Snakehead mistakes

My snakehead trips are beginning and anyone interested should read this prior to booking a trip because I’m going to share my reality of targeting snakeheads with artificial baits on the Potomac. As Jack Nicholson once said in the “The Departed” - “This ain’t no YouTube video”. Also this is my experience and others may have a different experience and if they can promise you a different experience then what I’m describing then I certainly would go with them. Last year was not the greatest Potomac snakehead fishing that I’ve experienced - in fact it was the worse. The truth is that my numbers of fish and strikes have been declining for several years and that experience was validated by US Fish and Game surveys showing a pretty dramatic decline in the snakehead population. However, there are still snakeheads to be caught by the dedicated angler that is prepared to work. There will still be days when it’s relatively easy but there will be far more days when it won’t be easy. Social media has certainly distorted anglers expectations and there are probably places where snakeheads are still relatively easy to catch. That doesn’t mean these people have a snakehead secret or secret bait or snakehead technique - it just means that there are more, undisturbed snakeheads that are generally easier to catch in some places. I fish the Potomac from Washington DC to south of nanjemoy and every tributary has proven pretty consistent with the Potomac snakehead experience. I’m saying that targeting and catching a snakehead can be work. It requires a lot of efficient casting and mental discipline. It requires the outdoor skills of observation, patience, and persistence. The opportunities may be limited but they are further limited if you don’t notice a small disturbance on the water, or a snakehead cruising on the bank or if you don’t cast immediately and accurately if you do see a snakehead. I mostly guide with topwater baits in shallow water - many snakeheads are caught with chatterbaits and assorted other baits - on outside weed lines but to me - this isn’t the snakehead fishing experience. You may work very hard to get a strike and then miss the opportunity. I’ve heard a lot of excuses but sometimes they just miss the bait. However sometimes it’s completely your fault. It’s not that you didn’t wait to set the hook - it’s mostly because you didn’t set the hook at all. If they missed it - and you jerked - then immediately cast again. If you waited and they missed it - let it sit - most will still be under the frog ready to hit again. If you choose to use the wrong equipment then you are choosing to miss your opportunity. I’ve caught a lot of snakeheads and I’m only trying to help you with reality. If you choose to validate your vicarious YouTube learning of catching a snakehead - then I would call them and see them in action but I’m not interested. The reason snakehead fishing is popular among some is that the fish is really not susceptible to a lot a varied techniques. Nobody is fishing deep rock piles or deep contour lines for a snakehead. They are fishing shallow with frogs, flukes, buzzbaits, etc.. It’s visual, relatively “easy” techniques but require a hunters mentality. In the end - it’s usually work to target a snakehead. It’s a challenge at times. You must keep casting. I say this because I’m preparing myself for the “I watched a YouTube video” comments. They drive me insane -.especially when the angler can’t cast, isn’t being observant, lacks persistence, and generally believes there is a shortcut or secret to success. That’s life now - work is outdated and everybody has a shortcut to success. I get it but if I interrupt your YouTube fishing knowledge comments by saying “just keep casting” - well at least I warned you ! ?. If you do have a real tangible measurable secret that isn’t you fish where there are a lot of unpressured snakeheads - then I’m ready to learn and I’ll pay you my rate to teach me that secret. I love to learn.

The 2025 guiding season is coming to an end and im grateful to fishing booker all all my fishing guests. The season had highs and lows just like the tides of the potomac river. The lows usually revolve around trips that didnt live up to fish “catching” expectations of the client. There is nobody as disappointed as me when for whatever reason the fish do not bite. Some factors of poor fishing are controllable but most are not. I would like to privide a few examples of what can be controlled and what can not be cintrolled when it comes to probability of catching fish. Controllable: 1. Captain preparedness - i spend countless hours on the tidal Potomac river from washington dc to aquia, virginia. I keep the boat maintained and fully equipped. I show up on time and demonstrate a friendky demeanor. I come from a family that have soent over 50 years of fishing and guiding on the Potomac. 2. I communicate with clients and provide ramp location and meeting times. I try to get a level of fishing experience from them so i can evalute if my fishing experience is best for them. 3. I look at predicted weather conditions to assure saftey. After this - nany things are out of my control - 1. Angling ability - the biggest factor of catching fish will rest with the guests fishing expeience. If you have minimum cating ability or presenting an artificial bait properly - tben the probability of catching a fish goes way down. I will spend tbe day teaching you but if you also believe that catching fish should go hand in hand with instruction - that may happen - but the odds are decreased. 2. Tides and enviornmental factors - a fisb is an organism that responds to environmental conditions- tides, barometric presure, etc - these factors control mich of a fishes activity. These factors can lead to the saying “they call it fishing - not catching”. There are many examples of unrealistic expectations. A guest using his equioment the wrong way and still complaining of catching small fish when be was lucky to even get a bite. A guest who insisted on fishing for snakeheads when not only was their fishing ability up to the task but i told them that catching a snakehead was unlikely. Its your trip but im not always the best guide to suite your expectations. I always go where there are fish but one must catch them on their own. I fish with artificial baits thst require casting and presentation. Sometimes its best to start slow and fish with guides that use live bait for more abundant fish species. I love to teach everyone to beca better fisherman but its a process that doesnt always include or deserve catching a fish.

Part 3 - Three top Snakehead Lures of 2024 The 2024 Fishing Detective Guide Agency LLC Snakehead Summary brought to you by thee Fishing Detective and #simmsfishing, #fishdetective729, #seaguar, #dobynsrods, #seewhatsoutthere, #powerpole, #kuiu, #ardentreels, #wackyworm. The fishing detective provides the most excellent Christmas gift for the fisherman in your life - a gift certificate for full and half day fishing trips. The 2025 snakehead trips will be 500 for 7 hours and 325 for morning/evening half days. Part 1 provided the stats for 2024. Part 2 will summarize my impression on fishing and the conditions that existed on the most productive days. Part 3 is the top lures of 2024. Part 3 - Three Top Lures of 2024 My guide agency specifically targets snakeheads on snakehead trips. Consequently I don’t consider randomly casting a grass flat with a chatterbait as targeting snakeheads. I have specific areas and cast specific baits at specific times where the odds are in my favor that snakeheads will be the dominant fish. Yes - I do catch bass in these areas but the bass are by product catches. Also I’ve caught snakeheads on every single bass bait catsgory and technique you can name - creature baits punching, dropshots on docks, shakey heads on gravel banks, Zara spooks, whopper plopper, buzzbaits, senkos etc etc. However, 2024 proved that there are only 3 baits necessary to target a snakehead. These three baits were the most productive because they can be thrown into heavy shallow water. They can be worked fast or slow. They work the water columns that snakeheads exist. 1. Hollow Body Frog - the hollow body frog is still my #1 choice for targeting snakehead. I only need two colors but I have a variety of sizes. I don’t much care if it’s a popper or standard frog except that it comes through the cover without hanging up especially on pads. I don’t care if you can walk it or not. These things to me are selling points for frogs that are basically all the same so you have to sell your frog by making it appear different. The body size, the texture of the frog body and the hooks are my considerations. Consequently I primarily use 2 brands - Booyah and Spro. Both come in standard and smaller body sizes. Both have good durability and great hooks. My Booyah frig has caught more snakeheads than any other bait but I did start throwing the spro a lot because it’s a little harder plastic and comes throw pads much better. 2. Chatterbait - it’s very difficult for me to say this because unless I’m fishing way south I feel the Chatterbait isn’t necessarily “targeting” a snakehead. It’s also not a bait I like clients throwing on my rods. However it’s a great snakehead bait and the bait I use to catch the biggest snakeheads on grass edges and the mouth of guts especially on lower tides when they are away from the banks. The biggest snakeheads always have come on a Chatterbait because big snakeheads act like big bass in that they are in slightly deeper water and are efficient predators. I don’t use a lot of custom blades jigs but again I use 2 sizes - full size and a mini max. I like gold and black blades. I like gold, white, black/blue or green pumpkin shirts. The trailer - I use a variety but really like the hog farmer spunk shad. 3. Bubble gum Fluke - a fluke is a good snakehead bait. It can be fished fast to locate snakeheads that are away from the banks. A lot of times I throw a fluke so they reveal themselves by a wake or a chase. The other great thing about a fluke is that I can use it like a senko and let it sink near a snakehead that is reluctant to hit something on top. It’s a great sight fishing bait. I always have a bubble gum fluke on to throw to fish that I can see but ignore a frog. I can also throw it far, fish it fast, throw to bank or grass edges, fish it on top or bottom. A lot of times I’ll have the boat positioned so clients can throw the frog to the marsh edges while I throw out away from the bank to help locate snakeheads. That’s my top 3 baits. These baits are no different than most throw. I may do things differently with a hollow body frog or work a chatterbait a variety of different ways than some but essentially all 3 baits can be worked as a version of any soft plastic or crank bait or wake bait that you have in the box. I did learn a frog modification year that made a real difference but I’m not going to share just yet. My opinion is that there are no specific “snakehead” lures. A frog doesn’t need a spinner on the back to be a snakehead frog. A bait doesn’t have to be bigger or louder to be a “snakehead” bait. The areas you throw a bait are what differentiate the bait from fishing for snakeheads or another fish. The niche is being filled with “snakehead” baits but that’s only you being suckered or sold. It’s ok - I do it too but in the end the biggest world record snakeheads have all been caught on a regular old bladed jig. If you are interested. Book now. My advice is to look at