I want to take advantage of the upcoming Memorial Day sales to stock up on some snakehead gear. I have never fished for them before, but I have done some research. Would love to hear from people with experience targeting them. 

 

Can I get by with a Mojo bass slop n’ frog rod (7’hf | 3/8 – 1 1/2oz) and original Tatula 100 spooled with 65lb braid?

 

thinking of stocking up on:

toads

frogs

chatterbaits

buzzbaits

a pair of fish grips

 

Any tips or specific lures/gear/colors are appreciated. 

I don't target them, but catch a lot of em on bass gear.  They tend to prefer the most expensive lures you carry....so PopMax and Jackhammers are good choices.  

Fish Grips are good, but you should also have jaw spreaders and a net.

1 minute ago, Choporoz said:

I don't target them, but catch a lot of em on bass gear.  They tend to prefer the most expensive lures you carry....so PopMax and Jackhammers are good choices.  

Fish Grips are good, but you should also have jaw spreaders and a net.

Absolutely with the fish grips and spreaders/pliers are a good idea. They become very tight lipped when you go to remove the lure.

 

I've caught a few 6-8lbers on MH rods with a variety of line types and sizes; including a 6.5 on 8lb mono (wouldn't really recommend that in pads/cover). You'll be fine with the braid. I catch a majority of mine on spinnerbaits and chatterbaits. The vibration usually drives them crazy. Color doesn't matter. 

Haha, treble hooks seem extra dangerous with a snakehead thrashing around so I was planning to keep my beloved topwaters at home. I hadn’t thought of jaw spreaders. 

24 minutes ago, microotter said:

I want to take advantage of the upcoming Memorial Day sales to stock up on some snakehead gear. I have never fished for them before, but I have done some research. Would love to hear from people with experience targeting them. 

 

Can I get by with a Mojo bass slop n’ frog rod (7’hf | 3/8 – 1 1/2oz) and original Tatula 100 spooled with 65lb braid?

 

thinking of stocking up on:

toads

frogs

chatterbaits

buzzbaits

a pair of fish grips

 

Any tips or specific lures/gear/colors are appreciated. 

Where do you plan on trying to catch them?

19 minutes ago, MountainMan83 said:

Where do you plan on trying to catch them?

I think I am going to start with some of the parks along the Potomac and it’s tributaries. 

I've been targeting them for two seasons now, I learned a lot and do not lose many fish. 

 

A HEAVY rod, and the cheapest frogs (I get 25 for $18 on Ebay) you can get with STRONG hooks will work.

 

I use black or green 20 pound 4 strand braid without leader and up to ~10 pounds (my PB) I haven't lost a fish though I can envision trying to horse one out of dense weeds and losing one now and again. I have 30 pound but it's on my backup rod. My fishing buddy uses 40 or 50 pound, with even heavier leader... he refuses to even think about losing a fish :-)

 

Stainless lip grippers are a must and they had better be very strong as snakeheads ruin cheap aluminum models. I use a boga grip, they let the fish spin around and do their insaneo dance and it holds them tight, and all of the models have a scale built in. On cheaper lip grips, if the grip has only a lanyard to let the fish spin that would be a second choice. If you use a net, get a long one.