Love or hate invasive snakeheads, their reputation as a leisure goal solely continues to develop. All through their vary on the East Coast, snakehead fishing tournaments are nicely attended, extra lure firms are making snake-specific baits, and extra persons are determining that “dragons” make for an excellent barbecue. Need to be a part of the hunt? In the event you’re able to hit the swamps, bogs, creeks, and backwaters this season, listed below are the very best snakehead lures that you just completely should have in your arsenal.
How I Picked the Finest Snakehead Lures
Given the chance to fish for largemouth bass or snakeheads, I’ll chase dragons each time. I’ve been fishing for snakeheads up and down the East Coast for years with a few of the finest anglers within the sport. What follows is a set of lures that work in a wide range of circumstances. Consider this as a snakehead starter package.
Learn Subsequent: Tips on how to Catch Snakeheads
Hole-Physique Frog
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I don’t care what anyone says, for those who’re concentrating on snakeheads in prime season—that means when the air and water are heat—there isn’t a higher or extra versatile lure than a hollow-body frog. So, what’s the very best one? So far as I’m involved, it doesn’t matter. There are tons of of frogs in the marketplace. Some have rubber skirt tails, some have shiny spinner blades for legs, whereas others have anatomically appropriate kicking legs. I’ve used frogs made by Japanese firms that may set you again practically $20 and price range frogs I nabbed for $3 from an overstock outlet retailer. Snakeheads have pounced on all of them. Right here’s why.
It’s my opinion {that a} snakehead in looking mode that’s cruising round near the floor seeking to make a kill isn’t too choosy. There are exceptions to that, in fact, particularly in areas the place snakeheads see quite a lot of frogs. However by and enormous, the fish goes to easily react to the sound and motion. I personally assume black frogs catch extra snakeheads, however on the similar time I’ve caught hundreds on neon pink, yellow, white, chartreuse, and each shade within the rainbow. So, don’t overthink your frog selection.
What actually makes frogs the very best, nonetheless, is that they’re one in all just a few lures that may carry out within the sloppy, mucky, weed-choked, pad-filled areas snakeheads want. And eventually, on a private word, what attracts me to snakeheads is their vicious floor strikes. When you can actually catch them sub-surface, I don’t get the identical rush once I stick them this fashion.
Finesse-Type Tender Plastics
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One in every of my all-time favourite sub-surface lures for snakeheads is a 5 1/4-inch Zoom Tremendous Fluke in white or chartreuse. Any shade will work, however I gravitate to gentle tones as a result of they’re simpler for me to trace in the course of the retrieve—and if the white Fluke instantly disappears in darkish water, I do know to swing away. I normally have a second rod pre-rigged with a Fluke at any time when I’m snakeheading in case I see an inactive fish laid up on the underside or if a fish tracks a frog on the floor however doesn’t commit. In that state of affairs, a fast flick and twitch of the Fluke typically makes the rebound. However these types of bait produce other advantages.
Like hollow-body frogs, a finesse-style soft-plastic will run cleanly and snag-free by way of vegetation and over wooden. You additionally don’t want to take care of fixed movement to deliver them to life. A Fluke will sink slowly on the pause, and shimmy with the slightest twitch of the rod tip, permitting you to maintain it in a snakehead’s face longer than different lures. Simply ensure you rig it on a heavy-gauge wipe hole hook that received’t bend while you set.
Chatterbait
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Chatterbaits are comprised of a weighted jig with a rubber skirt tail that waves, wags, and wiggles in the course of the retrieve. On the nostril of the lure is a hexagonal blade which deflects water whilst you reel, inflicting the bait to shimmy and quiver whereas placing out a great deal of flash and vibration. Like hollow-body frogs and finesse plastics, the Chatter Bait has turn out to be a trusted staple amongst snakeheaders as a result of it may run by way of some nasty cowl and doesn’t get hung up in exhausting construction simply.
I do know a number of snakehead junkies who declare chatterbaits will rack up numbers of fish quicker than frogs in the course of the summer time, which can be true, however once more, they rob you of that killer floor smash. Nonetheless, I’ve saved many journeys with a chatterbait. Throughout chilly fronts or when the water is off-color, these lures might be the one factor that makes the play. And when a snakehead hits one, it hits exhausting.
Learn Subsequent: Tips on how to Fish a Chatterbait
Buzzbait
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The sound of a buzzbait’s propellor slicing by way of the floor could be very highly effective. Because it spins, it additionally creates a bubble path that fish can comply with to the skirted jig using slightly below that loud, fast-spinning blade. Although buzzbaits can wrestle a bit in extra-thick vegetation, they kill alongside weed and pad edges that hungry snakes patrol. The hits are big, which type of presents an issue.
The one downside of buzzbaits is that many you’ll discover on store cabinets aren’t robust sufficient for snakeheads. Their mouths are a lot more durable than these of largemouth bass, so it’s not unusual for them to bend or break upon the hookset. Even for those who survive that half, a spinning, leaping snakehead can twist a buzzbait like a paperclip. An awesome possibility is the In-line Octane Buzz from Excessive Octane Customized Lures. It’s constructed particularly for snakeheads and encompasses a heavy-gauge hook and thick wire generally present in muskie lures.
Honorable Mentions
- Spooks. Although powerful to make use of in vegetation, Spook-style surface-walking baits are killers in open water situations.
- In-Line Spinners. If the realm you’re fishing is clear sufficient for treble hooks, a big in-line spinner can put a harm on snakeheads.
- Spinnerbaits. Whereas largely outshined by chatterbaits today, basic spinnerbaits minimize by way of grass properly and get a snakehead’s consideration quick.
- Swimbaits. Lures just like the Storm Shad or Keitech Swing Influence are nice choices for early and late within the season when the vegetation isn’t in full bloom.
Ultimate Ideas on the Finest Snakehead Lures
Snakehead fishing at its easiest is a topwater sport, a minimum of in my view. It’s exhausting to beat the joy that comes with that violent slashing strike on a frog or buzzbait. However I’ll at all times have subsurface lures alongside for my snakehead missions, too. As a result of, to be truthful, all snakehead bites are thrilling.