

[DirtyD64]

Snakehead I caught yesterday. I don't target them specifically but this body of water has quite a few. New Jersey F&W has a kill mandate on them as they are considered an invasive species but this one got released. I'm not going to behead it in the canoe and have a bloody slimy mess to deal with and I don't carry a cooler. They've been here for decades now and have not negatively impacted the fishery as far as I can tell. I was catching healthy fat 3 lb LM bass within the same casting range. The fight is pretty intense, they pull like a catfish but will torpedo out of the water at times. I was throwing tubes into heavy cover in the shallows when it hit. This one was kind of small, I landed one back in 2017 that was,without exaggeration, as long as my leg. Many people up here target them exclusively.

0318DDA0-C940-4FE9-B375-7ECA3CCD9A79.jpeg

Haven't seen a snakehead down here in Arkansas, but people report them. I think sometimes they mistake Grinnell or Bowfin for snakeheads, and sadly kill them. I have never seen or caught one of them either. Grinnell have more of a peg looking tooth, and snakehead have a sharper tooth. There are some obvious color pattern differences too, but they are not far evolved from each other. I would be worried a snakehead's teeth would cut certain line and lose my good lures! Do the people that exclusively target them use steel leaders like big Pike/Muskie fisherman?

I'm sure most do use a leader of some type but haven't really looked into it. The biggest issue with them is getting the hook to penetrate their mouths - think using an awl to poke a hole in a leather belt. I've hooked up with many of them over the years but have only landed but a few of them. I suspect it was them clamping their jaws shut solid on the bait and NOT having the hook penetrated. Surprisingly I have only lost one bait due to a biteoff, just lucky in that respect I guess, plus the fact that most of the rods I'm using, with the exception of my frog rigs, are woefully underpowered for them.

I would love to take some older hollow body frogs, upgrade the hooks to whatever Owner/Trokar/Gamakatsu has at the top of the line strength and go frog fishing with a heavy rod/braid. Down here it has become +90% of my fishing is finesse. Last friendly tournament we had I caught one on a 7'6"MH with 17lb fluoro (3/8 TX rig), made me feel like I was punching mats with a 2oz weight.