Eddie Bramble, Caz Kenny, Gary Smith
Blackwaters Edge, Snakeheadlife.com
I think it is safe to say, we are all thankful that fishing is the best form of social distancing. Everyone needs an escape from life, especially during quarantine, and Snakehead fishing has provided that to many of us. Now things are going to get challenging with Snakehead fishing. The dog days of summer are upon us and Snakeheads are fickle creatures this time of year.
In our experience with Snakeheads, there are 3 stages that are cycled through in the summer months, preparing for the spawn, pairing up to spawn or protecting their fry after they spawn. Each of these stages needs to be fished differently for an angler to be successful. When Snakeheads are preparing for the spawn, they are in a feeding frenzy. They are eating as much as possible for their bodies to endure an extended period without eating. This is the prime time to chase a Snakehead. Topwater lures, swimbaits, chatterbaits, buzz baits or anything you can throw to grab their attention is what you are looking for. This stage usually lasts about 2-3 weeks and once Snakeheads have paired up the bite shuts right down so hit the preparation stage hard. The pairing stage is probably the most difficult to fish. Once these fish have paired up there is only one thing on their mind, and it is not eating. To be successful during this stage, you are going to want to target Snakeheads who were not successful in pairing up. These solo Snakeheads will continue the previous stage of preparing for the next wave of spawning by continuing to feed. After the spawn, parent Snakeheads will be protecting their fry. To catch a Snakehead protecting a fry ball, you are going to need to make them mad. They are more interested in protecting their fry than eating, so be persistent and agitate that fry ball until Mom or Dad has had enough and eats your lure.
Summer Snakehead fishing is all about timing. If you can avoid the Pairing stage, you will avoid most of the frustrations this time of year. But like the old saying goes, a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work. For more info on Snakehead fishing, check out the Blackwater’s Edge Podcast live every Thursday on Facebook and YouTube at 5pm!
